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Hey everyone, just signed up to this forum, I plan on using it and maybe someday I could even offer a little help now and then.


First off, let me just say the car is not pulling, it can track perfectly straight. The problem seems to be (maybe) very slightly better after the ball joints were replaced on the drivers side, but the steering wheel does not reliably return to center. On bumpy roads it returns better than on smoother roads, and the harder the turn the better it will return, the problem is worse with small corrections, it will return most of the way but just not all the way. There are no noises coming from the pump, I don't think it feels stiff or anything, but I have been driving rack and pinion no power steering cars for seven years now so I may not notice a slight stiffness. My next thing I'm going to do is take it to get an alignment, maybe that will fix it, but if not, I was wondering if anyone familiar enough with these civics could tell me the most likely causes. I hope it's not the steering rack...

Here is the history of the car I know, it is a 98 dx with 170,000 miles I bought two weeks ago for 1,000 bucks, all four tires were worn down like slicks, two of them to the wires, needed door handles, hood latch, rear shoes and new springs, one of the rear hubs needed replaced, a rear brake line and hose, both wheel cylinders, and on the drivers side I have replaced the lower and upper ball joints including the upper control arm. Another thing to note, the car has a recently new cv axle on the drivers side, as well as a recently new outer tie rod on the passengers side. I checked the passengers side wheel, seems solid, however the upper ball joint may still be bad on that side, I noticed when I did the drivers lower ball joint first the wheel was solid even though the bad upper ball joint was still installed, so I may need to pop the passengers upper ball joint and check it too check unless you guys know a trick to it a better way. The passengers cv axle is missing a c clamp and the boot was slightly off, if it got dry enough in there could it make the steering stick a little? Front fenders are factory black as they have been replaced, nothing seems bent though, but I won't dismiss the possibility I'm just not noticing something.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 
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Jack up front of car
Pop apart the tie rod ends from the steering knuckles
Using your hands, make sure each front wheel is able to turn left and right freely without binding (checking for binding ball joints and/or strut cap bearings on cars with MacPherson struts)

If both are ok, then gently turn steering wheel and try to judge how tight the steering rack is.
If it's been hit in the front there's a pretty good chance the problem is in the rack.

 
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Well, I haven't popped the tie rods yet, but I have both front wheels off the ground, and the wheels are not hard for me to turn by hand at all, I don't feel any binding or anything, doesn't seem to be making any friction noises or anything either. I'm thinking that if binding was the issue it would be hard for me to turn the rack by hand, wouldn't it?
I did discover that the car was in a small accident though, there is some indentation under the radiator, that would explain the cracked bumper. I'm sure it was bad enough that the radiator needed replaced, but that is about it. Also looks like it probably happened a while ago.

I think I should go get an alignment and see how that goes, I'll keep in touch here.

 
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You know what, there is a slight noise now that I rechecked it, when the engine is off and you turn the wheel back and forth fast enough there is a slight sloshing noise, a fluid noise of some sort. Nothing is leaking though.

 
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I just put my ear to the power steering pump and there is a very slight hissing noise, think it could be the culprit?

 
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The PS pump will always make some noises, it is a hydraulic pump. If you had no power assist or weak assist at idle or the reservoir belches fluid out, then you can wonder about the pump.

Whipping the steering wheel fast...noise is probably also normal, most people don't do that while driving normally LOL

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On returning to center after a turn, that's primarily due to caster angle which is technically not adjustable (no adjustments provided by the manufacturer) on most of Hondas cars.

Drive a similar car or two (that have no complaint) for comparison before you decide yours has a problem.....It may be normal.

Alignment printout may or may not reveal the issue. Even if it does, it may not be easily correctable. Make sure to get a copy of the alignment printout for yourself and maybe post it here



Most of the time when we get a complaint similar to yours, it's because the rack is too tight or bent, it kinda sticks the steering wheel wherever you last put it. Makes the car difficult to keep in the middle of a lane, the steering wheel doesn't float in your fingertips as you try to make small corrections.

 
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I meant when I turned the wheel by hand fast enough, with the front end jacked up. But yea, the wheels are never going to turn that fast in a real world situation.
Anyway, I opened the power steering fluid cap and looked for bubbles, sure enough the were a few when I went lock to lock, not much, didn't go foamy or anything, but I turned the wheel lock to lock a couple dozen times until there were less bubbles, took it for a test drive and it does seem slightly snappier, I am starting to think it feels within the realm of normal now, just doesn't totally return to center if you barely nudge the wheel going in a straight line.
Getting the alignment done today, I'll let you know how it does, and I'll ask for the results.
May also flush the power steering, I have no idea what type of fluid is in there right now.

 
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Use PS fluid specifically designed for Honda/Acura (I've seen some in quart bottles at a local Oreilly auto parts), or get it right from a Honda dealer.

DO NOT use ATF or any "universal" fluid.

 
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I remember a cousin of mine had a Prelude (this is going a while back). He let me drive it once, almost went off the road after the first turn, the wheel wasn't returning to center as I was expecting. Then he said "Oh yeah, by the way you have to actively steer back to center after a turn with this car"

 
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No, it's definitely not that bad, it will return about 95% of the way at least. I think it is getting better, maybe that new ball joint I installed is starting to wear in, could have been too stiff or something? It was a cheap one after all, hope it lasts since it was stupidly hard to change, I don't know if the old one was pressed in dry or what but the puller did nothing, a large spiral flame torch and 1,000 hits with a large hammer is what it took to get the old one out. The cv axle boot on the passengers side wasn't being held on by anything, I stuffed the boot full of grease and zip tied it on

The price of alignments have gone up enough, can't do it right now, but I remember the last one I got done six years ago was like 30 bucks, now it is 60. I have already put several hundred into it since getting it, not including the title. I ran some string around the tires, they look pretty even, when I get my infrared thermometer back from my niece I can check tire temps for any unevenness (I think this would help). I'd honestly like to avoid doing an alignment unless I know it needs done, for all I know the car had it done already.
I will flush the power steering though, and yes I will make sure it is for honda cars.

 
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Whale-mart (fatties that shop there..including myself) has it: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Prestone-H...Fluid/20850664