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asahartz · Feb 26th, 2012, 16:26

I did this job just last week!

It's a pain in the butt, but can be done diy. The hose is £126 from a Volvo specialist.

Remove the engine undertray and offside wheel. Here there is a small plastic & foam cover which is held in by the plastic nuts which retain the wheelarch splashguards. Once this is removed you can get access to the point where the hose connects to the rack. There's not much room for access down here! There is a locking clip over the connection which comes off with a 8mm socket on a long extension, it's just a self-tapping screw.

You'll need a 16mm spanner to slacken the connector, then it will probably unscrew with your fingers - a small amount of fluid will leak out so have something to catch it.

There is a small clip on the front crossmember which requires a 10mm socket to unscrew; it can be done from underneath but is easier with a long extension from the top.

At the top, there is another locking clip; you'll need a 12mm spanner to slacken (but not remove) the bolt behind the pulley for the locking clip to slide out, then your 16mm spanner will loosen the top connection. The other retaining clip halfway along the rubber is another 10mm socket.

To make it easier to manoevre the pipe in and out, remove the large metal block in the centre of the crossmember. I haven't a clue what this does as it has no wires or pipes to it! But it gets in the way; there are two large bolts (13/14mm socket, can't remember now) and a small one at the front (10mm socket).

Unclip the pipe under the car, then slide it forwards - you might need a screwdriver to lever it past the other pipe - to clear the rack end inside the subframe, pull it downwards then and backwards to clear the front. You might need to bend it very slightly to get it through; I tried not to wreck it just be be sure I could get the new one through the same route! It's useful to have an assistant to feed the rubber section down to you.

Replacement, as they say, is the exact reverse process! You may find the pipe has to be bent very slightly to get it back inside the subframe. This can make the thread alignment into the rack a little awkward and this part requires some patience. It also meant that it wouldn't stay in the plastic retaining clips and I resorted to tie-wraps here.

I also found that the lower metal section of my replacement pipe joined the bottom end of the rubber at a different angle from the original so the retaining clip in the middle of the rubber wouldn't reach, so I gently bent the pipe until it did.

Don't forget that you need the correct special PAS fluid from Volvo at £15 a bottle. Bleeding the PAS system is simple enough, run the engine then turn the steering from lock to lock a few times; recheck fluid level afterwards.

It's the working at arms length under the wheelarch that makes it a tricky job but I did it in an afternoon.

Feb 26th, 2012, 16:26	#2
asahartz New Member Last Online: Jun 3rd, 2013 17:51 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Mansfield	I did this job just last week! It's a pain in the butt, but can be done diy. The hose is £126 from a Volvo specialist. Remove the engine undertray and offside wheel. Here there is a small plastic & foam cover which is held in by the plastic nuts which retain the wheelarch splashguards. Once this is removed you can get access to the point where the hose connects to the rack. There's not much room for access down here! There is a locking clip over the connection which comes off with a 8mm socket on a long extension, it's just a self-tapping screw. You'll need a 16mm spanner to slacken the connector, then it will probably unscrew with your fingers - a small amount of fluid will leak out so have something to catch it. There is a small clip on the front crossmember which requires a 10mm socket to unscrew; it can be done from underneath but is easier with a long extension from the top. At the top, there is another locking clip; you'll need a 12mm spanner to slacken (but not remove) the bolt behind the pulley for the locking clip to slide out, then your 16mm spanner will loosen the top connection. The other retaining clip halfway along the rubber is another 10mm socket. To make it easier to manoevre the pipe in and out, remove the large metal block in the centre of the crossmember. I haven't a clue what this does as it has no wires or pipes to it! But it gets in the way; there are two large bolts (13/14mm socket, can't remember now) and a small one at the front (10mm socket). Unclip the pipe under the car, then slide it forwards - you might need a screwdriver to lever it past the other pipe - to clear the rack end inside the subframe, pull it downwards then and backwards to clear the front. You might need to bend it very slightly to get it through; I tried not to wreck it just be be sure I could get the new one through the same route! It's useful to have an assistant to feed the rubber section down to you. Replacement, as they say, is the exact reverse process! You may find the pipe has to be bent very slightly to get it back inside the subframe. This can make the thread alignment into the rack a little awkward and this part requires some patience. It also meant that it wouldn't stay in the plastic retaining clips and I resorted to tie-wraps here. I also found that the lower metal section of my replacement pipe joined the bottom end of the rubber at a different angle from the original so the retaining clip in the middle of the rubber wouldn't reach, so I gently bent the pipe until it did. Don't forget that you need the correct special PAS fluid from Volvo at £15 a bottle. Bleeding the PAS system is simple enough, run the engine then turn the steering from lock to lock a few times; recheck fluid level afterwards. It's the working at arms length under the wheelarch that makes it a tricky job but I did it in an afternoon.