Did self Power Steering Flush...geeeez
12-12-2004, 02:05 PM
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Did self Power Steering Flush...geeeez
Ok, thought I'd save a few bucks and do it myself. Wow, what a mess, but it was fun because I like working on my cars!
Basically, I searched H/A net and found a quick post on how to do it. Here's what I did in case anyone is getting ready to do this. I bought this car to be my commuter (135 miles a day round trip). The previous owner I don't believe ever changed the fluid because it looked darker than motor oil!!! Ok here goes.
process time (for me w/fiance's help) 25-35 min.
1. Got the car raised in the front to relieve the stress to the p/s system. I used the factory jack and a seperate two ton jack. Each jack behind the front wheels on the jack point.
2. Unhooked the black hose connecting from the bottom of reservoir to the pump. It has the spring clamp where it hooks to the pump. Be advised, if you don't have towels ready, it will start leaking on you when you pull off the hose. It will leak from the hose and from where it hooks to the pump.
3. Rigged up some plastic tubing to connect to the black hose I just removed from the pump that led to a bucket which sat under the car to collect the sludge.
4. Used some extra hose to connect from the pump (where the black hose connects to) and had a empty water bottle ready just in case some fluid spit out of there, which it did, not hardly any though.
5. Had three bottles of Honda P/S fluid ready and opened to put in during the flush process.
6. Had my fiance start the car while I watched and added fluid. Fluid immediately begins to run out into the bucket. The extra air kind of forced fluid out of the top of the reservoir, so by having a towel covering it when you first start the car will help, damn, wish I knew that.
7. The fluid begins to drain out as my fiance turned the steering wheel left to right, right to left, etc.
8. Then, I added some new fluid to the reservoir, but no fluid came out. Had her shut off the car and let it sit for a minute. Then, the fluid began to run into the bucket again while the car was off as pressure changed. So, I repeated step 7 a few times. Start the car, turn the wheel, etc.
9. After the fluid coming out of the bottom of the hose in the bucket was the same color as the new fluid, I stopped the procedure. Did this about 3 times or so.
10. IMPORTANT! After you connect the black hose back to the pump, start the car and let it run for a minute or so. For me, the fluid quickly drained into the system and left the resorvoir empty! I unfortunately didn't realize that. So, when the car was lowered back down I went to turn the wheel and it was like trying to turn a semi truck with no power steering. I feared the worst that I f'ed up my steering pump. So, I went back, looked at the reservoir and it was empty..even though it was 100% full when I hooked up the pump prior to starting. So, I then added a pint of fluid topping the reservoir back off. Starting the car again, let it run and the steering wheel moved way more easily than before I started the flush procedure, much to my satisfaction. So now, a few spots on the garage floor later and a quick trip to the car wash to wash the wasted fluid away that I spilled in the engine bay, the car is now flushed of the nasty YooHoo power steering fluid.
I wanted to share my story and hope to help out someone else here.
I may or may not have done this correctly or in the right order, but, the nasty fluid is gone, fresh fluid is in, no leaks now a day later and the steering works better than before.
I did this on a 92 Accord EX 5spd by the way.
Cjitty
Basically, I searched H/A net and found a quick post on how to do it. Here's what I did in case anyone is getting ready to do this. I bought this car to be my commuter (135 miles a day round trip). The previous owner I don't believe ever changed the fluid because it looked darker than motor oil!!! Ok here goes.
process time (for me w/fiance's help) 25-35 min.
1. Got the car raised in the front to relieve the stress to the p/s system. I used the factory jack and a seperate two ton jack. Each jack behind the front wheels on the jack point.
2. Unhooked the black hose connecting from the bottom of reservoir to the pump. It has the spring clamp where it hooks to the pump. Be advised, if you don't have towels ready, it will start leaking on you when you pull off the hose. It will leak from the hose and from where it hooks to the pump.
3. Rigged up some plastic tubing to connect to the black hose I just removed from the pump that led to a bucket which sat under the car to collect the sludge.
4. Used some extra hose to connect from the pump (where the black hose connects to) and had a empty water bottle ready just in case some fluid spit out of there, which it did, not hardly any though.
5. Had three bottles of Honda P/S fluid ready and opened to put in during the flush process.
6. Had my fiance start the car while I watched and added fluid. Fluid immediately begins to run out into the bucket. The extra air kind of forced fluid out of the top of the reservoir, so by having a towel covering it when you first start the car will help, damn, wish I knew that.
7. The fluid begins to drain out as my fiance turned the steering wheel left to right, right to left, etc.
8. Then, I added some new fluid to the reservoir, but no fluid came out. Had her shut off the car and let it sit for a minute. Then, the fluid began to run into the bucket again while the car was off as pressure changed. So, I repeated step 7 a few times. Start the car, turn the wheel, etc.
9. After the fluid coming out of the bottom of the hose in the bucket was the same color as the new fluid, I stopped the procedure. Did this about 3 times or so.
10. IMPORTANT! After you connect the black hose back to the pump, start the car and let it run for a minute or so. For me, the fluid quickly drained into the system and left the resorvoir empty! I unfortunately didn't realize that. So, when the car was lowered back down I went to turn the wheel and it was like trying to turn a semi truck with no power steering. I feared the worst that I f'ed up my steering pump. So, I went back, looked at the reservoir and it was empty..even though it was 100% full when I hooked up the pump prior to starting. So, I then added a pint of fluid topping the reservoir back off. Starting the car again, let it run and the steering wheel moved way more easily than before I started the flush procedure, much to my satisfaction. So now, a few spots on the garage floor later and a quick trip to the car wash to wash the wasted fluid away that I spilled in the engine bay, the car is now flushed of the nasty YooHoo power steering fluid.
I wanted to share my story and hope to help out someone else here.
I may or may not have done this correctly or in the right order, but, the nasty fluid is gone, fresh fluid is in, no leaks now a day later and the steering works better than before.
I did this on a 92 Accord EX 5spd by the way.
Cjitty
12-13-2004, 05:03 AM
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good writeup! im at 100K miles and when i took my car to get the ignition recall they said i needed to do a PS flush soon, it was getting pretty bad they said... and im 99.9% sure i never did that sort of maintenance
12-13-2004, 06:04 AM
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Well, I bought the car from a coworker last January and after looking at all the maintenance receipts, I never saw anything about the fluid being flushed. I had my car at Honda to do a valve adjustment service and they recommended the change. I took a sample of my fluid and looked at a bottle of new fluid and I knew that the crap in my system looked like it was supposed to be in the engine :-) So, I changed it. I don't honestly know what the recommended interval is, but the car has 159K miles on it. So I guess I will change out probably every 100K or so, depending on how dirty it gets. I'll take a look at my maintenace book to figure out how often.
The steering feels better by the way. Easier to turn the wheel now. But for some reason, my damn check engine light came on this morning. Not sure if that's related to the flush or just coincidence. Now I got another issue to tackle this weekend. I hope it's just the O2 sensor or something simple like that.
The steering feels better by the way. Easier to turn the wheel now. But for some reason, my damn check engine light came on this morning. Not sure if that's related to the flush or just coincidence. Now I got another issue to tackle this weekend. I hope it's just the O2 sensor or something simple like that.
12-13-2004, 01:39 PM
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Originally Posted by strykernyc
how often are u supposed to change the power fluid?
