Zf steering

[Low Tide]

Okay...

I was checking fluids today....  saw a drip from the power steering fluid tank....(not low)...and decided to trace the line to see where it went and to where Volvo put the steering control boxes.  Guess what?

Apparently some (maybe all) MY03's have ZF steering in them afterall.  Volvo certainly isn't advertising, but my Feb 03 production date has ZF badging with the Berlin factory mark on it.  The badge/part numbers/model is about 12 inches from the fluid tank next to the ribbon belt.  Its plain as day.  

Curious about other (earlier) MY03's.  Anybody with an MY03 that doesn't have ZF?  

I guess that explains why I'm increasingly baffled about "vague" steering references...its not a sports sedan, but it handles the twisty roads along the coast VERY well.  2988 miles and counting!

[barrysharp]

Wow -- what a find -- I'll checked mine later today and post back. Good sleuthing my friend, and THANKS. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[barrysharp]

This is the label on my power steering pump (MY2003 XC70). Is this what you're refering to ?

[Low Tide]

Yes. That's the easiest place to see the ZF label.

Did you find one on the control box or steering unit?  I was too lazy to crawl under the car to get to the unit....

[Piccolo]

Don't be so happy too quickly. There are two ZF steerings Volvo is puting into XC70. The 04 Sports package has ...

"ZF Servotronic" Speed Sensitive Steering

some 03s have

"ZF" Power Assisted, Rack and Pinion

So, the former is a lot better ...   http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[thomaslally]

Yes, ZF Servotronic speed sensitive steering  is the one I have and this is part - as Piccolo is saying - of the sport package.  

Thomas

[Piccolo]

Thomas, how do you feel about you car's steering so far ? Mine is coming this month and can't wait to get it soon.

[mrb]

In my 04, I would be very pleased just to have ZF without the
speed sensitive.  Good find Low Tide---

[MGC]

I also checked the steering on my late model 03 and it is the same as shown in the picture Barry posted. The only difference appears to be the manufacture date which differs by a day or two.

What are we looking at? I can see the sytem is made by ZF but what do we really have? Is this the ZF "Power Assisted" Rack-n-Pinion or is it the ZF Servtronic "Speed Sensitive" Steering?

If someone can tell which steering system we have by looking at Barry's photo. Please let us know.

Thanks

MGC

[barrysharp]

Here's another pic of the power steering pump label except this time it's from my S60 R MY2004. This one has a bar code on it and the Volvo Part # is different but not much else is !

[Piccolo]

The normal ZF has a part number 8683377 in the first pictures, while the speed sensitve one has the bigger parts number of 8683967. I think the R has the speed sensitive steering for sure.

[Low Tide]

The ZFLS No is the more distinct one-

xxxx xxx 141 v. xxxx xxx 116 Maybe that would give you model specs/differences on the ZF site, product info page?


Note also that we do not know the differences in the steering gear itself- the actual rack and pinion bar/motor

As for the differences in units, the speed sensative is optional- comes with the sport pkg in CA. I was under the impression that the SS verison of ZF was not standard, just the normal ZF unit. That's getting past the original point though...

The fact that there is a ZF unit in late model 03's is significant.... as the "vagueness, floaty, buttery, cloudlike...etc" feel of the old Volvo made/branded rack & pinion steering gear/pump/control box was an item of contention here on the forum in many 02's. My guess is that the parts bins shifted during the factory's 2 week Holiday break.

Budrichard has made it his life-mission to complain about the abominal performance of the steering in his (guessing) early model year '03! In the end, its pretty subjective...to some it's a luxury grocery getter...er, wagon. Or to others... the ultimate Sport Activity Vehicle or as I prefer... Svenska Activitet Vagen.

Bud, have you checked your parts out? At least if its ZF, you can blame it on the German's and their overrated steering system!

[wiz]

Right, it's just a luxury kid/stuff hauler for heavens sake! http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/hehe.gif I don't think the steering gear is a problem either. I have an '02 and at low to moderate speed the steering/grip with the OEM Scorpion S/Ts is just great.

The car is "billowy" (Gundo expression) at high speed. Good quality tires and an anti-sway bar (coming from iPd in 2003 for the MY2002) should fix that problem! http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Low Tide]

Piccolo-

Just a comment, the speed sensative steering may be a better unit for high speed stiffness, but its wavy at low speeds.... this would limit the feel of the vehicle when travelling off-track.  

I would prefer, as most who travel off-road would, to have more feel at lower speed- you need to know where the car is going and how each wheel is tracking.  Having a easy-turning wheel at low speed produces a correspodning vague response- the subtle feel to adjust steering would be lost.  It can make all the difference in clearing an obstacle or damaging the car.  

In the case of the "R" its a must.  The tighter the better.  Congrats again barry.  "Sports" package is relative to its use!

[thomaslally]

Piccolo, regarding ZF servotronic, YES I feel it, to a certain extend.  I didn't have the time to fully tesdrive the car yet.  True, the actuation forces increase as the roadspeed rises, steering action is easier at low speed.  

But I can't compare with another XC, I never drove one without ZF servotronic, except my previous 1998 Cross Country.  

As far as I am concerned, with or without ZF the XC is an amazing almost flying machine   http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif  

Thomas

[purush]

Folks

  Edmunds.com says that XC70 MY03 has speed-sensitive steering.  I don't know what to make of it though, given all of the preceeding discussion.

purush

[Piccolo]

Thanks to low tide and Thomas for the feed backs. I am driving a 2000 XC, so in terms of transitioning, it would be the same as Thomas. Here is something interesting from the ZF web site.

ZF ball & nut power steering units
Ball & nut power steering units are very compact units indeed. The housing contains a control valve, an operating cylinder and the complete mechanical steering mechanism. Movement of the steering drop arm is transmitted to the wheels via an intermediate lever and track rods.

Here are the benefits of the ZF ball & nut power steering units:
Convenience: hydraulic assistance vastly reduces the levels of effort which need to be applied to the steering wheel. This makes a great difference to parking, tight cornering, manoeuvring or merging with the traffic flow.

Manoeuvrability: due to the direct steering ratio, fewer turns of the steering wheel are required.

Safety: at higher roadspeeds, safety is of paramount importance. Fast steering corrections, e.g. when taking avoiding action, are effortless with this system. Moreover, in the event of a tyre blowing out, the hydraulic system is able to compensate for the instantaneous and one-sided rise in steering forces. This makes the vehicle easier to keep on course and bring to a standstill.

Ball & nut power steering unit with ZF-Servotronic
The roadspeed-dependent ZF-Servotronic is a consistent further development of the power steering unit. The electronics evaluate the roadspeed signals and make steering action lighter and easier. This in turn delivers high levels of steering precision and safety, combined at all times with optimum steering comfort:

vehicle is easy and comfortable to steer while stationary and at low roadspeeds safe feeling at all times because actuation forces increase as the roadspeed rises sensitive steering action delivered by an ultra-precise valve system functionally capable even if the vehicle circuit fails, or in the event of electrical problems
problem-free, rapid steering corrections due to permanent level of oil pressure maintained in the steering system

[Hiro's XC]

Blah, Blah, Blah.....They neglect to tell you that if the belt lets go or the pump fails you have almost ZERO steerability in the car. I have seen it happen on other cars with the same or similar set ups. What is interesting is they call it the ball and nut....Hmmmmm must be something in the German translation as they are know as recirculating ball set ups here in the U.S. and most of Europe.

Mine is good enough for this particular car. What it needs is better struts, shocks and a sway bar kit.

Jason

[budrichard]

My unit has exactly the same nomenclature as the one Barry pictures except the date? is replaced by 5/46/02 whatever that means. So I believe we are down to regular ZF steering versas Speed Sensitive ZF steering. If an option on the 04XC I find no mention of it.
In terms of high speed drivability and accident avoidance, the 03 XC is clearly not as able as my 99XC or a number of other vehicles I have driven. On the Chicago and Southern Wisconsin expressways the average speeds are approaching 80 mph. The two most common occurences are having to make lane change/brake for somone making  a lane change without signaling or looking and dodging 'alligators' and other debris on the roadway. Since upgrading the steering is out of the question, I have learned to be very cautious in high speed lane maneuavers. I do not detect any change in steering due to vehicle speed. -Dick

[Low Tide]

Translation for Bud (Dick) "Whatever THAT means..." Richard.

5/46/02/[110]-  T/W/J/P

That's:

Tag - Day
Woche - Week
Jahre- Year

IE- (from Above) 5th day of the 46th week (Late Oct) 2002

"P" I assume it's pressure, but the CORRECT nomenclature in translation can be several things such as:

der Prüfdruck (Design Pressure)
der Ansaugstaudruck (Dynamic Pressure)
der Vorlaufdruck (Flow- Liquid pressure)

See, those language skills do come in handy.  Sort of... technical translation for stuff like autowerks is not the easiest.

[budrichard]

Thanks, LOW TIDE. I thought I had seen every type of date nomeclature but that one was new to me! -Dick

[picklehead]

I took a look at the loaner that the dealer provided for me on this past thursday, it was an early 2003 and had the same power steering pump shown in Barry's pic.  I did notice that its back window wiper was reversed from my wiper orientation.  I guess this means that they do make modifications in the middle of a model year. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Very Respectfully,
Jim Miller

[wiz]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (MGC @ June 02 2003,20:26)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I also checked the steering on my late model 03 and it is the same as shown in the picture Barry posted.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Well, FWIW, it&#39;s not just &#39;03 and &#39;04 models that have the ZF part. I was checking fluids today and I noticed that the label on my power steering pump is the same as Barry&#39;s pic. above. I have an MY2002 manufactured on April 2, 2002. http://xc70.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Low Tide]

So who&#39;s going to crawl under there and look at the steering gear/bar?