Jcru111

I just got my car back from the shop and was told o need brakes and rotors to pass inspection. So i picked it up and told them i was going to attempt this myself. On the drive home from the mechanic it felt like i had a flat tire. Like the bumping of a flat from the driver side tire. The air in it is good and even with the other. What could this be?

W261w261

This "bumping" was there before you took it to the mechanic? How's the tread on that tire? If it's bald there could be what is called a ply separation, like a big blister on the tread. This is a dangerous thing.

Try swapping the two front wheels across the car, and see that happens. I'm assuming the situation is there all the time, not just on curves for instance.

Beware, if you have a sudden cataclysmic failure on a front tire at speed, you may lose control.

turbo510

A couple of months ago, my power steering rack failed while driving down a straight highway. I didn't notice anything wrong until making the first turn after stopping, and it felt like one front tire must be completely flat. Only after pulling into a gas station did I hear PS pump whine, and saw smoke coming from under the hood. So, make sure the pump pulley isn't slipping, or otherwise causing jerky power assist.

W261w261

I know that power steering fluid can catch fire, say theoretically if it sprays on a hot manifold, but have you actually heard of that happening?

turbo510

On the 3.0, the driver's side catalytic converter is right under the PS hose connections, under a heat shield which is still gets plenty hot. So I probably was lucky that the thing didn't catch fire, which I didn't think of until reading your post! I haven't heard of it happening, but seems possible. The rack housing has a threaded hole, for a special pointed screw, which is used to locate the rack in the exact center during installation. The hole is supposed to be closed with a standard, short screw after the steering U-joint is connected, but mine was missing, and that's where the PS fluid was pouring out of when the seal failed.

W261w261

I had an 89 Accord, and had a failure at the connection fitting on the hose. I was driving to the airport and really had to get there, so I drove on for perhaps 1/2 hour. The volume of smoke was considerable, the smell wasn't so good either, and I was concerned that I might have a fire. The airport was about 25 miles from my house, so I considered driving home, but decided to let AAA take care of it.