So my power steering just went out tonight. I was pulling into a parking lot and noticed smoke coming from under the hood and the power steering pump whining. I looked under the hood with the car running and it seemed as if there were particles flying up from the belt.

I closed the hood, went inside, ate and came back. I checked my PS fluid and it was a good half inch below the "low" level. I started the car up and it was whining like hell. Way worse than before and the PS was cutting in and out.

I drove a block to 7-11 and bought some PS fluid and filled the car to the upper level. At this point i noticed that PS fluid was coating everything near the reservoir. I got in the car and the PS stopped cutting in and out for about 15 seconds and was then back to how it was. I decided to just drive home with it the way it was with a cloud of smoke/steam behind me. About a mile later, the whining and smoke stops and i have absolutely no PS left. I made it home with no other problems or weird noises.

I'd say it's pretty safe to assume that the pump has shit the bed. Please correct me if I am wrong.

To my pleasant surprise, PS pumps are much cheaper than I had expected. Is this a DIY-able job? I'm pretty mechanically inclined and don't mind getting my hands dirty.

Also, I have another vehicle I can drive for now but, just in case, would it hurt the TL in any way to drive without PS? Like will I damage the rack or any other components?

Also, I would hear belt squealing when driving through a puddle.. Anything to be worried about?

Thank you for any help/advice.

 

Sup..


First of all you must make sure the belt hasn't got stuck between the Crankshaft and the lower timing belt cover! an Aziner reported a Timing Belt Failure after the PS Belt got stuck between the Crankshaft and the cover and F*ed the Timing Belt = DEAD ENGINE.

Then if there is no belt stuck.. Yes the PS is fairly easy to replace!! And nope you wont damage your car if you run without the PS BELT but make sure you don't drive much as you can F* up the Steering Rack which you will find is not cheap at all in fact its effin Expensive even refurbished and a ROYAL PITA to Replace.

Belt noise when wet means there isn't enough thread on the belt and its wear out so it slips.. You should replace it! and you will have to remove it anyway to install the PS Belt.


Hope this helps you.

 

leaking fluid gets on belt and makes noises
Bad orings on back of ps pump can cause leaks and problems, start there!
Then a leak in main pressure hose is next place to look

NO!!!!!!!! do NOT drive it with the pump and belt connected!
IF you remove the belt it will be ok, but not great
Belt ON and you do $1200 worth of damage!!!
Of course, that belt is not the first one you get too.....

Note when you add ps fluid to res you must burp the system
see owner book for details, free copy here from acura Acura Owners Site | Exclusive Knowledge, Service, & Benefits
also see our diy section for more help

USE only Honda ps fluid, the system is very picky,,it was an emergency- ok you used what you could find= but flush out the fluid and start over
See tips on here about ps flush DIY

 

Briansmobil1 has a good tutorial on how to rebuild them, but more importantly he goes through the burping procedure which takes longer than expected to get all the air out. I change my power steering fluid with a siphon pump.

 

Ok so I won't drive the car any.

Is my pump still rebuildable even though it completely died? Or is there likely irreversible damage inside.

I think I'll buy the Gates seal kit and try to rebuild it. If for some reason there is further damage then should I avoid a junkyard PS pump? They're about 40-50 less than a reman one.

And only Honda fluid of course (how much? I'll check owners manual). Same with checking all hoses for leaks and replacing as necessary

I'll check the all the belts. Does PS have its own belt or is it driven by serpentine belt?

Thank you all for replies. I have a feeling that video will be a life saver.

 

The PS Pump can be rebuild, Honda sells the kit but its expensive for what it is.
Aftermarket sells a seal kit which is different from the Honda which has the turbine.


You can buy from junkyards just make sure the fluid is clear and not brownish or dark.

 

I would get a rebuilt unit- save the hassles you will run into = smoke came from...

Tip on burping the ps: Place cardboard under both front wheels to reduce surface friction
Note: this is totally ok per Honda to do! If you have a floor jack you can slightly raise the nose, all others just stick with cardboard

With res topped up, start engine leave in Park, turn wheel in a steady slow motion taking several seconds to reach full lock, then reverse direction to opposite full lock, have helper watching fluid level in res (cap in place!) Add as it gets sucked into steering rack
Repeat lock to lock until bubbles gone and level remains static- near the full mark

To drain the ps: use the same method of turning wheel till all the fluid comes out the return (upper) hose at res
See diy for hose size that slips over ps line and into catch can

 

^ And make sure to do FULL CLOCKS to the steering wheel.. Don't be afraid of hitting the wall just don't stay there for more than 2 seconds.

 

Ok got the procedure on burping the system. I inspected hoses and they seemed pretty intact, so I assume the pump itself was leaking the fluid. I think I will purchase a reman pump from ACDelco through RockAuto with a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty for $133. Unless I find something cheap through an Acurazine vendor. Suggestions?

Fluid did get on the crankshaft pulley and the serpentine belt. I will clean as best I can. From what I saw today the belts looked in good shape; however, I didn't get underneath the car.

I looked through my Helms manual on replacing the pump. Looks simple, I will take pics as i go and hopefully make a DIY

Thanks for the help

 

we don't have a diy? maybe its included in the 105 service diy?

main thing is do not over-tighten the ps belt
its adjustable tensioner must allow more than a normal belts looseness
or you will burn up that new pump
Did you look at the orings behind pump? might get lucky and find the smoke was simply oil hitting exhaust!

install new belts and new ac belt tensioner, or it will bite you in a month~

 

Right. I'll take pictures and write one up for others to use.

Ordered a pump for $124.95 and a belt for $8.61 today so I will get that done as soon as they get here.

 

ck the main serpentine belt that runs the alt and ac, its tensioner is a weak point.
So its smart to do all the accessible belts and tensioners while you are digging to get the farthest one back~
If the budget is tight just inspect the tensioner for ac belt- spin test in and ck for grease coming out or any wobble in the wheel
Pretty easy to see the tensioner action as belt rotates -while engine is slightly revved and released

do a search for the correct belt tension on ps belt- its like 1/2 inch deflection with your thumb = looser than normal old school belt runs = but don't quote me on that as the spec!!!

 

I have the factory service manual with the belt specs!

However I need the belt tension gauge.. Autozone and O'reilly didnt carry any. I'll see if theres an alternative way. I'm going to the dealer for an o-ring and will ask.

Got the old pump out, new pump arrived today. I need an o-ring and then I'll be all set! I dug through some receipts, all my belts are less than 10k miles old and upon inspection are in fantastic shape. Good thing because I'd rather not remove the engine mount.

Auto-tensioner on alternator/ac belt is in great shape, no problems there.

What is the best way to clean the ps fluid out of the pulleys it spilled on? Will wiping it with a rag suffice or do I need to go a step further?

I should have her up and running tomorrow or the next day. I've been taking pics so expect a step by step DIY post from me!

 

definitely need to remove all traces of fluids from the pulley or expect belt problems
Carb cleaner works best, followed by rag to wipe up mess

ck in azine for the alternate spec on ps belt- its your thumb pushing against belt and amount of free play iirc ~1/2 inch belt moves under thumb pressure
Nobody uses a scale~! Its a feel you develop after a few times
Ask one of the techs at acura

 

I use a fishing scale with a cloth sling when I had to set my Z31 300zx turbo belts (especially the timing belt) which needs to be set at a precise 22lb.