My wife's '92 Accord has started suddenly jerking to the left and sometimes to the right. I'd like to get some opinions before I take it to a mechanic, because money is tight right now, and I figured someone here would probably know what the problem is. It doesn't do it often, maybe twice during a fifteen to twenty mile trip, however it does jerk hard enough to scare me. I almost ran it out of the road when it did it, and she has to drive it to work everyday. Any ideas?

 

Describe it a bit better. I don't quite get what you are saying.

fs

 

Does the steering wheel feel like it turns by itself, or does the car drift even with the steering wheel straight ahead?

 

Here's what happened. I was driving along to go get my wife at work, my car has been on the blink for a while now, and I was driving at close to sixty when all of a sudden the wheel just kind og jerked to the left. I compensated and kept from running out of the road, but it did it a few more times. It'd done it to my wife, and from what she says it will pull to the right side some too, but when I was driving it it pulled to the left. It was kind of a hard jerk but it was easy to regain control of the car. Like I said it does it maybe three times within a twenty mile trip. Is this enough info?

 

if the steering wheel shakes a bunch, maybe it's the rotor? but i don't know...

 

It sounds as though your power steering rack is going bad. There are several valves in the steering rack, and apparently, one or more are worn. This is causing fluid to be applied intermittently to one side of the rack's piston even though you're not turning the wheel. This is probably what's causing that intermittent steering wheel jerk.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cmrvi1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It sounds as though your power steering rack is going bad. There are several valves in the steering rack, and apparently, one or more are worn. This is causing fluid to be applied intermittently to one side of the rack's piston even though you're not turning the wheel. This is probably what's causing that intermittent steering wheel jerk.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Agrees with cmrvi1

Your rack is going out. If it takes that much to get it back on the road or to stay on the road I would get that done ASAP.
As that means it is just about gone.
Scimming tech notes, yep, per say Honda say to REPLACE right away.
Got to love Mitchell on Demand

 

join the club...eh

i have the same problem... but its been months since it has happend tho

it would jark hard to the side i was turning on and go back in place, it didnt scare me but it did p.o others around...

i just got used to it, and after a while it went away. i think my fuild was cloged up or sumthin. i just kept driving hard and took off fast...then it dissapeared...

but you meight still wanna get that checked out.. i was cheap i had to live with it until it went away

 

Does it mostly happen when you apply the brakes? It could be unevenly worn brakes.. ? It happens when your going straight right? When you turn the steering wheel .. is it reeaaaaally easy.. like you turn it a little and it almost goes 180 degrees?