# 92 Civic power steering stuck when cold **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [January 17, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/92-civic-power-steering-stuck-when-cold/70501 "2012-01-17T08:16:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pxroxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@pxroxs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pxroxs)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 8:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/92-civic-power-steering-stuck-when-cold/70501/1 "2012-01-17T08:16:05Z")
92 Civic DX hatchback, non-Calif. AT Power steering suddenly not working when cold (~20 oF) in AM; nearly impossible to turn the wheel (for my wife). When I get home from work, and it’s warmer (~30 oF), it works fine (for me). When it (mostly) behaves, it does drive fine (though I would say that the variable-assist PS is no longer as “tight” at high speeds as it once was, but the car’s nearly 20 years old! This just began a week ago (live just north of New York city), and has now happened enough times that I believe her 😉 So, since the PS fluid reservoir was just below lower line, I topped it up (Honda fluid!). No obvious leaks (I checked by putting some paper under the car, and watching for drips for a few days, including turning wheel from lock to lock over the paper). Is it the pump? Or should I just flush the system (and how do you do that)? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![GSragtop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7c8e57/32.png) [@GSragtop](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GSragtop)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/92-civic-power-steering-stuck-when-cold/70501/2 "2012-01-17T18:17:42Z")
I am going to guess you rack is bad and has what we call morning sickness. Does the power assist come back as she drives it?? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/92-civic-power-steering-stuck-when-cold/70501/3 "2012-01-17T19:07:34Z")
I agree that this is likely to be a symptom of a bad steering rack, which–unfortunately–will be a fairly pricey repair. The pump should be checked also, but this symptom is more likely to be an indication of a problem with the steering rack. ---
**Author:** ![pxroxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@pxroxs](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pxroxs)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/92-civic-power-steering-stuck-when-cold/70501/4 "2012-01-18T06:25:01Z")
Thanks, grastop & VDCdriver. My wife say she could barely turn it to get out of the garage, so she played it safe: instead of proceeding, she went back into the garage and took our other Honda. I’ll try it out next cold AM, and see if it PS wakes up as I drive it (around the driveway, at least at first!)