C70: Power steering.

[SeeSeventy]

My C70 was out for a stroll the other night, the power steering has become quite noisy lately. I rarely drive it these days. I took a small trip about 20 minutes. Went to park up and the steering became unresponsive and a bit shuddery and stiff or resistant to move as if it was slipping. Taking off was similar, steering was light as if driving on oily roads going back. Noise is now a real head turner.

The list of problems it could be is quite exhausting. 126,000 on the clock now... replacement rack the most suspect based on this info from anyone who's experienced it? Fluid isn't really that old and I barely put 1,000 miles a year on it. I've yet to empty the tank and check inside, all pipes seem in order.

I have a strut bar fitted, only 3,000 on it since fitting it.

Looking to sell it on soon so want to make sure I get the right repair.

[colwyn]

what colour is the fluid?

[entwisi]

I usually find very noisy pumps are more often than not low fluid levels. just because you did it 1K miles ago doesn't mean it isn't weeping out of somewhere. Mine is a tad noisy at startup but seems to settle after a few miles.

[SeeSeventy]

Colour is very clear/orange and the tank is sat at half way line, take cap off and the fluid flows out the brass pipe just fine. There appears there is some dirty luid sitting on the bottom of the jubilee clip, but this was noted on the last service and corrected. Start up is fine... it's after about 20 minutes of driving the noise starts. But now I am getting stiff and resistant/slipping steering, especially at slow speed.

[colwyn]

You need to grab the spanner monkey that filled it up and make him sit on 1" drive ratchet handle

you car requires central hyraulic fluid (chf11s)which is green in colour, what they have done is fill it with dexron3 which is red now you have a mostly wrecked pas system with orange fluid.

My v70 had this when I bought it and the resovoir was all bloated to splitting point

[George Holmer]

Ok, mine is red too, in a V-reg V70, and the reservoir is bloated. Can I flush it out and replace it?

[colwyn]

Just to be clear the chf11s is for the relocated res behind the coolant tank and the dex3 is for the res that sits ontop of the pump

If its red in the relocated res then I would personally drain it and refill, but be warned it will probably leak, iirc dex3 swells the seals and vice versa

[SeeSeventy]

Originally Posted by colwyn

Just to be clear the chf11s is for the relocated res behind the coolant tank and the dex3 is for the res that sits ontop of the pump

If its red in the relocated res then I would personally drain it and refill, but be warned it will probably leak, iirc dex3 swells the seals and vice versa

Ah..... really?

This is the black tank, sat behind the coolant tank. It's not bloated, sitting at the half way filled point. So that tank should be green? Not orange?

Fudge....

[SeeSeventy]

I'm reading conflicting messages all over the net here, and in the owners manual that Dexron 3 is absolutely fine and on the flip side of course that the manual is wrong.

Which is it?

[SeeSeventy]

Dexron ATF pre 99... Pentosil post 99. So, surely I am looking at a different problem. I have 0 leaks anywhere I can see.

I have a Haynes saying one thing and a manual saying another and the internet showing different opinions depending on where you look.

On a side note, I trust the Volvo specialist I go to........... always looked after my car well.