Sean D.

Thanks SK. I actually ended up trying your idea - it was the cheapest - and it worked! I got some white lithium grease and sprayed the key lightly on both sides. After inserting and re-inserting the key several times the problem has not returned. I hope somebody else reads this someday!

This happened with my 1995 LS and when I ended up taking it to the dealership the $ number they gave me was outrageous (don't remember what it was). So I took it to a local well respected alarm installer and had a new alarm put on the car for under $500 with keyless entry, AND auto trunk opening. This worked perfectly and still worked when I sold the car several years later. Just a thought...

I just bought a 99 LS400 and I love it. This will be my 3rd Lexus having owned a 95 LS, and a 97 LX450. I love the car, but I've been searching for an answer to this little problem I've been having and I can't seem to find something specific enough on this forum to address it. This has to do with the auto tilt-away feature (I know I know: easy search - but I haven't found anything on here that talks about this specific problem). Within 12 hours of buying the car the "auto" tilt feature quit working. Sometimes if you pull the key out just right, in a quick and reckless motion it still works, but if you just normally turn the car off and pull the key out it starts to move up, but only moves a millimeter or so - like it WANTS to go up, but won't. When the column DOES move, it moves completely silent and smooth. So it still works with the button on the column...kinda: Sometimes you hold the button down or up and the tilt works perfectly. Other times you have to keep pushing the button up, letting off, then push it up again, etc. where it will move a fraction of a millimeter at a time. Very odd problem, but my gut tells me it's something very simple, i.e. a loose wire connector or something like that. The mechanics of the tilt are perfect; like I said it's very smooth and quiet when it works. Anyone have an idea about this before I drop in on the dealership and take the kick to the gut I know it'll be? (- at least a $1,000). -Sean