I have a 1999 TL with an unknown issue with the PS system.

A while back, I started the car (after sitting unused for a while -- months) and heard a grinding noise from the engine bay while backing out of the garage. I immediately realized I had lost power steering and stopped the car and opened the hood. There was PS fluid all over the engine bay and the garage floor, and it clearly came from the reservoir. I drove the car to the Honda dealership (close by) and had intermittent power steering. Classic low on fluid supercharger whine going on during this time. Bought a bottle of genuine fluid, topped the system up (took over half of the bottle) and turned the wheel lock to lock a few times. The noise went away and the vehicle has been perfectly fine since (the car has been driven a couple hundred miles). No noises, no leaking fluid, it has been at the same level since I topped it up. There's no bubbling in the reservoir either.

Here's the problem: The fluid is reddish brown now (stuck a screwdriver in the reservoir to check). Car is not worth much at this point, so I don't really want to pay to have the dealer look at it. Not really sure what to do, I'm inclined to drain and fill the fluid and/or replace the reservoir. What concerns me is how/why the fluid randomly erupted from the top of the reservoir.

Hoping you guys have some idea what might be wrong; I'm stumped.

 

I say if its fine now, there's no need to worry about it.
Could of just been air in the system.