daffy

Hi Exhaustgases, It's right below the accumulator for the traction control. Actually, the hose attaches to the accumulator. The whole unit is next to the brake booster. You have to pull off a plastic cover to see the accumulator. This hose has a higher pressure rating than the brake lines, I believe. That's why it's expensive. There's an electric motor that pressures the accumulator up to something like 3,000 psi or more. This is the usable pressure, that the traction control uses to apply the brakes to the rear wheels, as it needs it. I still don't know the secret to how to bleed this unit properly.Daffy

Hi Lander, Yes, this new dealership has really impressed me! I had just finished installing a new starter, timing belt and water pump before I took the car to them. They even noticed a coolant leak, and fixed that as well! I am now getting the front end repainted as there's lots of rock chips, and left front fender had some damage. The car should be good for another 5 years or so.... I also roamed around the new cars they had on display. Wish I was rich! I would have picked one out that day! Daffy

Hi, everyone, I just had to have my traction control working for upcoming winter, so I took it to a dealer. They gave me Lexus Rx350 SUV, while they worked on my car. I had the loaner for almost two weeks, as the dealer finally found the problem. It was the flexible high pressure hose that was weeping and possibly expanding (from age) just enough to trigger the traction light on my dash. I was pleasantly surprised that they only charged me $450. The high pressure hose was $98 alone. The traction light has not come on for two months now, so I am very happy! For the diy people, check this hose first! Daffy

Thanks Sha4000, It sounded funny starting up first time, I guess from lack of fuel in the fuel rails. Revved it a little, and it cleared up. Runs like new and the starter spins so fast now. Now, if I can only solve the Trac light issue. I need to find out the proper way to bleed the accumulator. Daffy

Hi everyone, I got my rebuilt starter back in my car and it works. What I did to speed up the process, I hacksaw a slot on the thread end of the bolts for the starter. So when I re-installed the new starter, I got the bolts started into the starter, then got a long screwdriver, and screwed the bolts until they tightened, from the starter side. Then I used the wrench to final tighten the starter. Saved a lot of time. So if I have to take the starter off next time, It will only take minutes instead of hours. I only used a wrench (bent) to tighten or loosen the bolts. Daffy

Hi, I am doing the starter right now and it's a horrible job, but doable. I think the starter could have been designed with the contacts on the outside of the engine, similar to the older Fords. The starter itself seems to last a very long time. Changing contacts is all that is needed most of the time. Daffy

Hi Daniel091 Doesn't look like there is any way to fix the trac lok accumulator. I have the manuals and all it says, when the accumulator is the problem, and bleeding doesn't solve the issue, then take accumulator out, and bleed off the pressure, then discard. Replace with new. I think there is an O-ring inside that needs to be replaced, and re-pressurized to 3000 psi? I also know someone in the UK does this for a fraction of the cost of a new one. So how come no one does it here? Daffy

So nobody in Canada or US repairs these accumulators? I have an extra one here, I might take it apart and install new seals and get it recharged. I need to know the proper pressure. 3000psi? Daffy

Hi Daniel091 I think you are probably right. I have had loose connections before. I sometimes use electrical spray cleaner and reconnect the connectors and that seems to help. Daffy.

Hi My trac lock light is back on. So the second accumulator is no good now. Same code #19. Must be the age thing. So now I wonder if anyone knows someone that can rebuild these accumulators? I don't really want to buy a used one and have it go in a short period of time knowing these accumulators only last so long. There is someone in the UK doing it. They replace the O ring and recharge the accumulator. I don't want to send it that far away.Thanks Daffy

Hi all, Just want to let you know that the traction control has been working great! Thanks for your input. Daffy

Hi Landar, Thanks for your input, and yes I have heard of this. I hope that isn't happening to me. I don't know what's going on, but I just took a 2 hour highway trip with my car and the "traction lock" light did not come on! The traction lock seems to be working like it should. My fingers are crossed! Daffy

Hi, Nope, that did not work! The trac light came back on. I think something else is going on. I have noticed when I lightly step on the brake pedal, the steering wheel has a tendency to turn to the left, ever so slightly. So I thought, maybe I have a front caliper starting to seize up on the left front corner. Since I have my old car still, I took out the left front caliper and replaced it on the car I am driving now. It is still doing the exact same thing. So it is the back left calliper that that may be seizing. So I am thinking, maybe this is what is causing the track light to come on? It maybe giving the same signal as a leak in the system, which is part of code 19, a leak in the system somewhere. When the weather warms up again, I will get the the back caliper from the old car and replace the faulty caliper. I can't believe I would have two bad calipers at almost the same time go bad. Daffy

Hi everyone, It got real warm here, +1 degrees Celsius, so I decided to take the accumulator out of the old car. I installed this accumulator today, and yes, it works! This is a great site, it has helped me before and will help me again, Thanks for all your input. Happy holidays! Daffy

Hi Steve2006, Sounds like it's not too hard. If we get some warm weather, I might try to take it out of the old car. Thanks, Daffy

Hi Steve2006, Is there any tricks or tips I need to know, to switch over the accumulator from my old car? I think I will switch the whole unit from the old car, because I know it was all working good when I parked it. Is it a big job? I just find it hard to believe that the accumulator just quit at the same time I changed out one rear brake caliper. I wonder if the accumulator is still going to be good if I take it out of the old car and install it into this car. Thanks, Daffy

Hi, Ok, I have bled the brakes with two people system and that made no difference. So I guess the accumulator is shot. This spring I will take the one off my old car and install on this car and hope this works. Daffy

Hi Steve2006, Thanks for your reply. I just can't see the accumulator failing so fast, just because I changed out one rear caliper. I think the way I bled the brakes with a vacuum pump, probably caused a little air in the lines somewhere that's stubborn to get out. I will bleed the brakes this time by pumping the pedal and force the air out that way. If this doesn't work, I have a second Lexus here for parts, that I can rob the accumulator from, (with 600,000 kilometers on it though) to solve my problem. The car I am driving has only 250,000 kilometers. Code 19 also says there could be leakage in the lines, and a little tiny bit of air in the lines can give the same indication. So it will be easier to bleed the lines the proper way to see if this corrects the problem, otherwise you are 100% correct, that it is the accumulator. Thanks for your input, Daffy

Hi Landar, I have been thinking about this and I think you are right. I still have a little bit of air in the system. I still think I don't have to take it to a dealer. I will try one more time to bleed the brakes, the good old way, with two people. That should force any air that is in the system out. My ABS seems to be working good. No codes there. I have DOT3 in my car, that is what is recommended. Thanks for your input. I will try this weekend to bleed the brakes and I will post my results. Daffy

Hi Landar, Yes, I have cleared the code and it the trac light comes back on. The only thing I did different was to use synthetic brake fluid. Originally I just bled the brakes, not the accumulator or trac control. So it worked for a day or so, then the trac light came on. So I bled everything after that (didn't work). If the accumulator is shot, wouldn't the trac light stay on all the time? I can shut the car off, restart and the trac light goes out and traction lock works for a short period of time (5 to 30 minutes). Code 19 says trac motor is cycling too often or there is a leak in the brake system. I don't think there is a leak, as the fluid is staying up. Pedal still feels a bit mushy though, after vacuum bleeding. I have driven the car around, seems fine, brake wise. ABS works. I am thinking of going back to ordinary Dot3 brake fluid and see what happens unless someone has any other ideas. Daffy

Hi, So, I just finished bleeding the brakes, accumulator and trac control, again, to make sure I did everything in order and to the book. The trac light still comes on (code 19) yet before that happens, the trac lock system worked perfectly. I have tried it a few times, and you can hear the brakes working, the engine cuts back on the throttle, and the trac light flashes in the dash. I used a vacuum bleeder, maybe that's not good enough? Maybe I should be using a pressure bleeder? I cannot see the accumulator failing so quick over bleeding the brakes. Any ideas? Thanks, Daffy

Hi Everyone, Thanks for some really good advice! Marking parts, requesting the old parts back, that's going to happen in the future for sure, if I ever have to take my car in again. Daffy

Hi, About 3 years ago I had some starter problems with my 1991 Ls400. At around 550,000 kilometers, I thought I needed a new starter, and told a Lexus dealer. Well, I brought my car in and they supposedly changed the starter and billed me for a new starter- around $1200. I have the receipt somewhere. Before taking the car in, I had to drive on a short stretch of gravel road to get to my ultralight aircraft. After the work was done, I lifted the hood and there was dirt and a few grains of sand where the intake manifold meets the heads. Now it seems to me, to get the starter out, you have to remove the intake manifold. Before you remove the intake manifold, the engine has to be cleaned first. Now being in the middle of winter, the Lexus dealer probably doesn't like to steam clean the engines unless they have too. I am 99% sure they must have replaced the contacts for the starter, because the starter worked perfectly after that. If this is the case, then they should have told me this, and only charge me for a new solenoid- not a new starter. Unless you can remove a starter without removing the intake manifold (which I doubt), I think I was ripped off. I haven't been back since and will not trust anyone with my newer Lexus. I will do all the work I can myself. I least I have this option. For many of you Lexus owners- beware! I had other things done to the car, and now I am not really sure if it the work was really done or not. Many of you may say, confront the dealer, well I am not an aggressive type and often avoid these situations. I just move on and let other people know my experiences. My 2 cents worth. Daffy

Hi All, Just want to let you know that about 8 years ago I rebuilt my power steering pump on my 1991 LS400. All I did was replaced the seals and the main bearing. I switched to synthetic oil after the rebuild and got 400,000 kilometers before I retired the car. I was also amazed at how easy the pump was to work on. No special tools or pullers were needed. I picked up another LS400 (2 months newer, with low kilometers) and rebuilt the power steering pump on that car before it started to leak. This time I decided not to replace the main bearing, because I think they last forever. The hardest part of the job is taking the pump out. This is a really a well engineered, long lasting, pump. I think the only real problem that caused these pumps to leak in the first place was that it was mounted too close to the engine where it is very hot. This caused the seals to get hard and brittle. They must have come up with a better material for the newer seals because of the life I got out of the first rebuild. FYI Daffy