sunnyboy
New Member
Hello,
Just in case anyone else has a similiar problem here is my fix. Noticed the 2000 Accord was leaking Power Steering fluid and it was from the cooler pipe circuit that runs in front of the car radiator, circuit is exposed to the elements and it was totally rotten, leaking in two places. Dealer said new pipe circuit was not available and if it was it was at least £200 and that made car a write off. I was not in a position to get and bend steel pipe to make a new circuit, and as my last car only went to scrap with 290,000 miles on (and the Accord has only done 140,000 ) then it was time to think smarter. This job was all done outside with only access to ordinary tools, trolley jack, ramps etc
To expose PS circuit it I took passenger side front wheel off, then engine undertray off and then front bumper. At each side of the car under the wheel arch there is a self tapping bolt, then various fixings along top and as part of undertray. You can get at the other self tapping bolt without taking off the drivers side wheel
PS pipe circuit runs from bottom of PS reservoir around corner of Rad along infront of Rad, pipe from reserviour is TOP pipe, then in a loop in front of Rad, round edge of Rad futher down and BOTTOM pipe goes under car to steering gear. You can see all of this with front bumper off and wheel off. Got the Dremel and cut the BOTTOM pipe about half way along just before the bracket well past any corrosion, PS oil did spray out, but I had wedged a rag above cut to help with this. Then cut this pipe again where it came around corner of Rad to form BOTTOM of pipe circuit.
Then cut the TOP pipe where it was horizontal from PS fluid reservior, what with leaking and other cuts there was hardly any fluid in now. The pipe circuit is held on with clips and I deliberately left the old (now cut) circuit in place. Cleaned the cut end of BOTTOM pipe which went to steering gear and TOP pipe which went to reservioir with a flat and round small files and then used kitchen towel forced about 2/3 inches inside with round file to make sure no debris left in old pipe. So we have a steel pipe from the steering gear and a piece of pipe from the reserviour with a gap of bugger all between.
My local motoring shop supplied hydraulic hose, new fluid, clamps and zip ties, - to get the new hose to go over the old pipe boil a kettle and put the end of the hose in it for 5 mins, then with the usual swearing and grunting work it on. I put two clamps on this BOTTOM pipe (which was going to the steering) and made sure they were tight. Loosely Zip tied the hose in place Then threaded hose back around side of Rad and used what remained of the rotton steel PS pipe circuit in front of Rad to support the hose, worked it in the same pattern, loosely zip tying it to the old PS pipe, then cut the hose to length, boiled the kettle as described, (wife going mad) and grunting and swearing away worked the hose onto the pipe which went to the reservior. Again two clamps and they were tight. So that was the new circuit, pipe from steering to hose, hose to pipe from reserviour
Left the bumper off, jacked up the front so both wheels were off the ground, filled the reservior with new fluid, left the cap off and (THIS BIT IS CRUCIAL) without the engine on turned the wheels lock to lock at least 20 times, this gets all the air out, you can hear it and the fluid level will drop, after each top up of PS fluid turn those wheels lock to lock 20 times until the fluid doesnt move.
I then turned on the engine still with the cap off the reservior, the pump groaned a bit and some final air came through into the reservior but then silence, checked for leaks at the clamped ends, put the cap on the reservior, waited and watched - no leaks. Engine off, tightened up all zip ties, reassembled car, took a careful local drive, all OK.
For the next 10 days I parked the car every night over an old sheet checked that and PS fluid level before driving off in morning, checked PS fluid level every night before driving home from work. No leaks no problems
Voila one new PS pipe circuit, total cost £15- £20 inc new fluid, and one day out on the drive, freezing cos I am a tight git = not having to buy a new car. Hope this helps someone else. My next post will be asking for your help with a new problem of mine, same car.
Just in case anyone else has a similiar problem here is my fix. Noticed the 2000 Accord was leaking Power Steering fluid and it was from the cooler pipe circuit that runs in front of the car radiator, circuit is exposed to the elements and it was totally rotten, leaking in two places. Dealer said new pipe circuit was not available and if it was it was at least £200 and that made car a write off. I was not in a position to get and bend steel pipe to make a new circuit, and as my last car only went to scrap with 290,000 miles on (and the Accord has only done 140,000 ) then it was time to think smarter. This job was all done outside with only access to ordinary tools, trolley jack, ramps etc
To expose PS circuit it I took passenger side front wheel off, then engine undertray off and then front bumper. At each side of the car under the wheel arch there is a self tapping bolt, then various fixings along top and as part of undertray. You can get at the other self tapping bolt without taking off the drivers side wheel
PS pipe circuit runs from bottom of PS reservoir around corner of Rad along infront of Rad, pipe from reserviour is TOP pipe, then in a loop in front of Rad, round edge of Rad futher down and BOTTOM pipe goes under car to steering gear. You can see all of this with front bumper off and wheel off. Got the Dremel and cut the BOTTOM pipe about half way along just before the bracket well past any corrosion, PS oil did spray out, but I had wedged a rag above cut to help with this. Then cut this pipe again where it came around corner of Rad to form BOTTOM of pipe circuit.
Then cut the TOP pipe where it was horizontal from PS fluid reservior, what with leaking and other cuts there was hardly any fluid in now. The pipe circuit is held on with clips and I deliberately left the old (now cut) circuit in place. Cleaned the cut end of BOTTOM pipe which went to steering gear and TOP pipe which went to reservioir with a flat and round small files and then used kitchen towel forced about 2/3 inches inside with round file to make sure no debris left in old pipe. So we have a steel pipe from the steering gear and a piece of pipe from the reserviour with a gap of bugger all between.
My local motoring shop supplied hydraulic hose, new fluid, clamps and zip ties, - to get the new hose to go over the old pipe boil a kettle and put the end of the hose in it for 5 mins, then with the usual swearing and grunting work it on. I put two clamps on this BOTTOM pipe (which was going to the steering) and made sure they were tight. Loosely Zip tied the hose in place Then threaded hose back around side of Rad and used what remained of the rotton steel PS pipe circuit in front of Rad to support the hose, worked it in the same pattern, loosely zip tying it to the old PS pipe, then cut the hose to length, boiled the kettle as described, (wife going mad) and grunting and swearing away worked the hose onto the pipe which went to the reservior. Again two clamps and they were tight. So that was the new circuit, pipe from steering to hose, hose to pipe from reserviour
Left the bumper off, jacked up the front so both wheels were off the ground, filled the reservior with new fluid, left the cap off and (THIS BIT IS CRUCIAL) without the engine on turned the wheels lock to lock at least 20 times, this gets all the air out, you can hear it and the fluid level will drop, after each top up of PS fluid turn those wheels lock to lock 20 times until the fluid doesnt move.
I then turned on the engine still with the cap off the reservior, the pump groaned a bit and some final air came through into the reservior but then silence, checked for leaks at the clamped ends, put the cap on the reservior, waited and watched - no leaks. Engine off, tightened up all zip ties, reassembled car, took a careful local drive, all OK.
For the next 10 days I parked the car every night over an old sheet checked that and PS fluid level before driving off in morning, checked PS fluid level every night before driving home from work. No leaks no problems
Voila one new PS pipe circuit, total cost £15- £20 inc new fluid, and one day out on the drive, freezing cos I am a tight git = not having to buy a new car. Hope this helps someone else. My next post will be asking for your help with a new problem of mine, same car.