[Nail Grease]

Sure thing.

What is does now is make a "moan" when the steering is turned after the car has been driven 30 minutes or so but not a loud grating noise. However, when I get home and back in, up a 75 foot driveway, with a between 8 & 15 degree grade (not sure, it's a bit steep though), that's when it starts making the loud grating noise when I turn the wheels oddly enough, every single time (no frothing though as I checked but just absolutely filthy fluid).

If there is no evidence of fluid leaking in the hoses, connections and steering rack. With the O-ring replacements and fresh fluid, hopefully this will resolve the issue.

 

[john-john]

If there is no evidence of fluid leaking in the hoses, connections and steering rack. With the O-ring replacements and fresh fluid, hopefully this will resolve the issue.

No evidence of leaks, the whole engine area is very dry thankfully. Well, except the windshield washer fluid reservoir drains instantly when I add fluid. The O-Rings are next if the fluid change doesn't remedy the problem (the car sat 6 years except for 1 month 4 1/2 years ago when it was stolen).

 

[road2cycle]

It will be interesting how the PS system handles the Prestone fluid. I think one person on the forum used it with success.

 

[john-john]

It will be interesting how the PS system handles the Prestone fluid. I think one person on the forum used it with success.

I saw that post too. It should be pretty easy to tell when I back up the driveway after the change. The car still steers easily now but does make the grating noise backing up the driveway but remains easy to steer backing up regardless.

 

[john-john]

OK, well I have no jack stands, ramps, trolley jack, and what-not and not enough money to buy all that anytime soon, so I did the horse-syringe method of emptying the PSF reservoir and as luck would have it that helped me figure out the grinding sort of sound coming from my power steering. I only had money for 3 12 oz bottles of the Prestone Full Synthetic PSF for Asian Vehicles. Honda is listed.

The horse syringe is 550 mL, and on the 1st emptying of the PSF reservoir I only got 200 mL out. That's only 6 oz of PSF. The reservoir is supposed to hold 12 oz. The engine area was dry as a bone, but the PSF I drew out was so filthy as to be darker than Coca-Cola. The power steering moaning was happening going down hills and with steering or backing up a hill with a sufficient grade such that the PSF flowed to the front of the reservoir and the outtake line couldn't draw in enough fluid. Once I filled the reservoir to the full 12 oz all that stopped immediately.

So basically, the last 3 days I've drained the reservoir completely but only manage to get out 350 mL because the other 50 mL (400 mL is about 12 oz) I can't get suctioned out as it's too shallow and add in a new bottle of 12 oz Prestone PSF synthetic for Asian vehicles. After the 2nd bottle the fluid draw is still filthy. I'll let you know if it starts getting clear when I have the money for the other 3 bottles. The new PSF is the lightest pale yellow.

Because there was no PSF leak that means that missing 6 oz of old PSF was because of oxidation which is why it was so dark colored. It also means that the viscosity was much denser than normal, although still thin. It wasn't like syrup or anything. The whole ideal of me using the synthetic PSF is a more stable viscosity at high and low temperatures and much reduced oxidation. If I weren't to change the fluid or check the fluid for a very long time again, all other things being equal, the amount of "lost PSF to oxidation / viscosity increases" this time would be much less then 6 oz or so I'm led to believe. 6 oz is actually quite a lot when only 36 oz are available.

So basically, now my car has about 25.4 oz new and 10.7 oz old PSF which works out about to the 70% new 30% old ratio.

I'll be doing the other 3 bottles probably in November.

 

[Jazzer]

I have a well-maintained 04 Pilot with 208K on it and it runs like new. But it started having PS whine at startup on cold mornings. Research zero'd in on the two O-rings on the feed hose mount that goes to the pump. They get old, dry, and shrink, allowing air to leak, which in turn causes the "singing" and clatter noise until the car warms up and heat expands the rings back to a good seal. Rather than replace the rings (which is the job from hell trying to get that one bolt out under and behind the pump pully), I simply poured a 1/3 cup of Blue Devil Stop Leak into the PS fluid reservoir. Ran it around town for a half hour, then let it sit overnight. Next morning, it was cold, and I started the car. Totally quiet. No singing. No clatter. Perfectly silent. The stop leak reconditions/restores flexibility and swells the rings back to their original spec. I ran it with the stop leak for two days, and just changed the fluid out via the turkey baster method. I will drive it for a week, and then do the drain and replace again to make sure all the Stop Leak is out of the system. Cost? $20 for the Blue Devil. Use Blue Devil if you do this because it has NO petroleum distillates in it that attack rubber and neoprene. So it won't hurt gaskets, seals or anything in the PS mechanism.

 

[plplplpl]

Rather than replace the rings (which is the job from hell trying to get that one bolt out under and behind the pump pully), I simply poured a 1/3 cup of Blue Devil Stop Leak into the PS fluid reservoir.

Use Blue Devil if you do this because it has NO petroleum distillates in it that attack rubber and neoprene.

I had the same good luck on my daughter's 2007 PS pump with AT-205, which is a polymer with no petroleum distillates. It's not that the o-ring (you usually only need the one new and improved orange one) is expensive at 37¢, but it's the knuckle scaping you save on.

More Information for ATP AT205


Update in a while on how well your fix lasts.