I have a 2004 Acura MDX. The past couple of months, I have noticed that my steering wheel is so hard to turn when I first start driving. It has progressively gotten stiffer. We have checked the power steering fluid and it was low, but we keep buying fluid to put in it. We believe there may be a leak, but can't find where it is. The weirdest part is that the steering is only really stiff right when I first start driving, but as soon as I make a couple of turns (usually by the time I get out of my apartment complex) the steering is back to normal. It's getting to the point where I don't feel safe driving my car! I've almost hit other cars because I didn't have the strength to turn the wheel back. Any idea what could be causing this???? My husband and I are desperately looking for a solution!

 

It is probably getting difficult to steer because of the lack of fluid, but once the fluid warms up, flows better, and expands, you regain steering.

Ideally you will need to fix the source of your leak, because its definitely going somewhere. Look around for it - it could be somewhere in the rack, the pump, or the lines.

In the mean time, keeping the fluid topped off should help - in the case that the fluid is topped off and the power steering still feels heavy, your pump is on its way out or the leak is bad enough that it isn't allowing pressure to build up in the system.

Good luck!

 

Yeah, you need to find the leak first and verify the pump is good. I have had other cars way back in the day (83 Saab) that had "Morning Sickness". I don't think that more modern racks suffer from it but if you are constantly low on fluid you may have worn the rack.

Power Steering Morning Sickness --> Morning Sickness Power Racks Direct

 

I would like to welcome OP to the site, first this is 3rd gen TL section. You have a slow leak within the power steering system and the best way to see it is put a car on a lift and look under the car to pin point the leak spot, Also make sure your rack and pinion does not leak at the dust boot. Like other mentioned you also want to verify the pump to see if its still good.

 

I left the thread here because OP did get the answers he/she needed, as the Power steering problems affects most models.

if one didnt read the year and model, it would still apply.

 

its ok crab man, BTW when is the PHO meet?

 

i dunno, no one likes me!
I have a valentines date this Saturday...

i'm open to eat pho on Sunday? but I understand that a lot of people have things to do and such...I'm free every weekend.. and if it's just you and me, thats cool!
one of the newer houston 3G TL guy, works at cafe 101 in chinatown
we can meet there and "bother" him...lol

 

Hey taking your mom Kia out is not consider a date, let me know what time during this Sunday tho.

 

I'd eat pho with y'all but I think you are kinda far away from CT. After 15" of snow a big warm bowl would be good.

 

You know you could meet up with me in West Hartford years back right? I was living in Canton area before I move out that ridiculous state ran by Dan Malloy.


sometime back in the late 2012/ early 2013


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