This fixed the problem!!! Hurray!!! A small O-ring about the size of a dime and $1.04 spent! Thanks Nighthawk for the pointer to the Bulletin!!

--Jeff

 

Thank you, for taking the time to come back, and post that the fix worked. Now maybe this thread can save other owners some $$$ too.

 

The o-ring was definitely the problem with mine(03 Accord). Next will be changing fluid and cleaning the screen. I was planning to buy a new power steering pump because I didn't know any better---saved $130.

 

Hi,

I just found this site after 8 years of Accord ownership.

I literally was in the process of ordering a new power steering pump when I found this thread. I am going to go get some new fluid and an o-ring tomorrow and see if this fixes it.

I'll keep you posted.

-Eric

 

WELCOME newbie!
Hope it works & I'm glad we were some help.

 

I had a similar problem to this. After some lurking I discovered about the correct brand of fluid HAS to be used, purged the system three times, but to no avail. Took the pump off and it was knackered. Felt like the bearings were binding somewhere along the turn (then coming free). Replaced the pump (a distinctily painful £270, plus yet more fluid). That seemed to fix the problem great for 6 weeks. But this morning (about 2 hours ago) I noticed the whine was back as was the foaming fluid in the resovoir. In addition the fluid after just six weeks is almost jet black. Not clear, not a light golden, not even the colour of toasted sesame oil. With the foam it looks like a dodgy pint of guiness.

I read in the blurb for the new power steering pump that the hoses can break down. Could the problem be that the hoses are degrading and clogging the pump? Would I need to replace the hoses, or could there be another cause and if so how do I fix it?

I'm a competant fitter but need to be guided for diagnostics and solutions and I way currently WAY past my limited skills in that department... :-D

Edit: Forgot to mention that my Accord is the 1.8l (or 1.85l or even 1.9l depending on which vehicle finder tool you use) VTech 1999

 

Welcome!
Sounds like you're in England... Your Swindon-built Accord is a whole different car than our USA Accord. Still, I bet the power-steering systems are about the same.

I've had hoses break down in a Saab, so I'm sure it's possible. Maybe some fragments of the hose broke loose & traveled into the steering rack? I really don't know how likely that might be. Couple guys here (not me) actually own or work in shops, so maybe they'll chime in with their experience over hundreds of different cars.

 

Cheers. From a purely unrelated stand point I was wondering if the rubber was wearing/perishing from the inside and assorted poo and gunk was now floating around in the fluid and clogging things. And yes I am on the other side of the pond. From the searches for parts I have done the pumps look rather similar. In fact the page of the servicing manual posted earlier in this thread was EXACTLY what I see from that angle.

It looks like the hoses are original parts (i.e 11 years old). The fitting instructions that came with the pump said hoses should idealy be replaced every 5 years as they wear from the inside out.

PS. My man credentials have not been adversely effected by admitting to reading instructions. I did so AFTER I fitted the pump

 

The whole idea of chunks of rubber coming off the hoses makes total sense to me, execpt that I don't hear about that hardly at all. You'd think that all the guys who drive 1992 Accords would be all over that topic.

I've seen lots of Hondas that turn PS fluid dark pretty quickly without problems. But of course none of that really proves that YOUR hoses aren't coming apart & shedding bits into the pump.

When you did the work, did you remove & clean out the reservoir? There's a fine mesh screen down low in there, normally submerged under the fluid. Check that out for chunks of crud.

 

Couldn't open it up. It looked to have some lumps on it so I swilled it with clean fluid and brought most of them off. Most of the big obvious ones. Not all.