hi i have a 2004 honda accord lx 4 cylinder. has about 120,000 miles and is automatic. so i just got my front struts, front sway link bars and front control arms changed, about 4 days ago. for the first 2 days everything was ok. but now for the past 3 days i hear a rattling sound but it seems to be coming from the drive belt or specifically in that area. now the mechanic said i still need spark plugs, and fluids refilled, im assuming that i should do a flush. but i was wondering with these suspension fixes could that have caused this sound? it came out of nowhere. when i came from the shop they said my drive belt was good. pretty reputable place too. so im just trying to figure out was it the suspension work that made this sound or did the belt just happen to go bad that quick even though they said it was good or could it be something else? please help...
So my mechanic said I need a new water pump. He put a screwdriver to the serpentine belt area and he said it was that. Just want to make sure that could be where the sound is coming from?
No it is not normal. It sounds like either you are low on fluid or your 18-year-old power steering pump is failing.
What kind of fluid? I changed the power steering pump last year, I'm sure it wasn't the greatest brand so it is possible it's gone bad again.
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That noise sounds like power steering pump or rack. Your fluids probably never been changed. You need to get something suck all the old fluid out. Turkey baster works if you don’t have a pump. Get out as much as you can from the reservoir, fill it back up with fresh and then go drive 4-5 miles on twisty roads where you can work steering good. Don’t have to be fast so turns all through neighborhood is fine. Then repeat the procedure, suck out as much as you can and then put in fresh. If it’s still really dirty looking when you suck it out the second time you can repeat the procedure a third time. See if that takes care of your noise.
i appreciate the advice, how many bottle should i buy if i was going to do it 2-3 times? and i thought you had to drain something from underneath too correct, like the hoses?
replace the tensioner
is an idler pulley the same thing?
no, but check that too. Take off the belt.
so after i take off the belt whats the next thing, i start up my engine and see if there is noise still?
yes. and check all the pulleys
I don’t know..maybe he’s right, maybe he isn’t.
Test it out yourself with your own long handle screwdriver like Scotty -
I was with him and he let me hear it too. There was a rattling sound and the pulley was a little loose. He's actually working on it right now haha. It looked and sounded exactly Ike this video 😅
If he gave you all the evidence, why are you still doubting his judgement?
Cause I'm an idiot sometimes and just like to double check
Of course it's safe to drive now in the old days when people didn't want to spend all that money replacing the rack they would just take the power steering belt off and then the pump wouldn't pump any fluid it would stop leaking of course you would not have power assist but the steering works perfectly fine it's just harder to turn. If you leave the belt on just keep adding fluid as it leaks out cuz if you run the fluid with just air it will destroy the pump
Hey thanks Scotty I wasn't sure if I had to sell it because of this issue which I don't have money to fix it at the moment
Who told you that you need a new rack? Why does it need to be replaced? Is it leaking? Loose internally?
Firestone told me this after they ran a diagnostic test. The guy said it's starting to leak
Sometimes when I start up my car it's superrrr hard to turn the wheel, after a little bit of driving it tends to go away buy from time to time it's a little stiff and also I hear a rattling sound a lot and i read that's the rack and pinion.
Is it low on fluid when you experience hard steering? How bad is the leak? Sounds like the rack may well be worn but you'll want to use a good independent mechanic to verify and do the work if actually needed and you don't want to tackle the job yourself. (It is best to stay away from Firestone and other chain shops as well as dealers. )
I know and I always get hit with more then I can handle, I'm thinking of selling the car even though it's a good car and just ride my bike to work til I can buy another one I just hate that I keep dropping so much money on things.
On most cars changing out the steering rack is a difficult and messy job, that's for sure. Hard to say if it's worth doing depending on what else is going on with that 18-year-old vehicle.
My personal mechanic usually charges me really cheap, but yeah might be better to junk it for a few hundred. Cause I also need motor mounts.
You should pinpoint the noise first. Remove the fan belt, if the noise is gone, you know that the belt is bad. Also, check all the pulleys whole the belt is off. You may also try this if you don’t want to remove the belt: Spray some water on the drive belt and see what happens to the noise.
it usually means a failing power steering pump
Turning the wheel from lock to lock a few times while parked with the engine running should get all of the air out of the system. Don't do it a ton of times, it strains the pump and causes unnecessary tire wear. If you do that and the level's still too full, you can use a turkey baster or a small squeeze ball pump to drain off excess fluid.
Check your fan belt pulleys and accessory drives.
Sounds like the power steering pump/fly wheel is struggling.
Sounds like power steering system. Have it checked by a mechanic.
Do I have to get an original oem one or will another brand work fine?
Power steering pump is starting to go out but if it works you can ignore it until it starts steering squarely
Should I get an original oem one? Or will another brand work fine?
That sound is unmistakable.
The hose that you show flexing is a high pressure hydraulic line, and the belt driven unit the hose connects to is your power steering pump. When it groans/whines like that, it's had it. Take a sample of the fluid, but the pump is probably worn out and needs to be replaced.
also, do you have an owner's manual? If not you should download one here
https://cdn.dealereprocess.org/cdn/servicemanuals/honda/2004-accord.pdf
it has drawings that tell you what things are under the hood.
I do have one, are you saying get one because it will help me know what that hose is?
AutoZone has one with a limited lifetime warranty for about $200. #8025.
What kind of fluid? I changed the power steering pump last year, I'm sure it wasn't the greatest brand so it is possible it's gone bad again.
The quality of aftermarket parts is pretty awful these days so it would not be surprising if your replacement pump went bad in a only a year. If you can have someone else turn the steering back and forth you should be able to verify the pump as the source of the noise with a mechanic's stethoscope or a long screwdriver. (Use caution around a running engine. Don't have anything on that can get caught in the fan belt and be aware that electric fans may turn on at any time!)
Hondas have their own specific power steering fluid. You can either use "Genuine Honda" fluid or another brand that meets Honda specifications.
Ok coo thanks
Take off the fan belt and briefly run the engine. If the noise goes away you know it's from one of the belt-driven accessories and you can check their bearings. (Or, just take off the belt and spin the bearings by hand to check for roughness and noise.)
See possible causes for the P1009 here:
https://www.engine-codes.com/p1009_honda.html
https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/honda-accord-a-look-at-the-p1009-diagnostic-code
Is it hard to take off the belt myself?
It took about 10 seconds to find this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUc8jxuzf68
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrdwGjmnUyQ
Why don't you check the fluid level in your power steering reservoir and see for yourself?
That's the thing, I did and there is fluid in there it's in the middle
Check the FAQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s3FMwzdM44
i said it was coming from the belt but its in that general area.
2004 honda accord lx 2.4 cylinder 120,000 miles
On power steering I wouldn’t have you disconnect the hoses. Shops will and flush the entire system. Your better off using the procedure I gave you unless yourman experienced mechanic. Nothing really to go wrong. Buy two small 6-8 OZ bottles. Should be enough. Make sure you get the right steering fluid for Honda. Whichever auto store you go to can lookup your year.
i was gonna buy some genuine honda power steering fluid. heard its the only brand i should use.
Yep
Just changed power steering fluid. Drove for a Little now it's filled to top. Should I just empty some out and drive again and check then repeat until it's at normal level?
try opening the hood
Then record?
Ok so this happens from time to time. Like today it only started like 5 minutes after I started driving. Then I recorded the sound. Then it went away after about 5 minutes of driving. But I noticed the hose still moves this way even when not making this noise and when it is making this noise it kind of sounds like it makes the noise as I press on the gas as well as when I turn the wheel. It's a 2004 Honda Accord LX 4 cylinder.