NHTSA Complaint #10703699 — 2003 HONDA ACCORD

I NOTICED VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN BACKING UP, AND RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM SERPENTINE BELT. TOOK IT TO HONDA SERVICE CENTER, AND THEY QUOTED ME $940, AND SAID IT WAS MY TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEYS AS WELL AS MY ALTERNATOR AND SERPENTINE BELT. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM ABOUT THE ALTERNATOR, SO THEY CHARGED ME $50 FOR DIAGNOSIS AND I DROVE BACK HOME. I DECIDED TO CONDUCT THE WORK MYSELF. I REPLACED MY TENSIONER AND IDLER PULLEY, AND NEW SERPENTINE BELT. STEERING VIBRATION WAS STILL THERE, BUT NOT AS MUCH VIBRATION NOISE WAS COMING FROM SERPENTINE BELT AREA. ON MARCH 10, 2015, I WAS DRIVING 35 MPH AND LOST POWER STEERING DUE TO SERPENTINE BELT COMING OFF PULLEYS. I PUT IT BACK ON, AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON APRIL 2, 2015, GOING 45MPH. I AGAIN REPLACED TENSIONER AND IDLER, AND THIS TIME TUGGED AT ALL PULLEYS AFTER USING A STRAIGHTEDGE RULER AGAINST THEM TO CHECK FOR ALIGNMENT. THE 2 MOUNTING BOLTS TO THE POWER STEERING PULLEY/PUMP WERE COMPLETELY LOOSE AND THE WHOLE PUMP WIGGLED WHICH WAS CAUSING MISALIGNMENT OF SERPENTINE BELT AND THROWING IT OFF. I TORQUED THEM DOWN TO SPEC. SERPENTINE BELT NO LONGER IMMEDIATELY RIDES TO THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE TENSIONER PULLEY AND WILL NOT SLIP OFF AGAIN. THERE IS NO MORE VIBRATION IN MY STEERING, AND NO SOUND WHATSOEVER. ALL OF THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE LAST PEOPLE WHO TOUCHED MY POWER STEERING HOSES AND PUMP WAS HONDA, FOR A RECALL, BEFORE ALL THIS TROUBLE BEGAN. IF BOLTS ARE TORQUED PER SPEC, THEY DO NOT RATTLE LOOSE. AND HONDA WANTED TO CHARGE ME FOR A NEW ALTERNATOR WHEN THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE AT ALL. *TR