Jesse729

iTrader: (2)

Please read the thread and don't respond with the TSB orange o-ring fix.

So I have been dealing with whine from the power steering pump on my 2007 Type 5 with 130k on it. I can hear it at all times and especially when I turn the wheel. I have no fluid leaks. I have also pulled the serpentine belt to make sure the sound was from the pump. Also my power steering has just been gerneally loud at higher rpms for over a year.

I have done both the below as well as a PS flush with Honda fluid
DIY A-105: Power Steering Pump Overhaul (with Pics & SM Scans) - AcuraZine Community
DIY A-105: Power Steering Whine fix - AcuraZine Community This would be the 2nd time I have done this in the cars life the first time it fix the problem

After I rebuilt the pump and replaced all the o-rings the whine was the same. While I had the pump apart it was in really good condition. I made sure to try to bleed all the air out of the system. Turned wheel back and forth many times

The whole time I have been getting air bubbles in the PS reservoir and I have checked for leaks between the reservoir an the pump and found nothing.

I am about to just replace the pump but I am concerned because in my azine searches I haven't found many if any who have had to replace the pump and usually Honda PS pumps are pretty solid so I feel like I might be wasting my money.

1. Has anyone had to replace the pump because of this whining? 2. Was air getting in the lines?

The thing I don't understand is if there is air in the fluid I feel like that indicates a leak somewhere whether it is in low pressure side of the pump all the way back to the reservoir and the pump itself should be fine if doesn't have the leak.

Also I don't think the car has had the recall done but I don't think that would resolve the issue because the recall deals with the high pressure line which would be a fluid leak if it was bad.

csmeance

it could be a bad bearing in the power steering pump, or it could be a bad pressure valve (not sold separately) so your best option is to go with a new pump. There are a few on rockauto for under $200 since they have a core charge that should be refunded once they get your old unit back.

WDPanda

To see if there is air, run the car and open the ps reservoir and look for small air bubbles. You should be seeing a few.

nfnsquared

bubbles confirmed

WDPanda

Oops read that as looking for bubble and found nothing lol.
My car is on pump #3. It is not solid as you say, in fact it is the weakest part if the car.

Jesse729

iTrader: (2)

I replaced the power steering pump this weekend with no luck. I bled the system and the air bubbles and whine continued I either got another bad pump or I have a leak somewhere else. I ordered the hose and the plastic connector connecting back to the reservoir. I am going to clean the reservoir and replace the lines and hopefully that fixes my problem. If it doesn't I don't know where else to look.

nfnsquared

Unless you have a slow leak developing due to heat. I'd at least get the TSB taken care of. That's a fire hazard waiting to happen.

WDPanda

Did you reuse the black plastic piece that connects the 10mm bolt and o-ring to the pump? I would look at that and the hose it is connected to. The hose was giving me issues so i replaced it and the clamp. Fixed one of my initial whines.

Air can only get in before the high pressure side otherwise you'll have a noticable leak. Good luck.

DarkTower19

I had a similar sound and replaced the o-ring, tensioner set w/pullies, serpentine belt, and changed/refilled power steering fluid to no avail. It ended up being a bad alternator.

Jesse729

iTrader: (2)

Update. Good News Bad news. I put the new power steering intake hose on and cleaned the reservoir. The good news is the power steering problem is solved. No air bubbles and the steering feels smoother than ever. The bad news only about 10% of the whine noise is gone (the whine from the power steering). I can't believe I had simultaneous whine noises. I tried both power steering pumps with no results. Now I am leaning towards the idler pulley or alternator bearings. I am thinking idler because when I pull the belt the alternator, power steering pump and tensioner all spin smoothly but the idler pully spins as freely but is rougher. I am not sure if that is how it is supposed to be or if it needs replaced. Can anyone chime in on how the idler is supposed to spin?

WDPanda

They're supposed to spin smooth and free. If you haven't replaced the tensioners/idler, i would do both now at the same time. It is usually overlooked when purchasing a car and i have an ear for it so i usually knock off the price knowing what it is. Simple to fix yourself and cheap on RockAuto. But it shouldn't be a whine though, usually tensioners/idlers make a rattle noise.

DMZ

Tensioners and idlers should be replaced when doing a timing belt / water pump job. They come with most TB kits.
.
.

Jesse729

iTrader: (2)

It turned out the be the idler. I replaced both the idler and tensioner pully and the sound is completely gone. Not knowing what exactly I was hearing I have had this sound in a less noticeable form for over 20,000 miles.

Even though I had the tensioner assembly off before it was still a little frustrating to remove. If anyone stumbles on this thread who is replacing the idler this is some info I found between searching and replacing. The bolt going through the idler pulley along with a lower bolt hold the assembly on. To reach the main idler bolt both my 3/8's ratchet and 1/2 in breaker bar would not fit so I had to track down a 3/8's breaker bar (which I don't have). The 12mm bolt below the idler can be removed from the top if you're good but it is much easier to come up from the wheel well. Once those 2 bolts are out the assembly should come up through the top. The tensioner pulley can stay on until the whole assembly is out but I would recommend loosening the tensioner pulley bolt while it is on the car. (Tensioner is reverse thread) I recommend using 6 point sockets.

Once I had the right parts in hand the whole job took about an hour.

When I went to replace I had an issue at the Autozone and Advance Auto. OEM parts were cheaper but I didn't have time to wait. I bought what Autozone said was the idler pulley. This did not fit it was 1/4 inch larger in width and the bearing cover did not fit on it. Thinking they sold me the wrong part I went to Advance Auto and they pulled the same exact part which did not fit. I am not sure what this part is because I don't think it is the timing belt idler either. I then asked for a tensioner pulley it matched the OEM idler. So I bought 2 and put one in as the idler and one as the tensioner. The only difference I could see was the tensioner was identical in size to the OE tensioner but the new tensioner was about a millimeter smaller in width to the OE idler. Installed they work just fine. I was also hesitant to buy the carquest brand over OE but the CarQuest brand but by visual inspection seemed to have a more robust bearing in it than OEM.