In 2003 Honda introduced the new Accord with classically elegant lines and a few new upgrades to the interior. A new power steering rack and power steering pump were just a few of the updates. The car was a sales success selling hundreds of thousands of units but with great success comes great responsibility. When the accord begun to develop a steering moan on cold starts Honda was scrambling to find a solution that would not break the bank.
The solution came in the form of a 30 cent O-ring and about 15 minutes worth of work. The fix is simple and as elegant as the car itself. What causes the moan is air that has slipped into the system while cold and it creates bubbles or foam in the steering reservoir which will cause the pump to moan due to the added stress. The noise tends to go away once the fluid has warmed up but still the response "it's just noise" was not good enough for owners.
The process for fixing the issue is simple and will be covered in most cases by the deals but the owner must ask for consideration before beginning of the install. When the repair is performed the first step is to remove the inlet joint bolt and place a shop towel under it to catch leaks. Twist the inlet joint back and forth until loose and carefully disconnect the joint. Point the tube upward and remove the old inlet joint O-ring. Now apply power steering fluid to the new O-ring and with the new O-ring in place re-install the inlet joint. torque the bolt to 8ft-lbs and top off the power steering fluid as needed.
With this simple 15 minute install the moan will stop and no longer be problem, in the case that the noise continues check the levels of the steering fluid. The system may need to be bled to remove excess air that may have entered the system. If all the air is bled out and the system still moans you may actually have a failing steering pump and it is time for a more major repair.
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