Ls430Coy

I have a 98 Lexus ls 400 with 180 k ....the power steering keeps going low and i dont see any fluid on the ground

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

readup on the power steering post..

anesthesia

Same happen to my car, power steering needs replacement along with the hose, do it before the alt. Gets F..Ck up. Get luck don't put it off

dicer

If the newer cars are like the older ones the idle up valve seals are gone and its going in the engine and its burning it.

Oseberg

Can the valve seals be fixed?

deanshark

Not the valve seals. It's the seals on the Idle Up Valve which is located on bottom of power steering pump. The fluid leaks from that and goes in the vacuum hoses which go to the intake. That's why some people have white smoke from exhaust at start up.

Banshee365

Dicer should reply here soon regarding repairing the ACV's. He says you can actually replace the o-rings in the valves if you are careful. I have never tried that. I just replace the valve with an OEM part and I'm done.

Superfast1

Toyota over-engineered these LS400's so you don't really need this valve. Just delete the valve & plug the hole on the steering pump w/ a bolt. I've forgot what size (I think it's either 14 or 17 mm) so you'll need to size it & match the bolt thread's pitch. Some people modified & turned the valve into a plug by breaking the plastic housing. You'll also need to cap the 2 vacuum hoses attached to this valve. It's an easy fix & effective.

Scooter72

And if it turns out not to be the valve, it could very well be the rack itself. I had to do one on a 98 about a year ago. When the rack starts leaking, you can't see it because the fluid stays inside those dust boots for the tie rods. Eventually, you can see some seepage and grime around the boots, and if you take the large clamp off, fluid will start running out. It should be totally dry behind the boots when the rack is good. The only real fix is to replace the rack & pinion unit. I have rebuilt them before, but don't recommend it for most people, as the seals are too easy to damage when you reassemble the unit.