The past few weeks, the steering on my 03 Accord EX (I-4) has gotten worse by the day. At first I thought it was an alignment, so I got that done. They also checked the suspension and said it looked fine.

Then, today coming home from work, it took two full rotations of the steering wheel just to turn a corner and noticed that even light acceleration the car would drastically pull to the right. No leaks near and underneath the power steering reservoir (although it is just above the "MIN" line and is looking a little viscous).

At first, I was thinking it might be a tie rod, but had both front ones replaced a year ago and there isn't any knocking sounds, even when I go over a pothole.

At this point I suspect it may be the steering rack or rack and pinion. Is there a semi-easy way to check which might be the culprit?

 

Does the pump make any noise?

When the engine is running, do you see air bubbles or foam in the power steering reservoir? I'd also clean up the power steering pump and the lines an look for a leak. You can spray athletes foot powder on the parts to help locate a leak.

You may just want to start simple and replace the power steering fluid. At minimum I suggest you top off the fluid. Only use Honda fluid.

You may want to replace the o-ring, because it is a common problem. It is a cheap and simple fix. See the video below. It is a V6, but your 4-cylinder should be almost identical.

 

I haven't heard any noises at all. I didn't even realize there was an o-ring there! I will check that and do a fluid change to see if that fixes it!

EDIT: I checked the car yesterday, there weren't any o-rings in that location. The one thing I did notice however is that both hoses connected to the PS reservoir were pretty much dry rotted near both ends, so that might be letting some air into the system.

 

Update (sorry for the delayed response): I had the tires replaced, and changed the power steering fluid (it was pretty dark). It's still a little loose, but 1000 times better!

 

2 full steering wheels turns? 720 degrees to make a 90deg turn? i can see perhaps badly worn tires causing a pull to one side. but it comes on gradually over time. you dont go from perfect straight driving to a major pull over night.