[Astear]

OEM Pump, and Fluid?
Thanks

Duralast pump from autozone, and yes Honda power steering fluid.

 

[Astear]

There are 2 o rings, did you replace both to rule that out?

They’ve been changed 3 times. Once with the first new pump. Second when I thought they were the leaking issue so I bought just the o rings. And third when I returned the pump I put on for another thinking it was faulty.

 

[Nail Grease]

They’ve been changed 3 times. Once with the first new pump. Second when I thought they were the leaking issue so I bought just the o rings. And third when I returned the pump I put on for another thinking it was faulty.

Ok, so all return lines replaced, clamps tight. I’d inspect pump and all high pressure lines for a leak. The high pressure hose only needs replacing if there is signs of leaking. Look for oily dust accumulation.

 

[Astear]

Ok, so all return lines replaced, clamps tight. I’d inspect pump and all high pressure lines for a leak. The high pressure hose only needs replacing if there is signs of leaking. Look for oily dust accumulation.

I’ve checked as much of the hose that I can (half of it is behind the engine) and don’t see any signs of leaks. I honestly don’t know where the air could be getting in. I’ve bought the hose but am dreading putting it on because I know it will be a pain.

 

[Astear]

I’ve checked as much of the hose that I can (half of it is behind the engine) and don’t see any signs of leaks. I honestly don’t know where the air could be getting in. I’ve bought the hose but am dreading putting it on because I know it will be a pain.

Ok, so all return lines replaced, clamps tight. I’d inspect pump and all high pressure lines for a leak. The high pressure hose only needs replacing if there is signs of leaking. Look for oily dust accumulation.

I had a chance to get a better look and it looks like the line that runs in front of the radiator has a leak at one of the connectors. Could this be where the air is getting in? It’s the line that runs right off the bottom of the reservoir. It’s hard to really tell because the fluid has been coming out of the reservoir some from all of the air in the system.

 

[Nail Grease]

I had a chance to get a better look and it looks like the line that runs in front of the radiator has a leak at one of the connectors. Could this be where the air is getting in? It’s the line that runs right off the bottom of the reservoir. It’s hard to really tell because the fluid has been coming out of the reservoir some from all of the air in the system.

Yes, any leak can equal air in line

 

[plplplpl]

I had a chance to get a better look and it looks like the line that runs in front of the radiator has a leak at one of the connectors. Could this be where the air is getting in? It’s the line that runs right off the bottom of the reservoir. It’s hard to really tell because the fluid has been coming out of the reservoir some from all of the air in the system.

Can you post some pics?

 

[undivide]

some but not much air is not going to get into the system on the pressure side if a leak exists. it will get in on the return suction side especially the closer you get to the pump. anything between the exit of the rack to the cooler line to the reservoir all the way back to the pump fitting needs inspection.
got a buddy at work with an old accord and his cooler is corroded and leaking causing issues

 

[mknmike]

I had a chance to get a better look and it looks like the line that runs in front of the radiator has a leak at one of the connectors. Could this be where the air is getting in? It’s the line that runs right off the bottom of the reservoir. It’s hard to really tell because the fluid has been coming out of the reservoir some from all of the air in the system.

It’s true that any leak can allow air into the system, but pressure side leaks aren’t typically the cause of air in the system. The connections on the suction side seem ridiculously flimsy to me. Just one tiny bolt and a flange with an o-ring on it seems like it’s a miracle it doesn’t suck air in. Here the images from the video that are the critical ones. There’s another critical part which is coating the new o-ring in ps fluid and cleaning this flange that is prone to letting in air.

Of course if you are switching pumps, you want to make sure all this is fitting tightly along with the hoses being snug on the adapter flange. Perhaps if you post pictures of the stuff you’ve replaced it will help others figure out maybe where your air is getting in.

 

[Astear]

Can you post some pics?

Here are the only 2 that I can see any sign of leaking on. The top is a line coming off of the rack. I believe it’s the cooler line. Not the easiest to track though.
The bottom picture is the cooler line. I’ve cleaned it off and checked it after running but don’t see any sign of fluid leaking.

 

[Astear]

It’s true that any leak can allow air into the system, but pressure side leaks aren’t typically the cause of air in the system. The connections on the suction side seem ridiculously flimsy to me. Just one tiny bolt and a flange with an o-ring on it seems like it’s a miracle it doesn’t suck air in. Here the images from the video that are the critical ones. There’s another critical part which is coating the new o-ring in ps fluid and cleaning this flange that is prone to letting in air.

Of course if you are switching pumps, you want to make sure all this is fitting tightly along with the hoses being snug on the adapter flange. Perhaps if you post pictures of the stuff you’ve replaced it will help others figure out maybe where your air is getting in.

The only parts I’ve changed so far are the o rings that everyone has mentioned, the power steering pump twice, the reservoir, and the line that goes from the pump to the reservoir. The new pumps I’ve put on already have the adapters installed. I didn’t check the connection though or put fluid on the o ring since it was already together.

 

[Astear]

some but not much air is not going to get into the system on the pressure side if a leak exists. it will get in on the return suction side especially the closer you get to the pump. anything between the exit of the rack to the cooler line to the reservoir all the way back to the pump fitting needs inspection.
got a buddy at work with an old accord and his cooler is corroded and leaking causing issues

Thank you, I’ll have to double check the fitting on the pump. There’s ALOT of air getting in. Enough that it’s affecting the performance of the pump, not only making noise.

 

[HondaHarry]

Gonna revive this thread a bit. Our 2008 Pilot EX-L (kids' car) started groaning a couple of weeks ago. Fluid frothy and low. Groans loudly when cold, noise mostly goes away when warm. I was just gonna top it up and see if that did the trick, but I'm not sure where "cold full" should be. I think it has hash marks on the side of the reservoir but it's pretty dirty and I'm not sure I can tell from the outside. Any guidance how full it should be when looking inside?
If the noise does not go away, or returns, I'll replace the O-ring as discussed and shown in the nice YouTube video. Many thanks folks.
Cheers

 

[Nail Grease]

Gonna revive this thread a bit. Our 2008 Pilot EX-L (kids' car) started groaning a couple of weeks ago. Fluid frothy and low. Groans loudly when cold, noise mostly goes away when warm. I was just gonna top it up and see if that did the trick, but I'm not sure where "cold full" should be. I think it has hash marks on the side of the reservoir but it's pretty dirty and I'm not sure I can tell from the outside. Any guidance how full it should be when looking inside?
If the noise does not go away, or returns, I'll replace the O-ring as discussed and shown in the nice YouTube video. Many thanks folks.
Cheers

A high mileage 08 Pilot also likely needs rubber hose return lines replaced (metal ones too if rust is an issue). The wire clamps cut into the rubber, split and rot. I’d also replace wire clamps with better quality hose clamps. I use aftermarket hoses sold on RockAuto. Reservoir level marks are on the side. Power Steering Fluid flush should be performed every 50k miles. Genuine Honda Fluid only, but I am successfully using a full synthetic made by LubeGard (item# 24242) specifically for Honda.

https://www.piloteers.org/threads/how-to-do-a-complete-flush-of-the-power-steering-fluid.172868/post-1736107

 

[HondaHarry]

So I went ahead and got the orange o-ring as noted in the TSB and identified in this thread. I also got a new reservoir.
I suspect the filter at the bottom is all gummed up and starving the pump when cold. When the ambient temps are warm, there is no noise, and likewise when the car warms up in cold weather.
So I'm going to just swap those two things to start.
I found a nice straightforward video:

After installation and refill, he's suggesting turning the wheel lock-to-lock before starting the car. Does that sound right?
Cheers

 

[Nail Grease]

So I went ahead and got the orange o-ring as noted in the TSB and identified in this thread. I also got a new reservoir.
I suspect the filter at the bottom is all gummed up and starving the pump when cold. When the ambient temps are warm, there is no noise, and likewise when the car warms up in cold weather.
So I'm going to just swap those two things to start.
I found a nice straightforward video:

After installation and refill, he's suggesting turning the wheel lock-to-lock before starting the car. Does that sound right?
Cheers

Post #54 has a link on how to do the fluid flush or air purge.

 

[HondaHarry]

I read that, and it was helpful conceptually. But I'm not flushing the system per se, am I? I'm pinching off/ capping the two hoses and swapping the reservoir, not trying to squirt fluid out of the return line. Should I still turn the wheel lock-to-lock after filling the new reservoir, without starting the engine, as advised? Can't hurt i suppose.
I appreciate your continued patience with an amateur wrencher like myself...
Cheers

 

[Nail Grease]

I read that, and it was helpful conceptually. But I'm not flushing the system per se, am I? I'm pinching off/ capping the two hoses and swapping the reservoir, not trying to squirt fluid out of the return line. Should I still turn the wheel lock-to-lock after filling the new reservoir, without starting the engine, as advised? Can't hurt i suppose.
I appreciate your continued patience with an amateur wrencher like myself...
Cheers

Sorry , yes, the concept of turning the steering wheel lock to lock with wheels off the ground to prevent air from entering the system or introducing air is the same. After installing new reservoir, fill, (engine off) turn steering wheel lock to lock to remove air.

 

[mknmike]

Glad to see this thread got revived. My daughter complained of groaning, and sure enough the PS was frothy. I grabbed the unopened bottle I had o-rings for my ridgeline taped to and outed some in. Groaning went away. Looked a little like the high pressure side of mine might be leaking. I observed a little wiggle in the low side too, but I recall that never feeling real tight when doing this job before.

I guess I will be back if the groaning comes back. How many years has this been? Edit: only 2 years. Weak. Must be something other than o-ring. Maybe clamps and low side hose need replacement or something else.

 

[HondaHarry]

Hey fellas... I replaced the reservoir a few weeks ago but the whine has returned. I got a 10-pack of the O-rings from HondaPartsNow when I got the reservoir but wanted to start with the easier job.
It was pretty sunny and warm today so I figured I'd try to replace the O-ring. There is very little clearance behind the bolt holding the casting to the pump. Any socket and swivel adapter combo I own bumps into the timing belt cover. The pump pulley gets in the way of a box wrench.
In the video linked above:

The guy has a slick little swivel tool, but he did not put any info about it in his comments.
Anyone have a source for a swivel that works? Obviously I can go down a rabbit hole on the internet or at Harbor Freight... just figured I'd ask.
Cheers