Hi Again:
I have a 89 accord with the carbed 2.0 and auto tranny. My car has been losing power steering fluid and I cannot find a leak. My wife has been driving it for almost 2 weeks back and forth to work..
Today she started it up and had no reverse, but had drive. I checked the level of the tranny and it way twice as high as it should be. Do these cars have the power steering fluid going to the tranny or just the rack and pinion. I looked and it appears to have a hose (The rack and pinion)going to the transmission. Also it appears to have a cable (maybe speedo) on the top. Could that be bad and causing my power steering leak and transmission malfunction. I'm planning on changing the fluid and filter anyway. Thank You all in advance..John..P.S. Since my wife has drove the car we have already saved 80 dollars..

 

Yes, the "sender" for the speedo cable has PS fluid to it. I think even on these older ones they still call it the VSS (vehicle speed sensor).

Should be two ps hoses to it and the speedo cable.

Have you done this before.....I can help with a few "how to's"/ "watch out for's". If needed,,,,yea I like the 3rd gen (86-89) Accords

 

Poorman:
The Vehicle speed sensor might be the problem? Is there anyway I can take it off and check it to see if it is bad?? Also how hard is it to change?
Walk me through it if you don't mind. I saw 2 bolts on top and 2 hoses, and the speedometer cable I believe. I'm guessing disconnect everything and hopefully it will come apart.. Is there an O-Ring or something on it I can replace? It's pretty expensive to buy another at the LAP. Also can I bypass the VSS? My speedometer is working.Fingers crossed..lol..
Thank You...John

 

If you are loosing PS fluid (no visable leaks outside) and the trans fluid level is increasing. It sure sounds like there is an internal leak in the VSS but at the same time it is rare.

I'd start with just a drain and fill of the trans fluid. Be sure the level is correct.

Once that is done, start the car and have someone slowly turn the wheels side to side and inspect all of the PS lines- including all the little hoses going to and from the vss.

If you have to replace the vss, I'd start with getting a used one from a junk yard, again rare they fail so you should be fine.

Also, you pretty well have it nailed on the replacement. There is a "boot" on the end of the speedo cable. Gently pull it up from the vss, there is a "horse shoe" clip that holds the speedo cable to the vss. Once that is out, then remove the clamps that hold the hoses, remove the hoses and then the bolts.....lift it out

 

O.K.
I have pulled the car up on ramps and checked underneath with the wheels being turned and held in both directions. No external leaks anywhere. I have disconnected the hoses going to the VSS and dead-headed them. My wife drove it to work last night and the fluid(P.S.) appears to be at the same level.
So apparently, It's the VSS that's bad. I have contacted 3 of our boneyards and only found 2 accords in them, but the VSS mounting to the transmission were different. On mine the 2 10mm bolts go down through the top and the other 2 they came up from the bottom. (didn't know if they would work or not so I passed on them.) Any ideas as to whether one of them may work?? Also if I keep running with the VSS bypassed am I going to cause damage to something else?
Has anyone had their VSS out and know of a fix for it...Maybe a O-Ring or something minor on it has gone bad. I really don't want to take it out unless I can find another or come up with a fix on this one..
Thank You all... John

 

How is driving w/o the VSS feedback connected to PS? If performance is tolerable, you might go w/o.

The PS VSS linkage provides pressure feedback that reduces PS boost as speed increases to have better control and reduced liklihood of oversteering in emergency.

good luck

 

TX, on these old things (this is a 1989 LX) there isn't any "feedback".....it is a cooling/lubricating action going on. This is totally a mechanical thing....some of the later 3rd gens did/do have a switch on the high pressure line to provide feedback to the ECU for engine rpm control but that was on the LXi models....trust me I have an 89 LX and LXi in the driveway......there is also still the 88 LXi there as well.

Anyway OP.....I mis-spoke....there is only one bolt holding the VSS to the trans, sorry about that. The two you are seeing are actually part of the housing. If you stand at the pass/right fender, look to the "other side - drivers - of the vss, you will see one small bolt on top of the trans. That is the "hold down bolt" for the vss. I tried to take a pic of mine but couldn't get a good shot of it.....I'm posting what I was able to get????

See if these help.....in one pic you see the "horse shoe" cut out....that is where the hold down bolt goes.

Running without cooling to the vss.....yes it will work for some time. Then it will burn up.....might lock up and snap the gear inside the trans.

Can it be re-built, not sure but. I bet with time you could remove the lower gear and the shaft, then find the proper seal(s) and put it back together.

Bottom line, any of those in the junk yard that are for an 86-89 LX with auto will work. I didn't check the part numbers on the DX and LXi - pretty sure the DX would be the same, not so sure about an LXi.

EDIT: and my paint skills, well suck......and don't mind the dead bug in the one pic

 

Thank You all for your input on this matter. Poorman in your pics of the new one, They look like the 2 I found in the junkyard. I'll go out this morning and see if I can find the one mounting bolt and pull it out and go back to the junkyard (with the old one in hand) and see if one of them will work.
TX Honda. I can feel a difference in the steering of the car..It's not as easy as it was, a little harder to turn. Compared to what it was when the VSS was hooked up.
Thank You All...John..

 

The harder to turn is going to depend on how you by-passed the vss.....I should have posted this pic a while back....not sure what I was thinking, and still don't

 

Morning:
OK, I've got the replacement VSS installed and will check in a few minutes to see if it's going to work right.
Next question: How do you check the tranny fluid? With the car running in park, neutral or how? I was going to change the fluid and filter, but I see no pan on the transmission..looks like a standard tranny but Isn't... I have checked all our LAP stores for a manual on this car, but haven't had any luck..Thank You all for your HELP...John