Precedure/pictures To Fix Steering Column Gear Box

[wandawoods]

few days ago, I had a post regarding my jammed steering column (94 LS400). it was stuck at 'up' most position and refused to go down.

so, this morning, with hints from other good folks in the forum, I took sometime and completely fixed the problem. I took some pictures along the way, so anyone with the same problem, present or future, can use these pictured steps to fix it up without hundreds of ‘donation’ dollars to dealership!

dealers don't fix parts, they only install replacement parts. the motor is dealer-only item and it will cost you $524 last time I checked.

picture#1

take off the box-like cover behind steering wheel by removing two screws at bottom. top/bottom halfs are sort of 'snap on' to each other, the bottom part can be easily removed with the steering column telescoping all the way out. you can leave the top part on.

picture#2/#3

with driver door open, unscrew 3 screws, loosen the bolt of the swing-out piece, then the small side panel for the motor's gear box can be removed to expose the blue plastic gear which drives the screw rod above to control the column up and down.

remove nut/washer at center axis in front of the gear piece.

the gear in mine was somewhat loose after years of use. when up-down button was pressed, it tilted inward and the teeth lost contact with the screw rod. so I had to remove the gear piece in order to put some shim piece as support behind the gear to make it rotate straight again!

if your gear has totally worn teeth, then you must find one at junk yard. the gear worth only a few cents but dealer just don't sell it standalone!

picture #4

but the gear in mine was kinda difficult to take out, so I made a small ‘hook’ from a piece of flat metal on my work bench and kinda wedged the gear off the center axis by reachng the ‘hook’ behind the gear

picture #5

this was how I made the shim piece which must be some sort of ring shape with about 1/4" thickness:

I took the cap of an empty ‘fuel injector cleaner’ bottle (long neck), and used my Dremel to saw it into half along rim side. then I took the inner ring which is hard plastic and used it as the shim ring going behind the gear piece. it’s in perfect diameter and thickness for this purpose!

picture #6

place the shim ring around center axis, reinsert the gear piece, make sure it is straight and in good contact with the screw rod above. reinstall washer/nut at center axis.

try the up-down button again, and BINGO! my steering column now goes up-down perfectly and freely!

I assume you know what to do in reverse after that.

total time spent: no more than 20 minutes, total cost: 0 dollars and 0 cents!

[obergc]

Very useful post, nicely done. Thanks,

Curt

[Tote]

I know this is an old post but, I had this problem two days ago. Found this post with an awesome How-To. Needless to say: I printed the post, grabbed my tools, and pulled the dremel out of hibernation. Took me no more than 25 mins. The only difference is that I did it on a 1990 and you will find a 3rd screw for the bottom plastic cover of the steering wheel (Screw hidden behind the steering wheel). If you are sitting down a turn you steering wheel, look towards the bottom right portion of the cover, it will reveal the third screw. Easy to access with steeringwhell turned.

Thanks WANDAWOODS for an AWESOME Post

This Works on A 1990 LS400

This site Rocks

Tote

[silvermate]

great write up.....

is this in the tutorials section?

we need to starting adding more to that section, as we all are DIYers

[99lsguy]

Agree Silver!!!!!

I"ve got a few maintenance procedures with photos - OIL, Tranny, Diffy

on MS Word files rarin' to go............

[wandawoods]

glad to see my old post did help someone a year later!

unfortunately, the 94 LS was totaled about 6-month ago, but I did 'upgrade' to 97 LS<_<....

I won't claim credit for it because I recalled I just followed some good leads from other good write-ups before me.

[UCF3]

Thanks for the info. I'm glad you put it up.

[MrSmall82]

My steering column sometimes feels like it "running out of battery".Now,I know theres no batteries in it but it just feels like it because it would stop telescoping til I wait a little.Whats the deal with that?

[togrande]

Thanks WandaWoods! I found your post on how to fix the gears for my telscopic steering wheel that would not go up or down. It just started doing it yesterday and I was sure it was going to cost me a lot of money to fix until I found your post. Your explanations and pictures were very helpful and saved me money.

It took me about 40 minutes to fix my 1993 Lexus SC 400 because I had problems removing the plastic gear. I then reread your post and once I made two small metal hooks to remoe the plastic gear, the rest was easy. For a spacer I used a rubber gasket for a garden hose. I used teflon gear grease to lubricate the gear box.

The Lexus Owners Club Forum is the greatest! I appreciate all of the advice and tutorials that are posted! Thanks!

[wandawoods]

Thanks WandaWoods!  I found your post on how to fix the gears for my telscopic steering wheel that would not go up or down.  It just started doing it yesterday and I was sure it was going to cost me a lot of money to fix until I found your post.  Your explanations and pictures were very helpful and saved me money.....

well, u r welcome. I also was helped many times by lots of great posts from lots of great folks here!

[Broker]

the telescopic steering on my 1999 does not function. I'm guessing it could it be the same problem?

[Kennyr]

Great post, I hope I never need it though. This is the reason I have never used the automatic function of my steering column since I bought my car. I just figured it would break sooner or later if it was running all the time. I guess if you have a big belly it helps you get in and out of the car. Not an issue for me yet though.

[wandawoods]

the telescopic steering on my 1999 does not function. I'm guessing it could it be the same problem?

I recalled when I pushed the button before it got fixed, I could hear the telescoping motor running (got power). but it was just making 'grrrr' noise, but the steer column wouldn't move at all. so, if you can hear the same the kind of noise, then it's possible it's the same cause (loose contact between "gear" piece with "drive rod").

be forwarned that a 99LS can be drasitically different than a 94LS in term of how the "telesoping" was designed and put together, therefore above procedure may not apply at all.

if you still decided to give it a try anyway, please do a tutorial too so that it can benefit others.

good luck!

[sapper_daddy]

yeah wanda woods i used that post about two months ago and it helped so much thanks for that!!! If anyone has a completely shot gear that has worn out beyond shimming up or re greasing i have an extra one i pulled out that salvage car in New Orleans as that was about the ONLY thing good on the damn car........lemme know if anyone has tried this and it didn't work and i'll send out the little replacement gear i also have an extra door handle switch that turns on the accesory lights when you pull the handle while the door is locked if they NEED that too.....thanks again for the tutorial......i am also procrastinating putting up a tutorial to fix the seat recline problem on how to change the little connecting rod that strips out

[libraman2k1]

Damn!! It works!!-I took the cover off and sure enough, the gear was offset past the shaft--I took a soft cap off of a water bottle and drilled the center out and it fit perfectly behind the gear and I was able to press the screw on making a tight fit--I also used a mixture of lithium and wheel bearing grease to lube the whole thing--It works like a dream now I want to say thank u and u guys saved me lots of money--have a great day wanda woods--Libraman

[decemberist ring]

This is probably one of the most helpful things I have ever seen for my car. I bought a 1995 sc400 a few weeks ago for a mere $4000, and it was in absolutely pristine shape 150,000 except for the steering wheel not working. It was locked in the up position and it just made the grrr noise when I tried to move it. I took it to Sewell and they said it would cost $900usd to fix it and replace the motor. But obviously the motor worked due to the grrr sound, so I figured it was just a stripped gear. I was pretty worried, but fixing it for the 20cents I used to buy a washer made me extremely happy. The garden hose washer works perfectly, and you don't have to worry about it rattling or anything. I'm seventeen and don't know a whole lot about cars and this took me maybe 30min. One note, use a rachet on the three brass colored screws, a philips head stripped one of mine, also there is a third screw located behind the steering wheel, so if the top and bottom don't just snap off that is why. I didn't have any special hook tools, but I used two steak knives and got the gear out without a problem.

Thank you so much, I love this site!

David

[qha_vn]

Its a bit strange hearing many people having this part missing, I opened that gearbox the other day and found that there was actually the stock part in place of the "garden hose washer cap"

i am just wondering how it can be missing since reaching that part is not that easy

[chrisnisbet]

>> i am just wondering how it can be missing since reaching that part is not that easy

I don't think the part is 'missing'. When I investigated my gearbox, which was having the exact same problem as described in this thread, I found the remains of what was probably the stock washer. I'm guessing that it disintegrates over time. Perhaps some kind of reaction to the lubrication grease? Who knows? Anyway, I cleaned out the crud and inserted a plastic washer behind the blue gear to get it sitting in the correct position again, and all is well now.

[Larrymit]

Kudos to you on a great tilt steering repair - happened to me and the Lexus dealer advised me that a repair would cost me a thousand to replace the motor. After your advice this do-it-yourselfer made the fix and all is well. Maybe we could subcontract this repair out from Lexus and do it for five hundred!

[mejojo]

Kudos to you on a great tilt steering repair - happened to me and the Lexus dealer advised me that a repair would cost me a thousand to replace the motor. After your advice this do-it-yourselfer made the fix and all is well. Maybe we could subcontract this repair out from Lexus and do it for five hundred!

It is a complete embarrassment that a dealer either:

1) Doesn't know of the simple fix to this common ailment

or

2) Knows and will still want to ream the customer by replacing the whole thing

Embarrassing.

Joe

[eerf95]

I just join this forum because of this help! Thanks for the tips, it works great!

[allgood2001]

few days ago, I had a post regarding my jammed steering column (94 LS400). it was stuck at 'up' most position and refused to go down.

so, this morning, with hints from other good folks in the forum, I took sometime and completely fixed the problem. I took some pictures along the way, so anyone with the same problem, present or future, can use these pictured steps to fix it up without hundreds of ‘donation’ dollars to dealership!

dealers don't fix parts, they only install replacement parts. the motor is dealer-only item and it will cost you $524 last time I checked.

picture#1

take off the box-like cover behind steering wheel by removing two screws at bottom. top/bottom halfs are sort of 'snap on' to each other, the bottom part can be easily removed with the steering column telescoping all the way out. you can leave the top part on.

picture#2/#3

with driver door open, unscrew 3 screws, loosen the bolt of the swing-out piece, then the small side panel for the motor's gear box can be removed to expose the blue plastic gear which drives the screw rod above to control the column up and down.

remove nut/washer at center axis in front of the gear piece.

the gear in mine was somewhat loose after years of use. when up-down button was pressed, it tilted inward and the teeth lost contact with the screw rod. so I had to remove the gear piece in order to put some shim piece as support behind the gear to make it rotate straight again!

if your gear has totally worn teeth, then you must find one at junk yard. the gear worth only a few cents but dealer just don't sell it standalone!

picture #4

but the gear in mine was kinda difficult to take out, so I made a small ‘hook’ from a piece of flat metal on my work bench and kinda wedged the gear off the center axis by reachng the ‘hook’ behind the gear

picture #5

this was how I made the shim piece which must be some sort of ring shape with about 1/4" thickness:

I took the cap of an empty ‘fuel injector cleaner’ bottle (long neck), and used my Dremel to saw it into half along rim side. then I took the inner ring which is hard plastic and used it as the shim ring going behind the gear piece. it’s in perfect diameter and thickness for this purpose!

picture #6

place the shim ring around center axis, reinsert the gear piece, make sure it is straight and in good contact with the screw rod above. reinstall washer/nut at center axis.

try the up-down button again, and BINGO! my steering column now goes up-down perfectly and freely!

I assume you know what to do in reverse after that.

total time spent: no more than 20 minutes, total cost: 0 dollars and 0 cents!

Thanks for the post...really awesome as I just added a post for this exact problem. I'll try it next weekend right after I finish fixing my drive rails for the sunroof. Thanks again.

[cjmeyer]

Even though this is an old post,I am a newbie and performed this fix to my 95 which would not tilt anymore.I used 2 hose washers which cost me all of 43 cents and in about 20 minutes I was good to go.Thanks for the informative pics and taking the time to share this info with the board. :D

[lexusshad]

I just fixed my steering gears- The pictures were very helpful, and basically the same as for my 1997 LS 400.

I used 1 plastic water-hose washer to shim up the gear, and lubed up the whole set-up. It works beautifully, but I suppose in future, it may need further shims to be added.

If the gear was found to be damaged, I had been thinking of taking it to a machine shop and see if they could duplicate a new gear of brass.

[cardona6569]

Hello fellow members:

If you have a 1998-2000 the procedure is a bit different. Step one when removing the steering clumn telescopic-wheel-cover, it is necessary to move the wheel and disconnect 2 screws in the top half of the steering colum wheel/motor cover. You will find them by moving the steering wheel to both sides, since there are two of them, once you do that continue with the procedure as the post instructs.

For the shim I used a US 1/2" washer with a 1.3mm they sell another that is 1.27 mm which is a smaller diameter than is needed.

You do not need to disconect the airbag portion of the steering wheel for this procedure like I did, when it was not needed.

Thanks it works like new and saved some bucks.

CPR