weird intermittent steering issue 2001 Honda Accord

[thepope]

So this is on my moms car a 2001 Honda accord 4 cylinder manual trans with 225,000 miles. She was driving it yesterday and the steering all of a sudden started to feel “weird” so weird that she was scared to drive it and had it towed home. It got home and I drove it around the block and it was completely normal. Than this morning my mom got about a mile down the road than all of a sudden it did it again. Drove it back and I felt it. Basically it felt like there was lots of play in the steering and it turned way easier than normal. (clearly did not feel right)

I checked for play by picking up left and right front wheel and feeling for play there was nothing in any direction.

power steering fluid is full but is dark.

I know my truck has a valve that regulates pressure to the gear box at certain speeds. Does this honda have something like that?

So to recap
it happens all of a sudden and is intermittent
It feels like there is lots of play and the steering is way to easy to turn and has no feel.

Shes owned it since 80k and nothing has ever been replaced in the front end. in fact all we have ever done is changed the engine oil, trans fluid , timing belt, starter and spark plugs this car is amazing has not even needed brakes.

I think I am probably going to take it some where if it ends up being a rack but if its something smaller like a pump or sensor i will just do it my self.

Thank you for your time.

Topic

[hondaslave1342]

thanks eric,,,,,,

[Wesley Adams]

I know this thread is old, but I’m having a similar issue on my 2006 Accord V6. I recently had my power steering pump replaced because it was leaking and I did have my rack guide bolt tightened a tiny bit.

My steering intermittently feely like jelly at cruising speeds. It has no definitive on center feel and feels really springy and overboosted. It will feel wired for a day or two, then feel nice and tight for a week and it just keeps doing that off and on.

I’m planning on having my trusted Honda perform any necessary repairs.

I had him check everything in the suspension about a month ago and the only issue he found was superpefical cracks in the compliance bushings. Car has 150K miles and has lived in Southest Louisiana it’s entire life so no salt related issues.

My question is, should I start by having the guide bolt adjustment put back to spec and have a steering flush performed to “unstick” the valve? Would that even be worth pursuing at this point?

My steering system also makes a slight clunking if I shake the wheel with the engine off. My tech says it’s the lack of the engine pumping fluid through the rack and that slack that the lack of fluid pressure is what I’m hearing when the engine is off.

I’m a bit frustrated as my favorite feature of the Accord is it’s excellent steering feel.

I have videos documenting everything if anyone want’s to see them but I feel my issue us very similar to OP’s issue.

This is the only thread I’ve found online that documents this happening.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by Wesley Adams. Reason: Rewording

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