Volvo Repair: Hello Regis - I have a couple..., initial alignment, air bubbles

Question
Hello Regis - I have a couple V70XC wagons.  In particular, my
2000 model has a "groaning" noise that develops after about 15
minutes of driving - it sounds like power steering and is
particularly noticeable at low speeds, while in major turns
(parking lots, curvey roads, etc).  You can feel and hear it in the
steering column and also when you accelerate.
I had the Power Sterring  Pump replaced ($600) - but noise still
exists.  Mechanic thinks it might just be the car and impossible
to get rid of.  He suggests we try a new syntethetic ps fluid that
may not react to high temperatures, since it appears to only
start after some driving has occurred.
Have you seen this on any other XC's.
For the record, this car seems to always have something wrong
with it.  It is also "floating" to the left when driving - like an
aligment thing, but initial alignment did not seem to fix it.

Thanks.
-DT

Answer
one thing I have seen happen is inside the resevoir there is a plastic piece of pipe that should connecto to a brass pipe in the top of the resevoir where the small hose comes into the resevoir.what happens is the brass pipe slips back into the hose and this plastic piece falls off.the plastic piece is L shaped and makes the fluid return into the resevoir at the bottom.if the plastic piece comes off then the fluid comes in at the top and it gets aerated and makes noise.you will need to find the piece in the resevoir and remove the rubber hose then pull the plastic piece to the top with lonk needle nose plies and then push the brass pipe into the plastic one so it stays in place then reinstall the hose.

when it makes noise remove the resevoir cap and see if it has lots of air bubbles in it if so this is probably the problem