Sudden power steering failure - Puked out all fluid

Gubernaculum · Post by **Gubernaculum** » 20 Aug 2013, 08:45

**UPDATE BELOW**

I was driving my 2000 s70 glt se, stopped at a stop light, and when pulling away immediately realized I had completely lost all power steering. I filled up the fluid in a parking lot after making sure my serpentine belt was intact, and saw that the fluid was immediately dumped out under the car once I started it up and turned the wheels from side to side.

I'm still driving the car (it takes some serious biceps at low speed turns - my 2700 lb e30 BMW didn't have power steering for years, but this thing is a lot heavier). I won't have a chance to jack it up and work on it for 3-4 days due to work. On first inspection things are pretty coated with fluid under there from driving right after the leak, so I couldn't pinpoint the leak in the parking lot.

In the mean time, has anybody else experienced something similar? Most of the fluid seems to be leaking from the area of the rack - mostly on the driver side but some on the passenger side too.

What are the possibilities here? Simple blown hose? Rack failure? What to look for? If I do need to replace the rack, is that a huge or expensive job?

Post by **rmmagow** » 20 Aug 2013, 09:27

With luck it is just a blown hose. If the rack seals failed catastrophically, your sort of in trouble. The rack is sort of a b***h to replace. You really need to clean it up some and look underneath to see where it's coming from. Hose replacement shouldn't be too bad.

Post by **850 LPT** » 20 Aug 2013, 09:38

Something similar happened to me with my 850 a few years ago right here at the office in the parking lot. I came back from lunch, parked the car, heard a cracking noise under the hood, and when I got out, there was a huge puddle under the front of the car.
The rack ended up split in two, I have never seen anything like it. It was a mess. Had the thing towed home and then my shop replace the rack with a rebuilt one.

Hopefully you have just a leaky hose or something.

Good luck, Dirk

Henri · Post by **Henri** » 21 Aug 2013, 02:20

I had the same issue on my V70 II a couple of years agos.
Unforunately, one rigid hose (under the steering wheel) had a flight due to vibrations. I had to go to Volvo, because the joins were specifics and need specific tool to be removed / replaced. They also put small plastic pieces between hoses and the chassis (I guess they already know the problem before...)
Henri

Gubernaculum · Post by **Gubernaculum** » 21 Aug 2013, 08:14

Here's what it looked like under the car:

The hose connection into the rack seems to have either backed itself out or blown itself out (but there is no apparent thread damage or shavings, so I'm hoping it just backed itself out). I was able to screw it back in by hand slightly but there's no way in heck I can get a normal wrench in that cramped space to get it really tight. The hose looks relatively newer than the other one, so maybe if it was replaced by the previous owner they did a crappy job tightening it and it's just now, after my owning it for 15k miles, letting loose?

What tool can I use to tighten that thing and hopefully fix the problem? I was thinking something like this: ??? http://www.harborfreight.com/7-piece-me ... 68999.html

I couldn't get a better look since I'm staying with a friend currently and parked on a street - I'm moving to my new house (with garage) in the next few days.

In the mean time, do you think it's relatively safe to drive around with an empty power steering system for about 4 days? I don't want to damage my pump.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 21 Aug 2013, 11:35

The crowfoot adapters might just work to get the fitting torqued back down. Start the fitting by hand first, the fitting needs to be lined up perfectly to get the threads started but once it starts it should screw in with relative ease.

The fitting may or may not be metric. Many of the hydraulic lines and other pressurized lines have SAE standard fittings.

...Lee

Post by **abscate** » 22 Aug 2013, 04:00

No experience on empty power steering pumps, but I'm inclined to say I would NOT do this.

This from the guy who trailered a boat 30 miles using a 17/8 receiver on a 2 inch ball

Post by **precopster** » 23 Aug 2013, 04:48

abscate wrote: This from the guy who trailered a boat 30 miles using a 17/8 receiver on a 2 inch ball

Steve, if you can make a 2" inch ball fit a 1 7/8 receiver I"ll be your first mate on your new shrimp boat. Are you certain it wasn't the other way around?

Post by **abscate** » 24 Aug 2013, 05:14

It didn't fit. I used chain, bungy cords and duct tape to fully comply with all DOT regulations

See you on the "Jenny"