2007 XC90 4.4 V8 PS leak?

[Haggisaurus]

Hi all,

Hoping someone may be able to assist, I have a 2007 XC90 V8 with a leak of some description, I'm fairly certain it's a power steering fluid that's leaking I have a big oily mess on my driveway and an empty PS reservoir and very heavy and noisey steering. The leak has pooled and is dripping from the drivers side (left hand drive). My assumption is the - 35 celcius winter has caused it to freeze and burst a pipe or connection somewhere along the system.

I have no idea on how to actually trace it and fix the issue (is it easily accessed/done or will I lolely need a mechanic?).

Does anyone have a an in depth detailed step by step guide on how to do this?

The following YouTube link shows a very similar leak to mine for reference

https://youtu.be/I9pp7v0Pb14

I have attached some pictures of the underside of my XC90 also.

[ggleavitt]

Refer to this diagram- https://parts.volvocarslisle.com/a/Volv ... 91635.html , you can walk much of this visually. The PS reservoir and/or coolant tank pulls straight up normally so you can see underneath.

[Haggisaurus]

Thanks for this! I followed for the most part the other day and as far as I can tell, reservoir and hoses down to the cooler are OK, cooler is OK.

I can't see the pipe round the "back" onnthe diagram nor where it connects into the steering rack, how does one get to view these?

[ggleavitt]

Diagram item 2 is the hose that connects to the rack, item 28 is the oil cooler and loop. It is indeed in a correct orientation in the diagram, the steering rack is not in the correct position. Too cold today to crawl up under one of mine to take some photos but if you follow the right nylon wrapped hose, you'll be looking at the high pressure line from the pump to the rack. The return line from the cooler runs along clips behind the passenger side headlight before it attaches to the bottom of the PS reservoir (see the line with the fitting on it at the bottom of the photo, I was in the process of doing a fluid flush after a pump replacement). Procedure is written on a few threads, here's one- viewtopic.php?t=8644

Possible it could be the pump or the pump connections but given the amount of fluid you dumped it's more logical to me to consider a break somewhere. Quick note, when replacing fluid, do NOT use Dexron. Compatible fluids are Pentosin CHF11 and CHF202 if not the Volvo stuff. Might be a few more fluids to consider but this is what folks have primarily used over many years.

Depending on how long this pump had been in the vehicle, if it's leaking at all you might consider a reseal or replacement. I have replaced leaking pumps outright (132k and 135k, separate vehicles) with Volvo exchange although recently this company (RKXTech) has been producing o-ring kits to rebuild them. I rebuilt one of my old pumps a few months ago (see https://www.swedespeed.com/threads/powe ... st-7843557 ) and have it sitting on a shelf in my garage to install and test someday. I believe it's a very viable option to the $500+ Volvo pump replacement.

Good luck with your repair.

edit- add mileage on replacement, add rebuild photo link.

[Haggisaurus]

Thanks for the detailed reply, I'm also fairly certain the issue is a break/burst since it's the whole reservoir that's been dumped.

From what I can see, the pump, reservoir and cooler loop all look dry, which leads me to think its the hose on diagram item 2, or perhaps where it connects to the steering rack.

Any advice on how to trace or get visibility on that hose?

[ggleavitt]

To be honest, I would get the front lifted and crawl under to have a look. Alternatively, since you've dumped out your reservoir, it might be a reasonable effort to fill up the reservoir with some Pentosin then put the cap back on to run the engine for a 30 second or so, see where the leak is coming from.

That's about all I can offer. I'm sure someone has had this issue before and can assist further.

[Paul1963]

The pentosin 202 fluid is what Volvo recommended going to from the 11 later and I’ve found it to be lasting longer/cleaner then the 11 fluid You can get the 202 Pentosin fluid and AutoZone for about $20 a liter
on swedespeed there are instructions on how to flush the power steering system without running the engine
Seems to me like a hose must’ve cracked open because I can’t imagine a seal on the pump just blowing out although it could you had mentioned it was 35 below Celsius wouldent be about as cold as it gets on Pluto?

[Haggisaurus]

Thanks, the temps are warming up, was above zero today and almost felt like shorts and t-shirt weather in comparison.

There is definitely still a leak however no where near as bad as the fluid dump I had in the - 30s.

From what I can tell its somewhere around where the pipes meet the steering rack, could be a cracked pipe or an o-ring? Unfortunately I'm not sure how to get eyes on that part of the system.

[MoVolvos]

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Most likely hardened seals. This is proven to work and did so in my S80 T6 with a mystery drip. Put it in the transmission and power steering reservoir and gone. As for the PWST fluid a good brand of 3309 trans fluid will work. Do a complete flush in case there is debris in the fluid and getting trapped in the leak and cause further problems.

Regardless though look for the leak first and see if it's in a place where you may need to tighten or repair.

ATP AT-205 Re-Seal Stops Leaks, 8 Ounce Bottle
https://www.amazon.com/ATP-AT-205-Re-Se ... B000NVW1LM
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HAVOLINE Full Synthetic Multi-Vehicle ATF
https://www.amazon.com/HAVOLINE-2265367 ... C77&sr=1-1

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[LinaTech]

I have a Volvo XC90 2004 with about 350k km. I recently noticed the underbody is wet and it is power steering fluid that is leaking somewhere. I had the car revised and was told I should junk my car because it has too many repairs to be done. The mechanic told me that I will need a new rack and pinion and differential. Other than that the car drives very well. do I really need a new rack and pinion and differential or is this mechanic just trying to get me to totally junk my car?