Is there anyway to lighten up the steering on the heavy type S? Would lighter wheels with a lighter tire make steering lighter? For example currently I have stock type S wheels, which if I am not mistaken are 24lbs. My current tire is 25lbs. Total 49lbs per wheel. So say I go with some rpf01’s at 16lbs and a tire that weighs 20lbs for a total of 36lbs, would that total 13lbs savings per wheel make a difference?

Is there any other route I can take in conjunction with lighter wheels/tires to help in lightening up the steering?

Work out at the gym more..

The steering is intentionally on the heavy side because that's what buyers of a sporty sedan want. FWIW, I didn't notice any difference in steering feel going from the 25 lb OEM Accord wheels to the 16 lb RSX wheels. I did notice better low end acceleration and throttle response along with better braking.

Swap your steering pump and proportioning valve for one on a base 2007-2008 TL, that will lighten up the steering. FWIW, I have a 2006 TL 6MT (second heaviest steering of the 3G TL range), and I'd gladly change my pump and proportioning valve with you as I'd love heavier steering.

And no, changing to lighter wheels will make no difference in the effort necessary to steer the car.

Between my 06 6MT and 08 Type S 6MT > big difference and the first thing I noticed test driving it. My 06 feels like a Lexus boat afterwards. Also, i feel the lighter steering contributes to premature power steering pump failure that so many of our TLs have but that's just a guess.

Not sure I understand what you're saying; are you confirming what I wrote above, or are you saying the 2006 has heavier steering?

He's in agreement.

Makes me want to source a used TL-S pump for cheap.

That makes two of us; remember, you need both the Type-S pump and proportioning valve.

Just curious, would just the proportioning valve work? Incase I need to replace mine if I can't rebuild (i.e winter, time, etc).
the part numbers are very similar and look to be similar in build.

My information is purely theoretical, I researched the part numbers of the power steering system in my 2006 6MT compared to a Type-S 6MT; the only two part numbers which were different were the pump and the proportioning valve. Beyond that I cannot speculate whether just one of the two changes will yield the improved/heavier steering feel.

Is there a proportioning valve in the PS system? I know there's one in the braking system which splits the fluid with the proper front/rear bias. Just wondering where it would fit in on a PS system. Pump outlet goes to high pressure line to the rack, low pressure return line from rack goes through cooler and back into reservoir then back to pump inlet.

Got a part number? I couldn't see one in the parts catalog, looked under PS pump, PS lines and PS gear box.

It appears my memory is faulty, I was sure I looked this up before and the pump and valve assemblies were the differences between the 2004-2006 6MT models and the 2007-2008 Type-S models. The fact is, "Bzzzzzt, I'm sorry, that is incorrect." Here is what I just came up with:

----------------------------- 2006 TL 6MT ----- 2008 TL Type-S 6MT
Power Steering Rack: --- 53601-SEP-A53 --- 53601-SEP-A54
Valve Sub-Assembly: ---- 53641-SEP-A52 --- 53641-SEP-A53
Power Steering Pump: -- 56110-RDA-A01 --- 56110-RDB-A01

My favorite part of this car!!!

So swapping to a base model pump and proportioning valve would in fact lighten up steering? What about a base model rack? Are all these parts plug and play between models without modifications? Would swapping the pump alone without the valve make a difference?

Also I have 245/45’s all around right now. Would going back to stock 235/45 make a difference?

My understanding is all of the parts are plug and play, however, I cannot opine on which parts will give you the biggest bang for the buck when it comes to lightening the steering. Regarding tire width, typically wider tires will only be felt when stopped or at extremely slow speeds (like 1 mph or less).

Based upon your User Name, I'm thinking you have experience with a 5-Series between 1998 and 2003; I had a 2002 530i SP and LOVED the steering on that car, MUCH heavier than the steering on my 2006 TL 6MT (which is supposed to be the second heaviest of the four power steering setups of the 3G TL).

Love my Type S's firm steering. Suits the car perfectly.

The BMW E39 5-series sedans had either a brilliant hydraulic rack for the inline-6 models or a stiff but numb old-school recirculating ball steering box for the V8-equiped 540i & M5.

@ E39, are you not sure you're really wanting quicker, not heavier, steering?

Yup had a 01 525i, amazing steering and road feel. Love those cars. The type S is close in heaviness but agreed the e39 is even heavier. But it could just be my pump is getting old and tired as my steering feels a bit heavier then normal. At a stand still it feels like I have basically no power steering. I’d like to be able to share the car with a new driver and a bit lighter steering would go a long way.

Also since I need to do my idler pulley, tensioner and belt anyway I think it might be a good time to swap out the pump. If I were to swap to a base pump and leave everything else as is would that throw any glitches in the system? Where is the proportioning valve located anyway and is it hard to swap out?

What are some good aftermarket pumps? Rockauto has a maval brand, anyone with any experience with maval or any other aftermarket pumps?

Also I’m guessing the proportioning valve probably just cuts off the amount of fluid to the pump at higher rpms and speeds? My issues are with lower speeds and stand still situations. So I’m guessing for my situation a proportioning valve off a base model probably wouldn’t do much.

have you change the PS fluid or looks at the pump, the TL-S is firm but not that bad. Between Base MT, Base and TL-S the steering feels is about the same at parking lot speed. The Type S has slightly quicker rack ratio and most drive don't notice these minute difference.

Yes I have checked fluid and flushed it a couple of times via turkey baster method.

So at low speeds base or type s pump would give about the same results?

at parking speed both steering feel identical. It happen that I own both the Type S and Base lol

Really?!?!? Thanks for that info. So I guess swapping to base model parts would make no difference for low speeds. What year is your base? Where would you say you feel a difference between base and type S?

What year do you want lol?

I own a 05 MT, 07 and 08 Base and two 07 Type S.


The only time you will be able to tell the difference when at highway speed and you need to make quick steering input, the Type S feels more solid and response quicker than the Base TL and the Base TL feel slightly lighter than Type S. Anything under 40 mph is about the same.

Haha damn man that’s alot of TL’s. That‘a crazy though, I would’ve thought even under 40mph there would be a big difference between base and type s steering.

FWIW I don't think there will be a dramatic difference going from a TypeS to Base TL steering pump. My 2008 Base TL and 2006 Accord V6 have roughly the same amount of steering feel, though I will admit I've never driven a TypeS, I couldn't imagine it being much heavier.

Out of the dozen or so Honda/Acuras I've driven I usually find the V6 models have heavy steering while the I4 models have super light steering.

Example, I've driven about seven Accords over the years, every F23/K24 Accord had light steering at parking and cruising speeds. Very precise, just could turn it with one finger though. All of the V6 models had very tight/firm steering that requires two hands when parking. Didn't matter what type of car as long as it was a Honda.

Point is, you may lighten the steering a little (10-25%) by going a Base TL pump set up. I have been told the RL does have very light steering so that *may* be worth investigating but that info is flaky at best.

If you want super light steering you may have to fab something up like fabbing a hydraulic pump that is stronger and makes the steering over boosted or get an Electric Power Steering system from a 2006-07 Accord hybrid but I guarantee you it will be a PITA.

Personally, I'd say try out a Base TL pump and if you're not satisfied with that I'd just look for a car with naturally light steering like a 4G TL with EPS or maybe a Lexus GS350 or something that is more of a numb driving car than a TL-S. Just my

If you've never drive a Type-S then why the hell would you even bother commenting? Seems like a very post-whorish move.

Mods, please remove Horseshoez 's post-whorish post.

E39, I eould recommend rebuild your PS system. The Type S's steering is firm but very power assisted at very low speeds and should not present a problem for your new driver.

This video appears helpful for the pump. I think they do the rack in a latter episode, and I don't know enough to diagnose which is the root cause of your issue.

My prediction is they won't. Why? If anything, many of the mods are harder on MM than I am.

Yea not having a reference point as to what a type S should feel like makes it hard to single out a problem but my guess would be something is off. I took a look at the pump and nothing major but the whole pump is sweating. I would consider rebuilding my existing pump but it doesn’t seem OEM as it has a sticker with the manufacturer being “ASI”, not sure if that’s oem.

Im willing to just buy another aftermarket pump for a base model if I can get a certain answer that it would a) be plug and play without glitches and b) actually make a difference at low speeds albeit a small one.

I still have an opinion. I still have a theory. What's up with that?

You have a well deserved reputation of posting things which, while they may be theories to you, amount to 97 + 6 = 2; no logic, no nothing to support your many theories. Why do you think me, and many others give you such a hard time? It's because you clearly don't think things through and often write things which absolutely make no sense.

And HS, you come across as an asshole every now and then. Point is, just ignore it. If it bothers you, laugh and move on.

Getting back on point, I have driven both regular TLs and the TL-S. The Type S has a heavier steering feel, at least to me.

I resemble that remark. Oddly enough, I have empathy for MM, I really-REALLY want him to start thinking several times before he writes; that way he might not be the absolute butt of jokes and abuse from sooo many member of this forum, including moderators. My chiding and not too gentle advice is, maybe, a misguided attempt to get him to reevaluate many of the posts he makes, BEFORE he makes them.

So uhhhhh guys I’m going to swap out my pump, base or stick to type s? Also I read a thread where someone was mentioning a power steering pressure sensor solved a similar problem. Anyone know where that is located and what would be the best way to remove it?

I think at this point it is a crap shoot; I've been on this forum for over three years and don't think I've ever heard of anybody doing a mixed power steering system. Said another way, you're blazing a trail for the rest of us to follow. Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm just giving my thoughts on things from my perspective. Everything I post is to be taken with a grain of salt. I figured if I had a 10% chance of helping it was worth my time.

I never fully know what I'm talking about but I usually grasp the concept enough and speak up when the topic comes around. Once again, just trying to put more ideas on the table even if they aren't 100% solid. Someone more knowledgeable may be able to make sense of the idea I have and could *possibly* use it to help them.

Took my family to the park in my Type S yesterday. While parking, very low speed maneuvers, I tried to gauge the steering effort. It's definitely heavier than my last Japanese FWD V6 sedan, a 5th gen Maxima, but it's also a jizzbillion times easier than my last no-power-steering car, a 1st gen RX-7. That car was sweet AF but a beeotch in tight parking.

I say throw the new driver into the TL-S, have them spend some time adjusting the seating position and mirrors, then go for a slow drive with parking practice. I learned to drive in an '82 F150 with the steering feel of a horse-drawn wagon.


MM don't feed the troll, let's keep this discussion solidly on 3G steering weight.

"Troll"; way to stay above the fray. Trust me, after a year or two of reading MM's posts, you'll understand.

So I swapped out to a reman pump and also changed the fluid reservoir. The issue I have now or maybe I had this issue prior to swapping the parts mentioned above also and did not notice it is that the fluid is bouncing in th reservoir. There are also some bubbles. I tried leaving the cap off and turning lock to lock plenty of times but the fluid bouncing about half and inch and some tiny bubbles persist.

I swapped out the power steering pressure switch with no change in steering feel. At a stand still I noticed if I turn the wheel my rpm’s do not climb. Isn’t that faulty?