2004 V70 Power steering issues

bigbrain · Post by **bigbrain** » 24 Mar 2015, 09:35

So it's been at least a month since I replaced my vacuum engine mounts...which for my V70 is a long time between things breaking so I knew it was about time again to have something go wrong...the car has done a couple of hundred miles in that time too so ready for a mini inspection too I guess!!! Car has 155k on the clock but is well looked after.

In the past I have changed the reservoir and feed pipe from reservoir to the pump as the pipe was busted and sucking in air which made the steering hard to turn....and there was a nice froth in the reservoir after a long drive.

Ok - so fluid is new (yes it's green too!) - I'm pretty sure there is no air as there are no bubbles in the reservoir. The symptoms I have are that the steering feels heavy (the fluid is topped up too). When on almost full lock (but not quite all the way) there is a point where the steering will pulse/bounce. If I hold the wheel in that position then the pulsing will just continue to happen. I can see the pulses feeding back through the rubber section of power steering pipe just after the pump.

Have checked all the lines for leaks...have lubricated the UJ on the steering column just in case. So basically I'm down to the pump or the rack. The big question I have is which one. There is no funny sounds coming from the pump....the pulley is spinning fine (serpentine belt and pulleys/tensioner recently done along with the alternator). I've had the boots off the end of the rack....one was totally clean but the other had a slight amount of steering fluid....not much but just a little.

Am hoping someone can point me to how I can narrow down the problem. At the moment I'm thinking just throw a second hand pump on it and see what happens...easy enough to swap but still not cheap. The rack swap sounds like a total nightmare! Its almost like there is a valve stuck somewhere...

Post by **vtl** » 24 Mar 2015, 13:57

Was there wrong fluid before you replaced it? Replaced with what?

bigbrain · Post by **bigbrain** » 24 Mar 2015, 16:35

Hi vtl...the fluid that came out was black...replaced with the volvo genuine green stuff as I was doing the reservoir replacement. The reservoir was also busted along the seam so also had to go. Doesn't seem to use power steering fluid....I flushed it out with 2l of the new stuff...it comes in 1l bottles from volvo...just has a number on the front...30741424. I also wondered whether someone had put ATF in there in the past by mistake but can't tell from what cam out...I've owned the car for about 5+ years. At the moment I'm thinking the pump is a painless swap so may be worth trying that first. Don't think I'm up for swapping the rack...I have a garage with low rise hydraulic ramps but would still be a major undertaking I think for me. Would anyone happen to know what the part number is for the rack...I think 2004 was one of those "lucky" years where they may have changed...I looked but the sticker has fallen off the rack (just my luck!)...can I tell from the VIN for example?

Post by **vtl** » 24 Mar 2015, 17:37

Is it a new symptom for your car? Both mine do the same in left/rightmost positions. I.e. I feel extra vibration.

Post by **vtl** » 24 Mar 2015, 19:36

Actually, scratch that. When I bought V70 (now wife's car) it had shudder in utmost positions. Unrelated to this issue I broke pulley on steering pump and bought used one from 2004 S60 donor. Steering system was filled with red ATF, I flushed it with correct Pentosin fluid. Some ATF still left inside, mixture was foaming a bit and causing shudder in utmost positions when the pressure inside rack is maximal. With time ATF was fully dissolved/diluted in Pentosin, I just checked the car and there's no shudder. Both V70 and XC70 have a tiny-tiny bit of extra vibration, but that's normal, nothing like it was on V70.

So either Pentosin or new pump or both helped to solve the problem. You are on the right way

bigbrain · Post by **bigbrain** » 25 Mar 2015, 02:22

Cheers vtl...thats very good information. I'm trying to remember whether the slight bit of liquid I saw behind the boot was red...but can't remember....why didn't I take a picture! I think I will go with a pump swap and then change the fluid again to see if it helps. With mine it's quite a bounce....I can still turn to full lock but does feel a bit odd when turning the wheel. It's definitely a new symptom but I did have an air leak in the feed tube to the pump which of course might be related. I did think about fitting an inline filter to the return hose but can't find a good one here in the UK which is a bit annoying. OK....will swap the pump out with a used one and come back to report.

Post by **oragex** » 26 Mar 2015, 13:11

You need to rule out first the coupler. If you disconnect it inside near the pedals, you will be able to twist and feel if it's seized. Just spraying wd40 on it won't help at all, especially during cold days when the wd40 will freeze.

My steering also feels hard to turn depending on the fluid level in the reservoir. Try to bring the thick hose upwards and the whole reservoir in a more elevated position and see if the steering feels different. It could be that the pump doesn't provide enough pressure any long.

Remember to use the right clamps for the dust boot at the steering rack, no plastic ties here or rust will build inside.