Power Steerling

[uzee71]

hi all,

can someone give me an explict description of where and how to locate the sreen in the p/s. a picture will help a lot as my p/s fails and gets very hard most times. am really up to my neck.thanks

[nc211]

hi all,

can someone give me an explict description of where and how to locate the sreen in the p/s. a picture will help a lot as my p/s fails and gets very hard most times. am really up to my neck.thanks

Do a search for power steering, you'll see a few threads, with pictures and instructions.

[rickatups]

hi all,

can someone give me an explict description of where and how to locate the sreen in the p/s. a picture will help a lot as my p/s fails and gets very hard most times. am really up to my neck.thanks

HI .... just keep looking for it here ... you will find the info.

May I please suggest ... when you get the solenoid off and remove that little FRAGILE screen ... put the solenoid back on the steering rack minus the screen .... THEN FLUSH the system (with the screen off) ... clean the screen carefully ... then re-install the screen and refill the system with the correct fluid (of course) .... this way you truly flush the whole system.

Mine was very bad. The high pressure line was sweating fluid as were the outside boots on the steering rack. I cleaned the filter as described above ... and now the high pressure line looks normal as does the boots on the steering rack! Problem solved! No more potential leaks!!

Thank God for this site ... I would have never known about this issue ... saved me major bucks!

[Harky]

The solenoid is located on the driver's side of the rack. You can see it thru the rear of the left wheel well.

It has an electrical connection (2 wires) and wrench flats at its base for removal (tho removal can be difficult) Inside the solenoid body is a very fine mesh screen that gets plugged with gunk from the PS system. When that happens, steering effort increases. This screen must be cleaned carefully and completely.

Good luck.

[vacation]

I cleaned the solenoid screen in my '96 LS400 last year, and also flushed and replace the PS system with Mobil1 synthetic ATF. Steering is fine and alwys was, but it is a little stiff when it's really cold out, no matter.

The solenoid is located on the driver's side of the rack. You can see it thru the rear of the left wheel well.

It has an electrical connection (2 wires) and wrench flats at its base for removal (tho removal can be difficult) Inside the solenoid body is a very fine mesh screen that gets plugged with gunk from the PS system. When that happens, steering effort increases. This screen must be cleaned carefully and completely.

Good luck.

[sheab]

umm guys i looke possibly every topic ... for cleaned the solenoid screen

p/s screen .. but i couldnt find a power Steering screen/solenoid cleaning Tutorials with picture and step by step ... everyone talks abt cleaning it but how and where is the exact location of it and how to get it out .. is there a tutorials links with picture ?

[Threadcutter]

hi all,

can someone give me an explict description of where and how to locate the sreen in the p/s. a picture will help a lot as my p/s fails and gets very hard most times. am really up to my neck.thanks

Do a search for power steering, you'll see a few threads, with pictures and instructions.

n:

Gee!..............ya mean like this one? (!)....................

POWER STEERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

btw; what's become of Barley?.........his last post was Aug 6, 06 (?)..........

[j.barleycorn]

My dear T-cutter,

So nice to be remembered! Or is living in infamy for the public suffering at the hands of my PS system a better descriptor?

Believe it or not, I have only just recently returned to the LOC after a long absence. Much selling and buying of my cars, reorganizing the fleet.

I admit to reading the current PS threads today and trying to decide whether to jump in or not. I agree, if the right searches are done, one would be hard-pressed to find a similar topic with as much information as the PS issue. I should have made good on my suggestion to write a pictorial-tutorial of my epic journey into the heck-hole. Perhaps if I am bored some day I will whip one up, although I am no expert and I never did cure the leak 100%

There is actually a final, somewhat disturbing word to that saga. I took the Lexus in for an inspection a few weeks ago, and the place (a Firestone) would not pass it because the steering rack was leaking! I have never solved the miscellaneous small leaking that went on after (1) the solenoid was blessed and (2) I removed the reservoir screen lock, stock, and barrel, which took care of the worst leaks and the whine 100%

Of course I gave them hell over the phone, lecturing them on the whys and where-fores of the Lexus PS system and mystifying them with my wit and wisdom. Unfortunately they would not pass it and I went in and looked at it myself when it was up on the lift. OK, I admit it looked like it may have been leaking from the boots. Steve the Manager took my anger and frustration in stride. They quoted me $600 for a reconditioned Lexus rack: lifetime warranty on the rack and 6 months on the labor. Given the car is 15 years old and that I was boned on the inspection (which was due in November) I told them to go for it, but if I have any problems or my steering is 1% worse than the perfection it had been, I will have it there for endless free repairs and replacements.

The car steers the same as it did, but I admit it leaks less fluid now. One or two drops each time I park it. I asked them to look at the ACV before I went to see the car but I assume they didn't hear me through my ranting and raving.

I suppose I'll wade back into the group that gave so much to me. I have to do a search of my own on a strange new event: since changing the battery (it had died over the winter from the cold and not driving it) I now have to hold the key in the starting position until the engine catches... most undignified!

[Threadcutter]

My dear T-cutter,

So nice to be remembered! Or is living in infamy for the public suffering at the hands of my PS system a better descriptor?

Believe it or not, I have only just recently returned to the LOC after a long absence. Much selling and buying of my cars, reorganizing the fleet.

I admit to reading the current PS threads today and trying to decide whether to jump in or not. I agree, if the right searches are done, one would be hard-pressed to find a similar topic with as much information as the PS issue. I should have made good on my suggestion to right a pictorial-tutorial of my epic journey into the heck-hole. Perhaps if I am bored some day I will whip one up, although I am no expert and I never did cure the leak 100%

There is actually a final, somewhat disturbing word to that saga. I took the Lexus in for an inspection a few weeks ago, and the place (a Firestone) would not pass it because the steering rack was leaking! I have never solved the miscellaneous small leaking that went on after a) the solenoid was blessed and B) I removed the reservoir screen lock, stock, and barrel, which took care of the worst leaks and the whine 100%

Of course I gave them hell over the phone, lecturing them on the whys and where-fores of the Lexus PS system and mystifying them with my wit and wisdom. Unfortunately they would not pass it and I went in and looked at it myself when it was up on the lift. OK, I admit it looked like it may have been leaking from the boots. Steve the Manager took my anger and frustration in stride. They quoted me $600 for a reconditioned Lexus rack: lifetime warranty on the rack and 6 months on the labor. Given the car is 15 years old and that I was boned on the inspection (which was due in November) I told them to go for it, but if I have any problems or my steering is 1% worse than the perfection it had been, I will have it there for endless free repairs and replacements.

The car steers the same as it did, but I admit it leaks less fluid now. One or two drops each time I park it. I asked them to look at the ACV before I went to see the car but I assume they didn't hear me through my ranting and raving.

I suppose I'll wade back into the group that gave so much to me. I have to do a search of my own on a strange new event: since changing the battery (it had died over the winter from the cold and not driving it) I now have to hold the key in the starting position until the engine catches... most undignified!

Barley:

Hey, hey man, it's great to have you back! More than anything else, you did such a fabulous job on documenting your work that it serves to illustrate the steps necessary to correct P/S problems on our beloved 400's. Granted, it's not a tutorial, but it's pretty d*mned close! Between your documentation and all the posts, there's more than enough information here to get the problems resolved.

Being from the upper west coast, we don't have safety inspections like what it sounds like you went through with Firestone. I'm assuming that there are other outfits besides Firestone to get that done?......

Did you put in a new battery AND check the alternator? Sometimes, people will just jump start a car with a dead battery and it puts too much of a load on the diodes in the alternator and they burn out. Then, when they shut off the ignition, they can't get it started again. That's when they'll throw in a new battery (without having the alternator checked) and it goes dead in about 45 minutes of running.

Anyway, good to have you back in the fold!..........

[j.barleycorn]

T-C,

Yep, checked the alternator and it was fine. It was new when I bought the car in November of 2005 and did not suffer during the PS war. The battery, however, was definitely old and barely serviceable. All has been well now, 3 weeks and 1600 miles of clear sailing.

I have used that Firestone before. They are straight shooters and have taken care of us pretty well. Although they are a "franchise" I think they each run fairly independently, and in these parts they have been the most consistent, reliable and fair of all mechanics I have used when necessary, so I didn't feel taken by the rack episode. NYS inspections have gotten much tighter over the past couple years.

Thanks for the welcome-back!