Tight Power Steering - Just Started
 

Hi. Looking for some guidance on what might be causing this problem.

Car: 2004 Volvo S80 T6 with 102,000 miles

First off, no issues steering before this started, normal functionality, easy to turn.

After my commute from work, stopped by a store, turning the wheel left to lock position to back in to a parking spot. That's when the steering wheel became stiff / hard to turn. Since then, it is stiff at idle parked and at speed on the road.

I checked the fluid level and its full. I checked the belt and its good, with good tension. While at idle, parked, i turned the wheel all the way left to lock and then all the way right to lock. Normal noise from the power steering pump while turning and slight whine (again normal) when holding the wheel at locked position for a few seconds. No leaks at the reservoir, at the pump or underneath the car. Also, listened inside and out while the wheels were turned, no new noises.

I did notice when turning in to my drive way, the steering wheel seemed to get tighter/bind for a split second beyond what I'm describing above.

Any thoughts?

Pump issues? Ball joint issues? CV issues?

Thanks!

I have the same symptom but haven't solved it yet.

My grandpa has a GMC Jimmy that "binds" on turns and doesn't want to turn.
Basically in 2 wheel drive it acts like 4x4, the wheel can be cranked and the front slides around like a locked differential. You might be talking about something else though.

They did the ball joints, cv and control arms and alignment.
The front end must have been loose and worn out, leaving play and causing the tires to drag.