If you look at the oil filter from below, you will see a 'hoop' of rubber power steering line that is right in your face. It looks like you could hang a coat hanger from it. That rubber line has a connection at the end that is toward the bumper that is a metal tubing junction that cracked and failed on mine.
Last week, just before a long trip, I had noticed a drip of ps fluid on my driveway. After putting the car up on stands in the front and wiping everything off, I ran the car for ten seconds while rotating the wheel from lock to lock. After getting underneath I saw that where the rubber 'hoop' section connected to the metal line going up to the engine, it was wet with ps fluid.
I made two end caps from plastic tubing and duct tape so that when I removed the line I would not lose too much fluid. The end closest to the drivers seat was simple, it slid right off after the usual liquid wrench, wait ten minutes routine. The bumper side of the rubber line was TERRIBLE!
I found out why when it released after getting medieval with the vise grips, the metal inside the rubber had actually failed and cracked just above the clamp! Well that left a knarly metal tube to try to get my home made cap onto after pulling it free. Ps fluid everywhere and every tool felt like I was holding onto a slippery eel!
After a quick clean up I took the part to the local store and got a foot of heavy duty tubing that was a little under sized and four high quality hose clamps.
Again the drivers side of the loop was easy to put back on, but the bumper side took ten minutes just to ease the tube on and get the clamp where I wanted it.
I topped off the reservoir, did the usual left and right to clear the air and left it alone over night with the cap off the reservoir.
In the morning I started it up and had no noise or bubbles and took it for a drive and did full power starts and high speed runs on the highway to make sure I would not have a leak in my repair on my trip. No leaks, no nothing and I have a better feel back in the steering.
Another repair that comes from years and years of small body movements that fatigue metal tubing. Like the EGR tube issue I guess, without the severe heat cycling.
BTW I used one of the clamps to keep the tubing from crimping itself off at the bottom of the loop. Buying a longer length of tubing might have made that unnecessary if you try the repair yourself.
Now I have to look up the actual part and see what I saved and if I should swap it out for the real one in the future.
Well, thank you for the detailed description. I'll check it out. Today I cleaned the filter(filthy) in the solenoid and the PS resevoir and also I plugged the AC valve, I put everything back together and flushed the lines. This ended up being quite a chore because none of that has been touched in 14 years. Once I got everything back on, I looked and behold there was the drip coming from the same spot. I was going to take it to the Lexus dealer tomorrow but I'll put that on hold. Thank you