Routine Maintenance — Steering (Opel Ascona C)

1. Regularly inspect the flexible bellows on the steering rack housing and the ball joint housings at the ends of the rods for cracks and damage. If necessary, make replacements as indicated in the subsequent Sections of this Chapter.

2. Check the ball joints at the ends of the rods for wear. This is best done by having an assistant turn the steering wheel from side to side through an arc of about 20 degrees while you watch the ball joint connect to the steering arm on the front hub carrier. Any loss of movement or shaking of the ball joint will indicate wear and you will need to install a new rod (see Section 3).

3. On models equipped with power steering, check the fluid level in the reservoir using the level gauge built into the reservoir cap. When the engine is at operating temperature, the level should reach the "full" mark. When the engine is cold, the level should not fall below the "add" mark. If necessary, add fluid, which must be clean and of the specified type.

4. Check the condition and tension of the power steering pump drive belt as specified in Section 14.

5. Check the front wheel alignment at the specified frequency or sooner if excessive tire wear occurs (Section 12).

(Text copied from a web portal: «OPELBOOK.ru»)