The moment temperatures drop below freezing, suspension components creak, tires harden and vibrate, lubricants turn to gel, and soft rubber bushings turn to stone. And every morning I hear at least five of my neighbors’ cars and trucks whining like howling cats, usually because of power steering issues.

A friend of mine works as a BG salesman and suggested I try BG 330 Power Steering Conditioner in my 2001 Cadillac Seville. I’m usually skeptical of fix-it solutions in a bottle, especially after trying every product on the shelf at Wal-Mart and Autozone without success.

I already tried bleeding the air and flushing the system with little success. (The flush corrected a hard steering issue but the whine remained.)

Furthering my skepticism, EVERY off-the-shelf product makes the same claim as BG:
“BG Power Steering Conditioner is specially designed to help prevent power steering unit leaks, provide smooth operation and eliminate squealing. It fortifies any power steering fluid, cleans and smooths internal springs and valves to help eliminate sticking, and reduces parts wear. It also conditions and helps protect seals against drying and shrinking to prevent fluid leakage.”

I figured at this point, I had nothing to lose, so I found a bottle on eBay (search for “bg power steering conditioner”) and ordered one for $14 including shipping.

On a 5-degree morning I started my Cadillac and got an earful of noise, as usual. I opened the cap for the power steering reservoir while the car was idling and with a turkey baster, I removed about 6 oz of power steering fluid, the same quantity as the BG conditioner I was adding.

In less than 30 seconds, the noise was completely gone. I went for a drive and the steering felt dramatically lighter, smoother, and more precise.

The first thing I noticed was that unlike other stop-leak and conditioner products on the market, BG’s #330 conditioner had the look and consistency of apple juice. Most steering products are red, thick, and honey-like, which may plug small leaks but can’t be very good for cold starts.

Dealers and shops, even if they’re listed on bgfindashop.com, are unlikely to sell BG’s #330 conditioner because unless there’s a leak, the customer can avoid paying for power steering pump replacement. Selling a user-installable $10 bottle of conditioner is far less profitable than charging parts and labor for a flush or a new pump.

With my Cadillac, the issue is actually a bit more severe, caused by a major leak somewhere in the system that will require a mechanical repair. The BG product gave me smooth and quiet functionality for only $14.

Try it.

In addition to eBay, I found it at Zip-Corvette.

Note: I was not paid to write this.