Ls 400 Fluid Leaks

[nrafei]

1995 LS 400, 124,000K, Houston. My Steering Rack boots are wet on the outside but nothing is dripping. The dealer said that they are filled up with power steering fluid also the rear engine seals are leaking on them. He wanted me to replace the engine seals and the rack,

the leak is minimal, I do not add any oil or fluid and the car does not drip ,

Is it typical for the rear engine seals to fail after?? how many miles?? I had an LX450 before and the rear seals stoped leaking after replacing the PCV valve and switching to synthetic oil. I am thinking about doing the same here, any advice?

Also I read about cleaning the steering solenoid valve below the steering pump, how do you do that?, my pump was replaced two years ago. Oh and the air hose from the solenoid to air intake is loose because I broke the nipple while trying to remove it,

[latintxn54]

Greetings. Your symptoms sound VERY familiar to those I recently experienced. One sure way to find out if your rack & pinion is the culprit that's leaking: Your Power Steering fluid. Are you having to frequently fill the resevoir? If so, then you can remove one of the rubber boots at the end of the rack & pinion and believe me, if the seals are gone, the fluid will flow out like water. If you determine that the rack & pinion is the problem, unless you rebuild the rack & pinion yourself, you can replace the entire rack & pinion completely. I just accomplished that task myself. Though labor intensive, with the right tools & know-how, you can do it yourself. Want some help? For a small labor charge, I'll help you replace it. One estimate I was quoted was 1500. No way. The rebuilt rack&pinion I picked up was 175. + approx. 6 hrs. of labor. Let me know. V. Gonzalez in Houston, Texas (westside Katy) 281.579.6077

[silvermate]

leaky stearing rack is a pretty common problem on high mileage LS's

if its not dripping and doesn't show signs of failure, for now i wouldn't worry about it, unless you just want to go ahead and knock it out for preventative maintence and failure reasons.......now over time if it gets worse than obviosly you need to get it taken care of,

i think mine leaks just a tad bit, it has a tiny damp spot on the boot (about quarter size every 5K miles), but its been like that for years and has never gotten any worse so i don't worry bout it.

the rear main seals generally speaking are really not overall that common of a problem with the Lexus V8's, although i have heard of it a few times on Ls's and more common on SC's (don't know why).... and its pretty expensive to fix, if i recall.......

my buddy has a serious main seal leak on his 92 SC4, and got a quote that was rediculous, if i recall, and asked me if i could fix it, as i have fixed a lot of engine related issuses on his car in the past, as it is up over 200K, but that one i didin't even want to mess with. it looked to be a very tough project, probably not someting i could do, or even want to try on someone else's car.

the solenoid cleaning is posted in the tutorials section, and is very easy to do.

about the nipple and hose, those things get very brittle over time and break off really easily no biggie, just reconnect it if there is any nipple left, and remove the broken part from the hose, and you can either JB weld it back on (from the outside), or use electrical tape, or a small clamp and ur in business, as long as its connected in any way, it will work just fine, (i broke mine too, , a couple of years ago and did the above to fix it, never had a problem

[ArmyofOne]

leaky stearing rack is a pretty common problem on high mileage LS's

if its not dripping and doesn't show signs of failure, for now i wouldn't worry about it, unless you just want to go ahead and knock it out for preventative maintence and failure reasons.......now over time if it gets worse than obviosly you need to get it taken care of,

i think mine leaks just a tad bit, it has a tiny damp spot on the boot (about quarter size every 5K miles), but its been like that for years and has never gotten any worse so i don't worry bout it.

the rear main seals generally speaking are really not overall that common of a problem with the Lexus V8's, although i have heard of it a few times on Ls's and more common on SC's (don't know why).... and its pretty expensive to fix, if i recall.......

my buddy has a serious main seal leak on his 92 SC4, and got a quote that was rediculous, if i recall, and asked me if i could fix it, as i have fixed a lot of engine related issuses on his car in the past, as it is up over 200K, but that one i didin't even want to mess with. it looked to be a very tough project, probably not someting i could do, or even want to try on someone else's car.

the  solenoid cleaning is posted in the tutorials section, and is very easy to do.

about the nipple and hose, those things get very brittle over time and break off really easily no biggie, just reconnect it if there is any nipple left, and remove the broken part from the hose, and you can either JB weld it back on (from the outside), or use electrical tape, or a small clamp and ur in business, as long as its connected in any way, it will work just fine, (i broke mine too, , a couple of years ago and did the above to fix it, never had a problem

←

the rear main seal on the engine is the seal between the engine and trasnmission. will cost between $800 and $1,200 depending on labor in your area.

all that is labor, the seal iteslf costs ~$12 IIRC. The rack and pinion on an ES is a PITA without a lift. i imagine the LS is different as it has a bit more room to work (the entire drivtrain is sitting in a more confined space than the LS's engine is sitting in). R&P quotes on my ES (with all new parts) will cost $1,500. im getting it done through JPImports here in dallas for alot cheaper. give them a call. 214.221.3135. maybe you can make the drive up there. call him and see what he can do for you.

[ModMan]

A faulty PCV valve can cause the crankcase to pressurize and force oil out any openings, making big leaks out of small ones.

The PCV valve is on the left valve cover, is inexpensive, and easy to replace.

[sonnyblue]

I just have my 95 LS400 rack & pinion, power steering pump replaced about 2 months ago. The steering is more stable now on high speed driving (it used to veer to the right), but at low speed or parking, the steering feels hard and heavy. What is causing this? Did I miss replacing anything else together with rack & pinion?

Thanks.

[ArmyofOne]

I just have my 95 LS400 rack & pinion, power steering pump replaced about 2 months ago.  The steering is more stable now on high speed driving (it used to veer to the right), but at low speed or parking, the steering feels hard and heavy.  What is causing this? Did I miss replacing anything else together with rack & pinion?

Thanks.

←

its speed sensitive steering, its probably normal.

[Shaggz]

Okay, I don't have any recommendations for this thread, but it seems the appropriate place to mention my current woes...

I recently replaced my power steering pump and pressure hose and all was well for the first 200 miles or so...now I'm leaking p/s fluid like it's going out of style. I can see it pooling in the front under cover. I can't visibly see the leak happening, but I can also see a little p/s fluid on the pressure hose (at the connection where the rubber part meets the metal part), so it's definitely coming from the underside of the pump. But, before I dismantle it and leave myself without a ride anywhere, I'm trying to figure out what might be the culprit. Does that sound like the area of the pump where the PCV valve is that you guys are talking about? I guess what I'm referring to is the assembly that the two air hoses come out of. I'm thinking I just need to replace that component. Any help is greatly appreciated.

I really need to fix this quick because I'm a little nervous to drive it like it is. I actually felt the steering go out temporarily this morning!

:o

[Shaggz]

My apologies...it seems I posted those comments prematurely. I believe I found the info I needed in the following post:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...opic=6583&st=15

My problem is definitely the air control valve. I'm just nervous I'll do damage to the pump if I drive it without p/s fluid for about 5 - 10 miles. It's leaking that badly. Any thoughts on that one??

[CUMan]

When the air control valve in the power steering pump fails, the fluid is usually drawn into the intake manifold through the hoses running from the valve. There usually will be a bluish-white cloud of smoke from the exhaust when you first crank the car.

Are you certain that the two hoses are properly connected to the air control valve?

I don't see how fluid from this valve could pool at the bottom of the engine unless these hoses have cracked or not properly attached.