wierd steering problem

i have an 88 honda accord 4-cylinder with power steering. sometimes when it rains, the steering has some dangerous issues. you go to turn the steering wheel and it seems normal until you get about 3 inches into turning the wheel, then it slips!!! its like when you try to put pressure on it that there are two cogs somewhere that slip or something, it will not turn the wheels no matter how many times you turn the wheel. then when you let it sit a while, it works fine, the steering wheel is even centered properly also!!!! anyone have any idea as to what the problem could be?

lol i need to get another old truck while im restoring the one i already have, they dont have as many problems, though the 30 city mpg is pretty awesome on that 4 banger that is actually carbureted...

As described, I can't make sense of it...I could see the belt slipping under load when wet, making the assist go out and making it hard to turn, but if I understand what you're saying, you can turn the steering wheel but it isn't doing anything? Did you verify this by looking at what the front wheels are doing? You aren't just understeering due to bad tires, pushing them sideways when turned too sharp?

If the pinion in the rack were bad, you'd hear all kinds of clicking and popping, and it wouldn't return on-center...

yeah it did it once when i was going about 5 mph and it would just continue travelling in a straight line while i turned the wheel... it wasnt any harder to try and turn it, it just would get to a certain point where the wheel would "slip", almost like a vice-grips will do if it's not tight enough or something. i have no idea how it could do this one minute and not the next, but it's always happened while it is raining outside. maybe theres a male and female yolk type of thing like on my truck that is held tight with a bolt that goes through a clamp, and maybe the two parts slip when they get really wet or something. ill have to check it out and see what i can figure out...

Your honda uses a rack and pinion, the only moving parts are the pinion gear on the end of the steering shaft, and the rack gear...there IS a clamp where the stub coming from the rack meets the steering column, and that is splined, so it COULD produce a slip at that point...but I couldn't see it coming up straight, it'd be off center one way or the other, unless it slips perfectly back to the dead center point after slipping...better take a look at it before you kill someone...

yeah its wierd, i figured it was maybe that spot you were talking about. no offense to you honda tuner people, but i really dont like this car, since it had 75000 miles, it has had a transmission problem start up, the carb needed a 75 dollar rebuild kit, not including labor since i couldnt figure out where all the pieces go most likely and left it to a honda shop to do it, and a multitude of wiring problems and stuff have come up, along with the ignition shorting out and stalling the car whenever there is a decent rain and puddles everywhere, and also, that damn antenna doesnt pull back into the car lol, which is the least of the problems...

i guess every manufacturer has its lemons and i must have got one of them...

no offense but i cant wait till i get my 73 chevy truck done (restoring in my garage lol, only something a true hick would try to do) this car is scaring me lol

Wiring problems seem to plague those years...my friend has an '89 that's had some really difficult to pinpoint electrical problems, the harness is like it was baked, all the wiring is brittle as hell and likes to short out...