Power steering fluid

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Clan

If you have the front wheels unloaded , the torsional hydraulic valve in the pinion shaft will not direct fluid from the pump to the ram you will just be moving the rack back and forth as if you had no assistance . A bit of load makes the fluid take the full route around the rack and ram and back to the reservoir which is what you want

Hi clan,
Are you saying better to leave the wheels on the floor or do Volvo place them on turn tables so you have a bit of drag but not scrub tyres. One utube video recommended folded bin liners under the wheels to ease the scrubbing, on my drive metal plates and soapy water may be a better bet as bin liners would not last long.

Want to get this done properly as the fluid is dirty brown, here after will be going cheserd5s annual method but the system needs a proper flush first.

Paul.

[Fakir]

The official Volvo procedure described in VIDA says to lift the front wheels off the ground.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Fakir

The official Volvo procedure described in VIDA says to lift the front wheels off the ground.

It must be different in your VIDA

Here is what it says in the Europe Version .. Thats how i remember it from the last 40 years too .

[pierremcalpine]

Originally Posted by Clan

It must be different in your VIDA

Here is what it says in the Europe Version .. Thats how i remember it from the last 40 years too .

maybe the "lift wheels" piece is a footnote which is only applicable to hacks who choose to do this work on uneven/rough drive's and who are not lucky enough to have the use of a nice warm garage with floors so smooth that you can't tell the difference between turning the wheels when they are in the air or when they are on the ground.

No, I'm not at all bitter at the absence of a proper garage on my property.

[green van man]

Having seen the spotlessly clean billiard table smooth nicly painted floor of my local dealers workshop I have to concur. Makes my tarmac drive look a bomb site.

Like you I am not bitter and twisted either, well maybe just a bit

Paul.

[oragex]

Originally Posted by Clan

If you have the front wheels unloaded , the torsional hydraulic valve in the pinion shaft will not direct fluid from the pump to the ram you will just be moving the rack back and forth as if you had no assistance . A bit of load makes the fluid take the full route around the rack and ram and back to the reservoir which is what you want

Haven't though about this, I will keep the wheels a little on the ground next time.

With the wheels off the ground, I got 800ml of old fluid until no more fluid was pouring; the reservoir was only half full, do you think there was old fluid remaining in the system?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by oragex

Haven't though about this, I will keep the wheels a little on the ground next time.

With the wheels off the ground, I got 800ml of old fluid until no more fluid was pouring; the reservoir was only half full, do you think there was old fluid remaining in the system?

possibly because with lo load on the steering the steering shaft does not twist at the bottom , this twisting operates the hydraulic valve so directing fluid to one side or the other to assist the steering effort . . So fluid isn't pumped to either side of the rack when you turn it back and forth unloaded .

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by oragex

Haven't though about this, I will keep the wheels a little on the ground next time.

With the wheels off the ground, I got 800ml of old fluid until no more fluid was pouring; the reservoir was only half full, do you think there was old fluid remaining in the system?

The system capacity is greater than 800ml so there'll be some left.

For me, I wouldn't get too obsessed with getting the maximum quantity out in one go because it opens up other risks.
You could even just empty then refill the reservoir and drive normally for a couple of days then repeat as necessary.
Same end result, no jack, no tools, no risk, no worries.

[green van man]

I put over a litre of fluid through the system before what was coming out was clean green. Did the brief start stop of the engine to clear the old fluid from the pump. After refitting the return pipe and topping up had about 50ml left from 2 litres.
The advantage of the Vida way is that one is able to clean the reservoir and mine needed it.
However now the system is clean and fluid new I shall be going the drain and fill method on an annual basis from here on.

Paul.

[RM955I]

In readiness for a weekend of giving my new baby a thorough service, is the PAS fluid still CHF-11S or has it changed from the later P2 models?