My wife's '91 Accord just developed a new prob. After sitting over 12 hours, it starts leaking PS fluid from the resevoir. I thought the tank or hoses may be cracked, so removed and inspected closely, like new! Had to put a tall funnel over the filler to be able to bleed the Honda PS fluid as I attempted to fill. Otherwise it would dump the oil as the air escaped. So I got 'er filled, and same prob next morning. I drove 150 hwy miles, checked for proper level, and next morn, same oil pool. 8" x 3 feet, so not just a few drops.

Is there a check valve in the PS pump that's allowing the oil to overfill the tank? I once drained and re-filled the PS oil, but aside from some difficulty re-filling fluid, I never had a prob, nor did I change anything prior to this situation.

The car has 300,000 well maintained miles, never winter driven. Will try attach pix...

[IMG]local://upfiles/6409/B843D6693BE341929F0D8FF0C3A4BAFD.jpg[/IMG]

 

welcome to the forum... sorry about the issues, where exactly is it leaking from? can you locate a hose or crack or something? Will it leak from just sitting? Is it by chance overheating a bit and boiling over? that can happen from a bad bearing.... Can you give us a few more details on where it's coming from etc.

 

Oil is flowing from red cap after sitting for a long overnite spell. I initially thought it was a bad hose, (there are 3). All were like new, both ends. I checked them by spraying carb cleaner on exterio rand checking while running. Not even seeping. Dry as could be, even after a long drive.

After it overflowed while sitting, I had to re-fill it, hence the above photo. While driving 150 miles, things dry up, a few remaining spots on the ground after a few hours, but more than 12ish hours, and it overfills the reservoir and it hums from the pump until I add some "Honda" fluid. That's my new morning ritual. Then it's OK until I park it for more than 12 hours.

Bearings sound quiet, I only ran a few minutes low on oil, it's just hard to fill because of the air escaping as I turn wheel back and forth to purge air. Haynes manual says not to lock wheels while turning back and forth, so I don't. The oil foams alot, is this normal? I've always only used Honda style fluid.

I've double checked the plastic reservoir for cracks, it's definitly overflowing, as if a check valve in the pump is stuck, etc... Thanks, Andrew

 

I'm curious as to why it became low in the first place.... (unless that was from the first time that it overflowed) I'm a bit confused to be honest with you, not to good with power steering unless it's just a bad upper o-ring not maintaining pressure... is the o-ring under the cap bad?

 

Is the fluid foaming up and going out the top of the resevoir?

 

One day, a week or so ago, I noticed a few drops of oil on the side of the car after a 150 mile trip. So I opened the hood and noticed some oil on the top of the reservoir and spilling over. The next morning, there was a huge puddle on the ground. that's when I pulled the res and checked thorougly for leaks. Now there's oil everywhere, and filling isn't easy. So the funnel clamped onto the filler stub trick. Then took a 150 mile trip, and hardly a drop on hoses, clamps, etc... Next day, oil everywhere on ground, started er up, pump complaining, added oil slowly, turned wheel back and forth, a bit foams out, but 150 mile trip no leaks. Yesterday morning it's oozing out of res after just being parked.

The red cap is vented, there's never an o ring. The system is vented to the atmosphere. If one turns the wheel of any car with the engine off, oil spews out, and I thought maybe I had parked it the 1st time it happenned with the engine off, I've seen that before. But this is got to be a check valve in the pump. You'd think that it would do it once, but this is a regular occurance.