Not suppose to have the motor running higher chance of running the pump dry for to long and killing it. So you either killed it or you have air in the pump. Suppose to get the tires off the ground/motor off and do it that way. That way the movement in the rack flushes the fluid through


But... if you have air trapped..get the wheels off the ground and sit there and turn the wheels left and right at a quick pace to try and push the bubbles out. Could take a little while but if it doesn't get better you might be looking at a new pump.

 

Mine did that 2 years ago. I used an aftermarket additive from LUCAS. (White bottle with mostly blue lettering).
You can find it at most auto stores, I just happen to have been at advance auto.
No flushing just replacement and I have not had a problem since.

 

Yeah, I would try patience & the lock-to-lock method to get the air out.... BUT, if you are looking at replacing the pump anyway, I'd go with Crazyx2's suggestion & dump some aftermarket conditioner in there to see if you get lucky. It wouldn't be the first time that a fix-in-a-bottle worked on something.
It can't hurt once you're at the point of tossing the pump anyway.

Good Luck.

 

I did that flush a year ago, it screamed a little and the fluid was not clear (lots of air bubbles) just did a lock to lock with the steering wheel, held it in the lock for a few seconds then it quieted down.

 

Thanks for the replies. I've completely flushed the system and replaced the reservoir but the whine that sounds like a supercharger is still there.

Does it sound like the next step is to replace the o-ring as air may be leaking in?

 

Definitely do that (cheap part)... you should have done that when you changed out the reservoir. But I doubt seriously that is your problem.

 

I think we need to establish that in fact, the PS pump is creating the whine. Are you absolutely, positively sure it's the PS pump?

 

Had a mechanic take a quick look at it and he used the "stethoscope" to pinpoint where the noise was coming from so I am pretty sure it is the power steering.

With that said, my AC does not work so any chance he was wrong and it is the AC compressor? It sure sounds like it is coming from the PS pump to my untrained ear.

On another note, I changed the O-ring with no improvement in the whine.

 

It the steering jerky at all, that would indicate air in the system? How about removing the accessory belt and spinning each components cog by hand? That may help single out which one is making the noise. Also with the belt off, start the truck and see if the noise is still there, that will help narrow down that the noise is coming from something driven by that belt. (No worries, the water pump is driven off the timing belt).

 

Have you gotten the front tires off the ground and done lock to lock yet?

 

You mean to get all the old fluid out?

I pulled off the return line and ran the engine a few seconds to get the fluid out but I may not have done as good as I should going lock to lock during the flush. The new fluid in the reservoir looks fairly clear so not sure if it needs to be flushed again.

 

My p/s pump has been making noises since it was replaced after the new rack and pinion blew a seal after the original was replaced due to a leak. It's been quite irritating. I haven't tried lifting the front to do the lock-to-lock procedure. Sounds like something to do this weekend and maybe try some Lucas p/s stuff.

 

Can anyone verify the color of the PS pump inlet and outlet high and low pressure O-rings? Low pressure red, high pressure black? Thanks in advance

 

Negative on the o-rings as far as colors go but sizes are listed below.. Did you do the flush because it was screaming or did it start screaming afterwards? If you can have the truck down for a weekend I would try and rebuild the OEM. It is super easy.


high pressure o-ring outlet (O-RING (14.4X1.9))

O ring for the feed hose inlet to the pump O-RING (13.0X1.9

 

I just bought the Ridgeline and it was screaming when I bought it so it is definitely not a situation where the pump was fine, then after flushing it I let air in it and it's now loud. I don't see any foaming in the reservoir. Starting to think the bearing is bad on the pump. As far as function it works perfectly fine, just loud as hell!

It is a second vehicle so I could have it down for days without issue. You have a link to the rebuild kit and any other guidance?

Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated!

 

Can anyone recommend a replacement power steering pump? Stick with OEM or does Napa, Pep boys, Autozone etc make a quality aftermarket replacement?

Thanks in advance.

 

Sorry for not getting back.

Honda for the rebuild parts if you wanted to do that route. Would be cool if you took yours apart if you were so inclined and post pictures. If there is any obvious failure.

If you wanted to just swap it in and out I would go to napa. In my 20 ish years of working on cars and my dads 50 ish....I havent had a napa part abnormally fail on me.


Here is a link to the breakdown

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...atcgry2=2006&catcgry3=4DR+RT&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=P.S.+PUMP+-+BRACKET+(-+11)

11
12
13
14
15
16
17
is all the parts you would need to do a basic rebuild

 

Thanks. I may just go the NAPA route. I'm afraid if I tried the rebuild, I would run into problems where I need a tool I don't have.

I've tried everything so I guess it needs a new pump although it works fine other than the very loud noise. I may go to the dealer to get something like an alignment done and see if they confirm it needs a new pump.

 

Yea napa route might be easier. But I still think you should take yours apart before you turn it in as a core haha. Im curious.
And I do agree on the take it into honda part as well. Just to be 100%.

 

i did the lucas oil too. it took a few fill ups and driving,then add more. after about 5 trips it went silent. no problems or noises for 6 months now. this was on a oldsmobile(daughters). just wanted to give you another vote for lucas and maybe try it a little longer before punting. good luck

 

I am not impressed just because it's a Honda OEM part. Local Honda dealer replaced the PS pump on my 2003 Accord at a, as expected, premium price. 2000 miles and 13 months later (i.e. 1 month out of warranty), the pump failed, and the dealer refused to return three calls I made to them. Surely, a new Honda PS pump should last more then 2000 miles... well maybe not. I then had a trusted independent mechanic replace the PS pump at a significantly lower cost, and THAT pump has a lifetime warranty. Guess where I'm taking my Accord and Ridgeline in the future?

 

My 2014 Ridgeline P.S. pump started whining at 18,000 miles. Since then I've changed the P.S. pump twice, changed the P.S. fluid 4 times and completely filled it using Lucas P.S. fluid on the 4th flush, replaced the P.S. fluid reservoir bottle and cap, the inlet & outlet O-rings, the return hose, the idler pulley and the serpentine belt and it's still whining.
FYI, The O-ring fix that's out there is only for the 2006-2011 Ridgelines, I just checked and it seems Honda uses a different power steering pump on the 2012-2014 Ridgelines which explains the different O-rings size used on the power steering pump inlet joint. The power steering O-ring size for the 2012-2014 Ridgelines is (14.8X1.9) Part# 91345-R70-P01. The O-ring size for the 2005-2011 Ridgelines is (13.0X1.9) Part# 91345-RDA-A01 which is the same size O-ring & Part# on the 2005 Accord TBS#07-086. So the accord TBS does not pertain to the 2012-2014 Ridgelines. I also noticed the power steering pump diagram for the 2012-2014 Ridgelines shows that it has a lot more internal O-rings which could wear out causing more air leaking problems. I guess that's why it's not being used on the G2 Ridgelines.
Has anybody with a 2012-2014 Ridgeline been able to find a successful remedy for the whining power steering pump besides the ones I've already tried with no avail?
P.S. Besides the whining noise, the P.S. seems to be working fine.

 

I believe the G2 RL has electric power steering.

My question to you: was all this work done under warranty?

 

My 07 RT with 142k miles sounds very much like Katrina's Ridge. I've cleaned my PS reservoir, did a partial fluid change,replaced both o-rings, but I still get a whine.

In the cold mornings, my PS pump whines as well, but everything works fine. The whine is pretty loud, but I can't hear it from inside the car. By the time I get to work the whine quiets down.
If it's below 20*, then my PS growls within the first minute of driving. I don't plan on replacing my PS pump as long as it drives the way it's going.

FWIW, my PS whine and "growl" only happened recently in the cold weather.

I'll work on taking a video for anybody interested in hearing the whine.

 

The two P.S. pumps and idler arm pulley were the only items replaced under warranty. The other parts were replaced by me, because after the 4th time bringing it to Honda to try to fix it, the service manager said he didn't know what else he could to fix the problem and was not going to replace any more parts to try to remedy the problem. Nice how they stand behind their product........

 

The two P.S. pumps and idler arm pulley were the only items replaced under warranty. The other parts were replaced by me, because after the 4th time bringing it to Honda to try to fix it, the service manager said he didn't know what else he could do to fix the problem and wasn't going to replace any more parts to remedy the problem. Nice how they stand behind their product........

The whine get's louder when I turn the steering wheel and yes, it can be heard from inside the truck as well. I suggested to the Honda service manager if he would replace the two P.S. lines coming from the P.S. pump and or the rack and pinion and like I stated before, he said he was not going to replace anything else. Since then, my Ridgeline's warranty has expired (not that it did me any good having it) and I tried reaching out to American Honda and all they did was give me the run around for 6 weeks, to finally say to me, they couldn't do anything because all Honda Stealers are independently owned, REALLY!!!
I had the opportunity to talk to one of the Honda techs working on my Ridgeline who said to me, this is a common problem with the Ridgelines because the P.S. pumps used were poorly made, but I couldn't repeat that conversation to his service mananger in fear the tech would lose his job because he was the only honest person there. I tried taking it to other Honda Stealer's who did nothing and just said either they couldn't hear it, or that it was a normal characteristic of the vehicle, the same B.S. they all say when they don't want to fix something under warranty.
FYI, I tried to upload the video I took of the whining noise I'm referring to, but it didn't allow me to upload it, because it doesn't accept m4v video formats, so instead here's a youtube video link of someone else's P.S. pump making the same exact whining noise mine makes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBo53WSzAGw&feature=youtu.be

 

It would still be good to get a clearer description of what, how loud, and when the whining noise occurs.

If it is related to the power steering then the remaining area of concern would be the rack itself. This is an expensive part that is time consuming to replace. If you have a record of the original issue occurring during warranty then you should have a good case for having the problem corrected under warranty.

If you are having issues with a particular dealer then perhaps you should take it to another? You should be able to get your previous service records if you don't have them on hand. You can also get Honda themselves involved if you haven't already. The dealership and Honda are two different things.

Good luck!

 

At the risk of making you repeat yourself, or taking a step backwards, have you confirmed that the whine is actually coming from the pump? I see mention of a tensioner pulley change, is it possible that another pulley, or the replacement, is the source of the noise?
After two pump replacements, you'd like to think (hope?) the pump would no longer be the issue.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

I used a poor man's stethoscope (Long Screw Driver) and placed it against the P.S. pump and the screw driver handle, up against my ear and I can really hear the pump screaming away. Also, every time I replaced the P.S. fluid, it would be quite for the 1st few minutes when I would start up the truck before the whining would return, so that rules out the tensioner pulley, since the noise isn't instant after the fluid change. To me, the whine sounds like the P.S. pump is taking in air, but Honda nor I found were able to find any leaks. I looked at the P.S. diagram in the Honda shop manual and it shows the P.S. pump with multiple internal O-rings that could be leaking internally. But like I mentioned earlier, the pump has been changed twice by Honda. Could both P.S. pumps been faulty or is it just a manufacturing defect that made itself present after 18,000 miles?
The P.S. system diagram also shows the system runs to a P.S. cooler and the other end to the rack and pinion system. I don't think it's the lines coming from the P.S. since they're bone dry with no leaks as well as the rack and pinion. As mentioned earlier, this perticular pump was only used on the 2012-2014 Ridgeline's and then the geniuses at Honda did away with it and went with the electronic steering system on the G2's. I don't want to get rid of my Ridgeline as the solution to this problem, because I know there's a solution out there. And I know I'm not alone with this issue.
I had a 2006 Ridgeline before this one and it was plagued with issues, that I was able to resolve myself, which Honda was never able to fix, so I don't want to let this one go, without resolving it. Any solutions or logical suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Your engine bay is very clean!

But that whine.... Was the rpm fluctuating? It sure sounded like it. That is also an anomaly and shouldn't be doing that.

 

Thanks for the compliment regarding the cleanliness of my engine bay. I'm not a fan of working on filthy engines. Been there, done that.
Also, the fluctuating sound you are referring to on my video is being caused from someone turning the steering wheel side to side in order to amplify the whining sound. Since the whine gets louder when added pressure is applied from the steering wheel being turned, that leads me to believe the issue is with the power steering pump or an internal O-ring from the Rack and pinion. I've studied the shop manual and the only other parts I see is the cooler and the rack and pinion and I'm not planing on replacing either one of them having only 25,000 miles on it.
I've also read somewhere, if the rack and pinion is not aligned correctly, it could cause fluid restriction to the pump causing it to whine.
Like I said I want to resolve this myself because every time I've brought it in to Honda to be fixed, all I've gotten is a bunch of B.S. excuses. My favorite is, "I can't hear the whining noise," Really???
I'm waiting to receive the MityVac in the mail to give the pressure bleeding method a try.

 

One easy thing to try is spraying some water (spray bottle) on the accessory belt while the engine is running. If it is a belt / pulley then it should change / eliminate the noise briefly.

A bit more involved would be to remove the belt entirely and run the engine briefly to see if the noise is gone. It should be if its related to the power steering system (or alternator for that matter).

None of these tests should cost a DIY person anything and would be a way to confirm that it is related to the accessory belt system and its components (including the power steering system).

Honestly if the pump has already been replaced then that makes it very questionable that it is the source of the noise. . .

Is it air leaking into the system through one of the hose connections? If it is a high pressure line then it would be leaking fluid not sucking in air. That leaves the feed side of the pump; basically the line between the reservoir and the pump. This is an easy replacement although it probably isn't super cheap.

Has the reservoir been changed. That's an easy and inexpensive swap that can sometimes solve whining issues due to fluid flow impedement. The built in strainer can't really be cleaned properly.

Was the pulley swapped over to a new pump? Perhaps the pulley is bad? If the pulley is bad the sound might change during a water spray test.

Was the proper PS fluid used? Dealer's can be idiots too.

Is it the rack itself?

Is it the alternator? I know you say the sound changes when the wheel is turned so this is unlikely but . . .

BTW, my 14 is nice and quiet at 30k miles. I haven't seen an epidemic of 12-14 owners reporting power steering problems on this forum.

PS: I reread your posts and saw that you replaced the fluid, reservoir and return line already. That leaves the ? as to the pulley on the pump, and the serp belt system (including tensioner). Try the water test.

 

Whining from engine compart? About a year ago my wife got in my RL for a short trip. As soon as we were up to highway speed she asked me what is that whining? I said there was no whining but stopped at the next opportunity. I listened carefully but heard nothing and she couldn't pinpoint where the noise was coming from. Next day I stop by the local Japanese auto repair and the technician couldn't hear the noise either. He got his stethoscope and almost immediately diagnosed the problem. It was the tension pulley for the serp belt. He replaced it and the serp belt. So I got rid of a whining noise that I never heard.

 

Your hours in the air have not been kind to your ears. I feel your pain! (and my family enjoys making fun of my high freq hearing loss).