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Hello everyone,

A month ago, I bought a great 2005 Volvo V50 with the 140hp 5-cylinder engine.

The timing belt replacement was due, which I took care of this past Tuesday. It was a massive job, but it all went well. If anyone needs tips on that, feel free to message me. After the repair, the car ran perfectly for a 20 km test drive. However, I did notice a high-pitched whining sound from the power steering when parking.

The next morning, I got a "Power Steering Service Required" error message on the dash, and the power steering had failed completely—I could only steer with a lot of effort. Interestingly, the whining noise was gone. I read the fault codes from the power steering pump's control unit, which I will attach.

I've already tried to see if anything was pinched or damaged during the timing belt job, but I couldn't find anything. There are no leaks, no bubbles in the reservoir, and no fluid loss. The only thing I can think of that might be related to the timing belt change is that my ambitious friend, who was helping me, spilled some coolant when refilling it without a funnel. The idiot. However, I checked the two connectors on the power steering pump; they face downwards, so it seems unlikely that coolant would have gotten in.

I've confirmed the fuses are okay (both the main MIDI fuse and the one in the cabin), and the alternator is working correctly.

At this point, the only possibility I can think of is that the power steering pump itself has simply died.

Can anyone help me solve this mystery? Has anyone had a similar problem?

Best regards to you all,

Noah