V70 heavy steering

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by xavierx

I will try and get round the editing up the video at some point.

Regarding a fluid change, just incase you are not aware....

Don't pay extra for the "Volvo" fluid as you can buy the exact same stuff at the Ford dealer for significantly less (Ford WSS-M2C204)

If you don't want "dealer" stuff, then the cheapest correct fluid is MANNOL Central Hydraulic Fluid CHF 11S

After going to the effort of replacing my pump, I will be giving the fluid an annual change to stop it wearing out again, so I keep lots of the Mannol CHF 11S in stock

I bought some CHF 11S today made by Valvotech… 2 litres was £20.

I’ve used Comma and Granville brands before, but they weren’t in stock locally.

[bananarama]

I'd say keep it simple: drain the reservoir with one of them giant syringes, replace with new fluid, and hand it back to your dad. Do this a handful of times with some driving in-between so the new fluid circulates. Did you say you dad's was black? OMG it should be green! I suppose you could also detach the reservoir and give it a good clean the first time you replace the fluid. For reference: I too noticed my dad's 2011 S60 D3 steering was heavy compared to my 2011 V70 D3, and after doing what I've just described his steering feels fine

Good luck

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by bananarama

I'd say keep it simple: drain the reservoir with one of them giant syringes, replace with new fluid, and hand it back to your dad. Do this a handful of times with some driving in-between so the new fluid circulates. Did you say you dad's was black? OMG it should be green! I suppose you could also detach the reservoir and give it a good clean the first time you replace the fluid. For reference: I too noticed my dad's 2011 S60 D3 steering was heavy compared to my 2011 V70 D3, and after doing what I've just described his steering feels fine

Good luck

Yep, its very dark. Definitely needs a change. Thinking of taking the reservoir out and cleaning it with brake cleaner. That should clean the little filter inside the reservoir too. Then empty the dirty stuff out into a container and dry the reservoir with compressed air.

[Kev0607]

Update: Me and Dad changed the power steering fluid today. We emptied the reservoir first with the engine off, disconnected the lines underneath the reservoir and then cleaned the inside of it with brake cleaner. We had to clean it multiple times though, as the inside of it was very dirty. We cleaned the reservoir the best we could and then used our compressor to dry the inside of it before refitting.

Then we connected the lines back onto the reservoir and filled it back up with power steering fluid (CHF 11S). Then jacked the front of the car up, turned the steering lock-to-lock several times, emptied the reservoir with a turkey baster into a container when the car was off, filled it up again with fluid, started the car and repeated the process until the fluid was green. The reservoir always had fluid in it before starting the car, so the steering system was never running dry. Checked the level one last time and made sure the area was clean of any accidental spillage, then closed the bonnet. Cap is securely on the reservoir too.

Its safe to say the steering definitely feels lighter than it was (even lighter than yesterday when I picked it up from the suspension work being done) and the power steering fluid is now green as it should be (as opposed to black!). I wouldn't go as far as saying the steering is as light as it should be compared to another Volvo with much less miles though, but its a massive improvement. The power steering pump is still working anyway and hopefully it'll be happy with the new fluid for a while longer. Its worth noting, I couldn't hear any unusual whining or unwanted noises from the pump and there's no leaks either.

It'll probably need a new power steering pump down the line, but its okay for now. Happy with the result.

[xavierx]

Glad to hear you could get some extra life out of it 👍

FYI mine was doing almost nothing by 160k miles, didn't make any strange noises, just had very low pressure.

The fluid will go brown after less than a year, I didn't even known it needed to be changed regularly as almost no car brands actually include it as part of their service schedule.

After the effort (and cost) of replacing the pump, I am happy to spend £9 a year on flushing it out with fresh fluid, and will be doing the same for all my cars

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by xavierx

Glad to hear you could get some extra life out of it 👍

FYI mine was doing almost nothing by 160k miles, didn't make any strange noises, just had very low pressure.

The fluid will go brown after less than a year, I didn't even known it needed to be changed regularly as almost no car brands actually include it as part of their service schedule.

After the effort (and cost) of replacing the pump, I am happy to spend £9 a year on flushing it out with fresh fluid, and will be doing the same for all my cars

It'll now be part of my annual service schedule for sure. Power steering fluid is cheap and it doesn't take long to replace it.

[Pidgeonpost]

That's a timely thread, and a happy outcome for you - at least for the time being. I was hauling our V70 around on the drive today and thought the steering felt a bit heavy. I changed as much fluid as I could a year ago, maybe more, and it made a difference. Perhaps I'll do a more thorough job when (if) it ever stops raining.

[reggit]

Handy thread to find. Mine works ok, but is making a fair whining noise which can occasionally be felt on the steering wheel.
Suspect issues with the power steering system, after reading this thread I ran out to the car to check the fluid. It’s black and I reckon will be the original 15 year and 180000 mile old fluid.
Well I know what I’m doing this weekend now.

[simboc2004]

Originally Posted by Kev0607

Update: Me and Dad changed the power steering fluid today. We emptied the reservoir first with the engine off, disconnected the lines underneath the reservoir and then cleaned the inside of it with brake cleaner. We had to clean it multiple times though, as the inside of it was very dirty. We cleaned the reservoir the best we could and then used our compressor to dry the inside of it before refitting.

Then we connected the lines back onto the reservoir and filled it back up with power steering fluid (CHF 11S). Then jacked the front of the car up, turned the steering lock-to-lock several times, emptied the reservoir with a turkey baster into a container when the car was off, filled it up again with fluid, started the car and repeated the process until the fluid was green. The reservoir always had fluid in it before starting the car, so the steering system was never running dry. Checked the level one last time and made sure the area was clean of any accidental spillage, then closed the bonnet. Cap is securely on the reservoir too.

Its safe to say the steering definitely feels lighter than it was (even lighter than yesterday when I picked it up from the suspension work being done) and the power steering fluid is now green as it should be (as opposed to black!). I wouldn't go as far as saying the steering is as light as it should be compared to another Volvo with much less miles though, but its a massive improvement. The power steering pump is still working anyway and hopefully it'll be happy with the new fluid for a while longer. Its worth noting, I couldn't hear any unusual whining or unwanted noises from the pump and there's no leaks either.

It'll probably need a new power steering pump down the line, but its okay for now. Happy with the result.

How much fluid did you use? Did you need the 2 litres you bought? Or was 1 litre enough?

[Kev0607]

Originally Posted by simboc2004

How much fluid did you use? Did you need the 2 litres you bought? Or was 1 litre enough?

Ended up using about 1.5 litres. What's left over can do for top-ups (if needed) or even another flush down the line.

The reservoir doesn't hold much, approx 0.5 litres. I knew one can wouldn't be enough based on the condition of the old fluid, so bought 2 litres to be safe.