Power steering spewing its guts
 

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]

RE: Power steering spewing its guts
 

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.

RE: Power steering spewing its guts
 

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

RE: Power steering spewing its guts
 

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?

RE: Power steering spewing its guts
 

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

RE: Power steering spewing its guts
 

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.