Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

[Susquehanna Squid]

I have a 3.0 Volvo Penta and I am constantly adding Power Steering Fluid. I see the old fluid in the bilge and was just wondering if there is a common problem as to why it may leak. There are only a 166 hours on the boat and it is garage kept. Upon inspection the fluid seems to be on the bottom of the pump primarily. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

Does it seem to be leaking from the pump or the power steering assembly at the back of the engine compartment? Start it up and have someone turn the wheel full left and right as you watch to see where it is leaking from.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

More often than not it is a leak in the PS cooler at one of the hose necks or internally. if you are seeing PS fluid and water in the bilge. Sometimes it can be the steering actuator, but per above suggestion you can typically find it yourself by checking both. The cooler is a lot cheaper to replace than the actuator (circa $150 vs $750).

 

[Susquehanna Squid]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

I tried the above and nothing. It is clean at the assembly near the transome. there seems to be no leaks on the hoses. After I let it sit for a while I checked it again and there was fluid on the bottom of the power steering pump. When it was running I kept checking the pump and nothing seemed to leak. There is always a little water in the bilge with the fluid mixed in. I thought it may have been from rain etc. but maybe not. Also, the whole steering assembly moves a little bit side to side when I turm the wheel, it looks like it is made to do that but I am not sure. Is the cooler the same thing as the pump (part with the belt attached) because as I said, that is where I keep finding the fluid. Does this help? Thanks in advance.

 

[skydiveD30571]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

Hopefully a moderator can move this to the Volvo repair forum where you will probably get more detailed answers.

The power steering cooler and pump are two different things. If you follow the pump lines back around the rear of the engine, you'll see one goes into a cylinder that has hoses on the ends. That's the cooler. As water is sucked up to the block for cooling, it passes through there. Works like a heat exchanger basically. And yes the power steering actuator should move a little with the steering cable.

 

[moosehead]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

^yes, if PS fluids are low or actuator seals bad, or both, then the actuator can shake side to side even without turning the wheel as it seeks to prime itself. Many times wrenches will replace the actuator prematurely and the real problem is a breach elsewhere in the ps system, typically a cooler leak. Other times the actuator needs replaced.

The leak troubleshoot is worth your time to mitigate getting taken a bit. Sometimes, you may see ps fluid at the bottom of the pump because of overfilling ps fluid and it coming out of the cap. If you can access the ps cooler without getting squeezed into the back of a tightly spaced bilge, then replacement is not difficult.

 

[Susquehanna Squid]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

It does shake when low even when I do not turn the wheel. I will try again to find the culprit. Hopefully it is the cooler! Thanks again guys!

 

[Pontiacdart]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

Mine was leaking at the pressure hose outlet on the power steering pump. I had to replace the oring.

 

[Susquehanna Squid]

Re: Power Steering Leak - 2005 3.0 Volvo

Found the leak! It is leaking at the cooler. I pulled the whole thing out (took forever) and put gasket sealer around the large houses at the top and bottom. It looked to be leaking around the bottom hose. I put everything back together, let it sit overnight and fired it up. And guess what? It is still leaking! I can only assume now that it is actually leaking around the smaller line above the larger bottom one. I coated the whole area in gasket maker and will let it sit until tomorrow. Wish me luck.