Power Steering Pump
 

Right after my last maintenance, I noticed there was oil residue accumulating on the engine cover, near the belt. I figured it was from the service so I just cleaned it off and called it a day. Fast forward a couple of months to yesterday - while refilling my windshield fluid, I noticed there's more oil accumulation in the same spots. This time I thought I'd call my Acura dealer and have them check it out, just in case it's the beginning of something serious. They took my in in the afternoon and the service adviser told me my power steering pump is leaking. My car is an 07 with about 77,000 miles and I can't believe the power steering pump is already defective. I already had an alternator replaced at around 45,000 miles, drive shaft replaced at around 47,000 miles. The alternator replacement was $350 and the power steering pump is $750 - both covered under the warranty, but WTF! What else is going to go in this car before I hit 100K?

Yeah the power steering pump price is crazy...At least you have a warranty. If you did not, you could have just had the pump re-sealed. The seals are available separately. As for the prop shaft, all 05-10 may develop this condition, so hopefully your set for awhile.

stop scaring me. i have 05, 58k, and no warranty lol

I have 07 with 87k miles and i noticed some oil residue on the big pulley right bellow the engine cover.Not on the cover itself though.Jeez,don't tell me i have the same s**t.I'll check it out while changing the oil at the dealer next week.

i just heard a slight high pitched noise when i turn my steering wheel left or right....hope its the belt...

I started experiencing noise a few weeks after having service where all fluids were supposed to be topped off
I saw that powerr sterring fluid low. Went back to dealer to say that they did not top power steering. They showed me residue on steering pump and said it was a leak. Had them top it off. That was several weeks ago now and fluid still fine.
So, I may have a small leak, but know for sure that they did not top fluids off.

Surely, we can't expect every car to go 6 years without a problem. New power steering pump under warranty = win. They won't last forever.

If you think this is bad, buy a forced induction German that uses plastic cooling system parts. :2cents:

A little off topic, but this is why I quit replying to the "I found a cheap 05, should I buy it" threads.

People have a hard time understanding that these cars 8 years old :whyme:

I understand the car is now 6 years old and will have some wear and tear, however, a bad power steering pump at 77K and a bad alternator at around 45K is not usual. Although my 02 TL-S with 162K went through four transmissions, I didn't really have any other issues other than the normal wear and tear stuff. The warranty is really NOT covering it, it's more like I prepaid for this repair.

Here's the latest from the dealer:

The warranty company doesn't want to pay for a new power steering pump, and there's no refurbished pump from Acura. So, they want me to either pay $350 + tax for a new one, after the warranty abatement, or wait a couple more days for them to acquire an after-market power steering pump. Since they gave me a 2013 RDX with tech pack, I told them I'd wait.

On a good note:

I am really enjoying the new RDX with the 3.5 V6! I am not really a fan of SUV-like vehicles as I prefer to be lower to the ground, the RDX has completely changed my mind. This car feels like it has more power than my RL, gets better gas mileage, and handles like a TL... makes it hard to go back to my RL.

wasnt trying to give you grief, thats why I said off topic.

IMO those components are probably sourced to some remote factory in Uganda to be made and they will fail prematurely... none the less my comment was more in general.

Back on topic, that is so typical of them to reject the repair... you could always look for one at a salvage yard, that's what the warranty company would have done anyway.

If I got a loaner I would wait to, pay the extra money, and just let them deal with it. LoL

Agreed that it is not typical. However, there will be some cars that have no problems, some that have two problems, and a few that are lemons. These could be the only two problems you ever have to fix. :2cents:

@Heavy_RL, I didn't think you were giving me grief, I was just voicing my dismay with Acura's quality in general. Yes, Acura's generally are better than most, but it's just not what I would expect in a $50K car.

@007, I sure hope this is it! My extended warranty runs out in about 10 months, so I hope anything that will go, will go between now and then.

Did I mention I am very impressed with the new RDX? ;-)

I brought the RL back to the dealership today because of a whining noise, and was told that it's "normal". WTF.

Power steering fluid is low and/or their is air in the system.

My ride started "whining" ay lower speeds ( At least It was REAL obvious) about a year ago. It wasnt necessarily while turning either. It just "whined" while driving slow. Turning or not. Just a REAL noticeable "Whine" at lower speeds. Kept catching my ear. EXACTLY like a bad power steering pump.

I had the Acura dudes flush my steering system while they were changing out my Drive belt/belts /water pump/ stuff.


I havent heard that "whine" in over a month since. It was starting to worry me too.

My 06 has started to recently pop up with "check power steering" and I get no PS, but drive for a min or two and it works again ... sigh

yes, checked fluid

OP,i just got back from a routine oil change.I mentioned to them the greasy oily spots around the top pulley and they found "slight" leak from the PSP.$229 to reseal with new seals,they mentioned something like $4xx to replace the PSP.I opted for the reseal,but for that they need to order some kinda kit.Will schedule for the repair.

Oh btw,they found a "weak" front motor mount,$478 part and labor.And NO,this is not an April Fool's joke...lol!

Count me in on the power steering pump leak. Anyone done this job R&R DIY? Or new seals DIY? I'll check the FSM tonight for writeup.

Two years ago I noticed a little oil residue on th power steering pump pulley. My plans were to solve the problem with a simple pump rebuild. However, after speaking with my son who has much experience with such issues, I pulled off about 8 oz. of the fluid and replaced it with a well-respected brand of power steering stop leak. It worked. No more fluid migrated around the seal. If the problem reoccurs, I will rebuild the pump. Side note: In 140k+ this is only the third problem with the car--lose passenger side mirror (fixed with screwdriver and Locktite) and passenger seat control switch ( fixed with a good cleaning of the electrical contacts). The RL may crash and burn today but after owning German cars, the car has been a reliability dream.

^^May i ask what kind of fluid did you use?Did you clean the pulley and the area arround it in order to monitor future leak?What did you use?Mine seems to have a lot of oil residue and dirt arround and on it.Thanks

I used Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak. The leak had actually oiled a spot (about 2x6 inches) on the hood pad . That is how I first noticed that I had a problem. The very sticky-oily residue on the PS pump pulley confirmed the location of the leak. I don't remember what worked best to clean the pulley--maybe brake cleaner. I do remember using lots of paper towels to protect the belt and other under hood components. It took an hour or more to really clean the pulley and pump. But, I am kind of a clean freak. Best of luck.

Honestly, since all these failures are mechanically unrelated to each other, I think you're just unlucky. I know that's not a very satisfying answer, but statistically it seems like the most likely explanation. Sorry it's so frustrating, though.