Rager

Hi
I'm new here, living in Volvo/SAAB land, Sweden. Not many GSs here, however, I have recently bought a GS300 2000 with low mileage, 84 000 km (5 200 mi). [Bought the car from an old man who got a stroke, engine oil not changed or topped up since year 2003, however only 1 000 mi in 6 years and well polished inside out. All fluids now changed. The car looks like brand new now, after cleaning off all Armour All at the interior.]

Now, my steering is loose and heavy. The looseness is well described in this forum; I now know how to fix that.

I have flushed the P/S system and installed an inline filter, that made the steering smoother and removed the sticky feeling, but still heavy.

Could it be the solenoid at the p/s pump? I assume it has the same function as the solenoid at the rack for the 1:st gen, extensively discussed in other sections of this forum.

I need some advice here:
Is the solenoid at the pump identical to the solenoid mounted at the rack for the 1:st gen? Does it have a screen that can be fouled?

I realize from the picture in the Service Manual, that if I take out the solenoid, a plunger will also fall out, right? Is it possible to re-install this with the p/s pump still mounted to the engine?

Is there anything else that I should consider?

/Råger

Dslexic

iTrader: (4)

I have hard steering and my steering wheel will not return to center after turns. As far as the solenoid, it does have a very small filter at the tip of it that can get clogged, but its not identical to the 1st gen gs300's. Yes, if you do remove the power steering solenoid, a plunger and spring will drop so just be aware of that and it will be able to be installed after it drops out just make sure the spring goes in first then the plunger.

GS4_Fiend

iTrader: (22)

There is a post about this. Ask GSTEG and he can tell you. Search button.

Rager

Possibly I have now traced the source of the sometimes heavy steering.

The solenoid at the P/S-pump was/is sticking. The situation has improved, however still not perfect.

I simply opened the connector to the solenoid, at the AC-compressor and exercised the solenoid by putting 12 V DC on, directly from the battery on/off several times (beware the solenoid can stand 12 V only for some seconds).

I will do this again, and hopefully the solenoid could recover completely.

BTW a new solenoid costs as much as a complete P/S-pump with a solenoid, about $ 1000 here in Sweden.

/Rager