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1994 164ls power steering fluid reservoir

3K views 19 replies 10 participants last post by  ChazzyD 
#1 ·
Can someone help me to locate the power fluid steering reservoir. I think it is the round black bottle close to the windshield, but want to be sure.
 
#2 ·
Yes
 
#4 ·
Antonio, do NOT remove the two bottom hoses from the PS reservoir unless absolutely necessary. They are short and hard to reconnect
 
#6 ·
Could be one of several things...hole in a hose, leaking steering rack, broken power steering pump. Where is the oil? Right side, left, center. I'd say it's time to jack it up and have a look.
 
#7 ·
Antonio -- unless you have some experience, and proper tools, I would advise you not to get too deep in this yourself alone-- try to find someone to help you or take it to a shop. Your first post asking about which reservoir, and your last post get me a bit concerned for your safety if you have not the proper equipment to jack up a car and secure it on jackstands to look to see what is going on. This could be as simple as the return hose from the rack to the cooling loop is split (happened to me about 2 months ago), or a loose clamp, to other more expensive and difficult things. But I say do not crawl under that car if it is on a jack without safety stands.
 
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#11 ·
Smaller diameter hose goes to oil cooling tubing under bottom of car and larger diameter one goes to power steering pump suction port. But they are routed and snaked next to steering rack and do not give very much. You can take retaining bolts out of reservoir mounting bracket and see how much slack you have in those two hoses when you try to left reservoir up.
 
#13 ·
I replaced mine last year, with a Jaguar unit - same ZF part and cheaper than from Alfa. The hose fitment was tight but not too bad, once the old clips are totally removed. Took no more than 10 minutes. Maybe I got lucky.
Why do you want to change yours? I changed mine as thought maybe the filter was bunged up but didn't notice any difference after changing. Maybe my pump did? Ticked a box on the 'to do' list though.
 
#17 ·
The system will work out any air that might be in the system after a reservoir change just by turning the wheel one way and then the other, end to end, but really all the possible air in the system would already be at the top of the system (at the reservoir you are changing) so they will already float up to atmosphere. So there will not likely be any air bubble issue. A simple sharp tap tap tap on the reservoir once filled would, most likely take care of any bubbles. There is a filter at the bottom of this reservoir so the tapping may help the air to rise passed that slight restriction. The same would apply if you replaced the master cylinder remotely mounted reservoir, most likely no need to bleed the system, though still not a bad idea (if new fluid in the system is a goal, concurrently).
Charles
 
#19 ·
Does the filter screen in the bottom of the reservoir ever clog up and end up starving the pump? IIRC, didn't someone in the past post about that on the BB? Granted, haven't seem to experience that in any of my cars as far as I know, however...
 
#20 ·
Yes, I had that issue on my car. You would get the swishing sounds going around a roundabout or negotiating sweepers on a mountain road, etc. It was caused by the restriction of fluid flow through the filter in the bottom of the reservoir that caused this, because a new reservoir completely cured the issue. I am pretty good about flushing fluids in my cars so it wasn't an old fluid issue. I was very pleased to have quiet steering again once the reservoir was replaced, a simple and inexpensive fix. I never was lacking in steering assistance, just had the noise. I believe this only occurs on the 164 (or any car using this same ZF reservoir and there are many, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, etc) after very high mileage and or in concurrence with the breakdown of hoses and seals, etc. that will put particulates into the fluid. You can flush the fluid, but these contaminates will remain stuck in the filter and no way to clean it, AFAIK. They are not so expensive that you would need to even try to clean it.

A very similar issue to this occurred in my 2007 Odyssey, a known issue in that vehicle, causing Honda to create a new reservoir with larger filter holes in its reservoir design. In that vehicle, very heavy steering (almost devoid of assistance) occurs at low engine rpms, until you install the redesigned reservoir and flush the fluid, then regular operation resumes.
Charles
 
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