Originally Posted By: Blokey
Originally Posted By: NissanMaxima
If I were to open the power steering reservoir, I wonder if you could see it circulating while turning the wheel.
With my '00 Acura 3.2TL, with the cap removed I could see the p/s fluid moving quite vigorously in the reservoir with the engine idling, no need to turn the wheel.
I can easily see that in my wife's Civic or in my old '95 Integra GS-R. With Honda PS reservoirs, it's so easy to see what's happening in there even with the cap on. And I did the factory service manual method for a flush, which is actually pretty easy, but requires certain tools to avoid a mess. The most important is some sort of hose or tube to fit in the return hose as an extension. The drawing in all service manuals actually shows it being routed to an open jar (looks almost like a tall petri dish) which seems like a way to spray PS fluid everywhere. I've personally inserted the hose into an empty oil bottle, and I could tell it was periodically spurting fluid out the hose.
It does seem like it's destroying itself, but if the manufacturer says it's OK who am I to say otherwise? Here's an image from a Ridgeline service manual, which is pretty similar to any other Honda, other than the additional cover on the PS reservoir.