Power assist steering and Power Steering are the same thing, just difrent names from difrent Manufacturers.
The steering assist is electronic not hydraulic, therefore there is not a dipstick nor reservoir for power steering.
As applied to steering the abbreviation PAS stands
The power steering is "variable", and the sliding switch changes how much boost or assist is given. At one extreme you have some degree of force/strength needed to turn the wheel, at the other extreme you have maximum assist and it takes no where near any significant effort to steer the car. The 'good' side of the extreme extra boost might be for a person with arthritis or who is otherwise weakened. (I had an elderly aunt with very bad arthritis; she would have benefitted from extreme power steering assist like this.) The 'bad' side of the extreme extra boost (in my opinion) is it is very easy to oversteer and overcorrect. Personally in my '95 town car if I had it set to one extreme with max boost I would tend to wander driving down the highway, the steering feedback is not enough for my likes. Actually even the other extreme doesn't go far enough for me, I would prefer more effort and feedback through the steering. (Comes from having learned driving on a lot of old Chevy trucks that had very hard manual steering, maybe.) More on the subject: When my air suspension went out and I had a traditional coil spring rear suspension installed, the internet vendor who sold me the conversion warned me not to just pull the fuse to the air suspension system...as the same module that controlled the air suspension had a separate circuit that controlled the variable power steering....if one pulls the fuse to the control module one also ends up with the power steering in maximum boost. yecch! Fortunately the vendor sent me a blurry scan of a fax of what wire to cut behind the glove box to disable the air suspension idiot light on the dash (since I no longer have air suspension), without screwing up the power steering. IF the switch doesn't do anything for you one way or another, and steering is extremely "light", check your fuses, maybe someone pulled the one for the air suspension.
It adjusts how much power assist is given. In one direction less boost is given than in the other. To me it works much better in the 'less assist' position. In the 'more assist' position is too much assistance, you lose the feel of the road and can oversteer very easily. But if one was weak or disabled the extra help could be useful. Note this is controlled by the same processor that handles air bag suspension. If a fuse for air bag suspension had blown or been pulled, you will be on full assist all the time regardless of how the switch is set.
air bags, seat belt, CD player, cruise control, emission controls, computer, air conditioning.add. abs braking systems, power steering, auto boxes, and steering assist systems (for cornering). But very few cars have air conditioning. They mostly only have heating.
no because power steering is a hydrollic assist system
Increases assist at highway speeds to increase maneuverability
It means "electromechanical power steering." They put a little electric motor in the steering system that comes on when steering assist is needed, turns off when you don't need assist, and requires no power steering fluid. If the EPS light on your dash is on, it means this system isn't working.
You can't. The power steering is driven by the motor. If the motor stops, there is no power assist for the steering.
assist
My 2010 Ford Escape's manual says it has electric assist steering.......would it even have power steering fluid?