Honda Car Forum

I took my car in for service this week because of a dead battery and while the car was there, they told me the tech noticed that I had a power steering leak. They said they went ahead and replaced my power steering rack and refilled the steering fluid.















I went to pick up my car yesterday and the steering feels a lot stiffer than before. Is that normal? Is the new rack maybe tuned differently or something? At first I was thinking that I got used to the steering on the loaner (09 TL) but the more I drove mine yesterday the more I started feeling it was too stiff.































Should I take it back in or is this just the way the steering is supposed to feel like in the first place? For reference, while parking, I am having a hard time steering with one hand for example. It was not like that before.































Any comments, thoughts or suggestions appreciated.































Thanks!















I am wondering if they put a different rack in mine that it was before. I mean, I dont want it to be feather light either because I like to feel the response but what I have right now feels like I dont even have power steering. Guess I just gotta take it back in... I just dont know why the dealership would either mess it up or put something different than I had before.































Thanks anyways!

The stiffness is set by the valve in the rack that translates steering wheel torque to assist pressure. It could be that the valve is adjustable, but the only one I ever got into (ages ago, and not in a rack and pinion system) was set by a single spring. To complicate the situation the same valve is responsible for centering the steering force - if the valve is off center the steering will pull - so adjustment is a bit of a trick. Because of this I doubt adjustment is an option.