Steering wheel rough and clicking, now alignment off

Ive been having problems with my steering. I replaced the power pump, and belt to no avail. it works intermittenly but less frequently works now. i made a stop today and tried to turn. I felt like i had just lost my steering there was a big click or clunk and it was very difficult to get it to turn and the clicks kept coming. my alignment is now off with the normally 12 o clock point on the steering wheel now at about 1:30.

i checked the troubleshoot but there was nothing definitive. its not just the noise my power assist hasnt been working either. some things listed were steering gear, no lube to the system and tie rods, but i dont know if these things could give me the kind of problem I’m having.

Please advise i cant have my steering wheel not move when i need to go to work.

Honestly to me, it sounds like a problem with your PS gearbox, possibly the four way valve system, but here is some basic troubleshooting you can do to test your other easier to fix components first.

Are you leaking any fluid? (Especially from PS speed sensor)
Do you normally lose PS turning in a specific direction, or both?
After you experience the problem, do you see bubbles in your PS fluid?
Does it still come in and out if you keep your motor at ~3k RPMs?
Does it click when you are at freeway speeds or only when driving slowly?

I have not noitced any fluid leaking, altho i do not know where to check the speed sensor.

this happens in both directions

i popped the hood when i got home today and yes i saw small bubbles on the side of the fluid against the wall. I assume there shouldnt be ANY bubbles in the fluid reservoir

I do not know, im usually slowed down when i have to turn

it clicks during lower city driving speeds, but if i had to turn that sharply at highway speeds i think id still hear it, or may have before once

Does that help any?

I’m leary to drive it, thinking it might get even worse and undriveable, is this the case?

No, bubbles are not supposed to be in your reservoir or lines.

Check the input hose for leaks or a loose connection. Could also be the pumps front seal that is leaking. This may or may not be your problem. It’s also possible that your gain control valve is leaking, or that your belt is slipping on the pulley - neither of these last two things would cause the bubbles but could be the reason your PS is cutting in and out. After you have checked these things you should take it to someone who can diagnose and fix your problem if you see no improvements. Repairing power steering components beyond the gearbox can get complicated, and there is nothing to my knowledge that will baby step you through how to fix it or a four way valve system. When it comes to something as important as steering, you should definitely take it to an expert after you have exhausted the level of DIY that you are comfortable with. I completely agree with you on the subject of safety here.

Google Acura Integra DA9 DB1 DB2 Service Manual. You will find a torrent of the Helms manual that will assist you in troubleshooting your problem, so you know where to look and what to do.

well the pump i just got from a member on here, and the belt is new, was on the old one and now is on the new so I’m pretty sure its not the pump that has a bad seal.

Which hose on the reservoir is the input, if its even on the reservoir?

how would i check the front seal of the pump and this gain control thing for leaks?

It’s all in the service manual. Trust me, you need it.

Inner Tie rod & Tie rod ends

Check your tie rods inner AND outer.
Jack up your car, take the wheel off, grab the outer tie rod and see if it has any play, if it does, replace it. If I were you I would replace the inner ones as well.

Symptoms: Steering feels loose or like it jerks while trying to turn. As the problem worsens the steering will continue to loosen and you’re car will swerve in unpredictable directions every time you hit a bump or crack.

Your steering wheel will also never “come back” after making a turn.

It will also be a good workout every time you try to turn at low speeds (i.e. pulling out of a parking space).

Other threads as reference:
Tie rod help! <–Nice diagram, and links to other threads
Changing inner tie rod how to?
Replacing my tie rod end boot ← Has videos shows you how to check the outer tie rod end. Even though he leaves out how to do the actual labor.
Steering rack and pinion? <–more if your steering makes a clunking noise

Good luck with this. When I first had this problem I thought it was the power steering pump, but kept searching and found it to be the tie rods. Fixed one of my tegs and now the problem is happening on my daily driver teg. Let us know how it goes.

just an update.

the PS has been decent more so than before. when i parked at home (on grass) i turned left all the way and it went just fine. but when i tried to turn it back to center it like locked and the car got more shaky in its idle and the RPMS dropped a bit more. the steering wheel did not want to move and i didnt want to muscle it to find out if anything was gonna break. so i put it in first and started moving and i was able to turn it like usual.

I dont know what this means or if anyone has had this happen before and it can narrow anything down

its muddy as hell here I’ll beck the tie rods prob tommorw.

Doesn’t sound at all like tie rods to me, but if it is then that’s great, a lot easier to fix.

After you turned it left, and then tried to straighten it out and it locked: Did your steering wheel just suddenly stop moving, like it was locked in place? Or did it feel more like someone was pushing against you while you were trying to turn it? A solid locking feeling will indicate a mechanical interference, EG gearbox or suspension components. Steady pressure that comes and goes indicates a problem with your lines, valves, or pump. FYI: Irregularities in fluid pressure or the presence of air bubbles in your system can increase resistance at the pump.

Try doing what you did again, but keep the car in neutral. Gradually depress your gas pedal when your steering sticks, and take note of the RPMs you reach when your power steering comes back. Recreating symptoms and circumstances will tell you a lot about what could be causing your problem. It would also be a good idea to clean up all of your PS lines and your pump, and place several shop towels under your car while you do this. If your system is leaking at all you will be able to easily tell this way.

You need new tie rods asap. Had the same problem with every turn it would click and get loose on the steering wheel for like 5 seconds then get back normal. Fixed by new tie rods and alignment.

i did have two axles replaced up front last year could this mean that the tie rods are not to far behind? When you say it clicked and got real easy to turn (same here) but going back to normal? if by normal you mean it going from loose and easy to turn to sucking again then yea ‘normal’ but this usually was preceeded by that click noise. about the wheel lock. it felt like it was locked liked it wouldnt go more than an inch either direction. so i had to move forward some to get it going

Ok, so kind of like when you put an auto in park and you can feel the parking break hit the gear when the car rolls, pretty solid force right?

Check your tie rods and ends like killerelfboy and kingls suggested, they are right if it gets that loose that could be your problem. If they are bumped out then the locking could be the rods getting caught, which would explain why you needed to start moving before you could turn the wheel again.

Let us know if your locking problem persists after you fix, replace, or at least check your rods.

i’ll prob have to take it in to the shop tonight or tommorow, I dont think i can handle this alone, and I’m not sure I’d want to given how badly i might need them and the importance. Its not like a power steering belt i can just go to work without power steering.

I’m crossing my fingers for tie rods cuz that would be way less expensive than a steering rack

Took it in to the shop, dude grabbed the tie rods and knew right away. He’s not sure if its inner or outter but he knows they’re bad.

hopefully thats all thats wrong with it. I told him what was up and he said i deff need new tie rods. He was tinkering with his civic coupe when i got there he loves Hondas, good for me.

So i’ll know tommorow.

but would tie rods have made a noise going over a lumpy yard, which could make you think it was your shocks?

I’m gonna need a new timing belt water pump and rack and pinion steering.

is this worth doing? The belt he was able to wiggle with his finger so he said it HAS to be done

Timing belt never hurts, if there is enough slack or it is starting to crack or stretch too much then yes replace it. Water pump, dunno. Completely new rack… I suppose if your steering is completely screwed you would need to replace it. Before you do any of these it’s a good idea to consult some other people that know what they are doing as well, and who do not get paid to fix your car.

you can do the tie rods yourself, as long as you can change your own tire you can do your tie rods. I really dont think you need a completely new rack from the description you gave of your steering problem.
you can order OEM parts from one of our sponsors or check here Steering Components

Dont trust anything else besides OEM parts from a dealer. I tried a kit off of ebay once that included everything I required and it lasted me about 2 months before it gave out again.

About the timing belt & water pump: If you’ve never changed it, you probably should.

Get a second or third opinion before you start spending money. I would just buy the tie rods and change it first plus the alignment and see what happens.