Annoying Steering/alignment Issue (ls430)

[producer97]

Can somebody else share what the steering on the LS should be like? I just picked up a used 05 LS from a local used car shop and find that my steering is all weird. Basically, the car doesn't return to the center once I turn the wheel a little bit. So if I turn the wheel a little to the right, the car keeps going to the right, to straighten it out, I have to turn to the left a little bit, but then it keeps going to the left, so i have to turn to the right, etc,etc,etc. Needless to say, it's very annoying to drive this car on the highway, having to adjust it every 2 secons.

I just brought it to the dealer, but he didn't find any problems, even though a local tech said the car needs "a litle alignment" after test driving it. The dealer gave me an RX (which seems really crappy now comparing to the LS), but it was really easy to steer and the wheel seemed to want to return to the center once I turn it slightly either left or a right. The dealer didn't charge me for the test drive, so I don't know if they even did it. Any recommendations? Should I take it back and insist on a test drive together with the tech, or even take it to another dealer? Many thanks.

[Robert Young]

I'd have a full (4 wheel, since the back is independent) alignment done. You might also want to check for potential collision damage or see if the steering, in general, is binding somewhere. For the later you should be able to get the front of the car off the ground and easily move the wheels back and forth from the outside. Good luck!

[nc211]

what's the condition of your power steering fluid? It should be pretty much new looking. If it's not, then you might have a clogged solenoid filter in the rack. The solenoid sends signals to the pump to adjust the steering pressure...aka...the slower you go, the easier it is to turn...the faster you go...the tighter the steering becomes. It opens and shuts the flow of fluid. But, before thinking about this...have the alignment done as suggested. These cars are long, and rear wheel drive. There is a difference in steering feel from front wheel to rear wheel. It's a different feeling to be pushed, rather than pulled. If the car was not in an accident, then I bet it's just the alignment. If it was in an accident, then my guess is that the rack got damaged by having the tie rods jammed into it.

[producer97]

what's the condition of your power steering fluid? It should be pretty much new looking. If it's not, then you might have a clogged solenoid filter in the rack. The solenoid sends signals to the pump to adjust the steering pressure...aka...the slower you go, the easier it is to turn...the faster you go...the tighter the steering becomes. It opens and shuts the flow of fluid. But, before thinking about this...have the alignment done as suggested. These cars are long, and rear wheel drive. There is a difference in steering feel from front wheel to rear wheel. It's a different feeling to be pushed, rather than pulled. If the car was not in an accident, then I bet it's just the alignment. If it was in an accident, then my guess is that the rack got damaged by having the tie rods jammed into it.

Thanks!

[LScott400]

It sounds like the fault may lie in the rack and pinion unit.

Steering gears have a spool valve which incorporate a torsion bar (straight spring). When you turn the steering wheel left or right the bar twists and allows hydraulics passages to align that provide you with steering assist. As you ease pressure off of the steering wheel the torsion bar springs back to an untwisted position which misaligns the passages cutting off the steering assist while the alignment angles take over to return the vehicle to straight ahead tracking.

If the torsion bar breaks, then there is nothing to hold the spool valve in a center/neutral position. The result is that you have to constantly steer back and forth to hold it at center position while the different road forces are at work applying pressure one way or another.

This Link explains the function and includes drawings.

[producer97]

Thanks for your replies. I decided to take to another dealer. Is it just me or do Lexus service advisors suck no less than those of other car manufacturers? After waiting for 2 hours I inquired about how much longer it might take. He came out from his office and told me they are test driving it now. I couldn't understand it because I was looking at my car in the parking lot and nobody has touched it yet. Then one hour later called me in for a meeting with the tech. He apologized for the delay and said "it does take that long to determine the problem". "That long" was 2 minutes that the tech took to test drive the car, as opposed to ~3 hours that I waited around with the car sitting in the parking lot. It seems that the service advisor is just a liar. Anyway, the tech then said the tires are not factory (Michelin Energy MX4) and that he recommends road-forced wheel balancing and wheel alignment. I made an appointment to drop it off for those services. I am honestly hoping that will be the end of it. Should I ask them to do a safety check of sorts anyway, like check for broken tie rods, etc, while they are working on the car?

[SW03ES]

I thought about the tires. Michelin Energy MXV4s however are OEM tires used on the LS and many other Lexus models. What PSI are your tires aired to? Do you have the 17s or the 18s?

My suggestion would be to ask them if you can drive another LS, one with the same wheels as yours and see if it feels the same way. That doesn't sound normal to me. It sounds like an issue with the steering rack itself, but it might be tires. The Road Force balancing machine is a waste of time, it won't help.

nc211 does have a point though, FWD cars have faster steering rebound rates due to the torque being applied to the front wheels. I've never noticed that pronounced a difference though.

Is it just me or do Lexus service advisors suck no less than those of other car manufacturers?

It really depends. All the dealers are independently owned and quality varies greatly. I went through four service advisors at two dealers before I found mine, but he's teriffic. Keep trying new people, you'll find somebody.

[producer97]

you are right. I should ask them to drive another LS. It would probably also help determine the wind rush issue, which I sometimes experience at as low as 50mph, especially with other cars around me. I wonder if all these issues are related. I have 17-inch tires and the first tech who said there was nothing wrong with car (or with excessive wind rush) also said that the psi were in the low 40's so he decreased them to the low 30's. It made it marginally better, if at all.