GRAND_LS 4

iTrader: (2)

This thread gets 5 stars

Thanks for the write up

SW07ES

Sorry, but your descriptions are as confusing as an IRS manual because you failed to SHOW ACTION PICTURES of EXACTLY how the electrical connector is separated and EXACTLY how the vice grips attach to the solenoid and how the solenoid gets loosened by them.

So countless owners will continue to be stuck trying to figure out how to get their solenoid off in order to clean the screen.

Next year will be the same story. Another Neo type owner will say he has the ultimate tutorial and it will just be another failure

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

well then why don't u get off ur highchair and write one then

people always talk tutorials down this way and that way yet nobody actually makes an attempt to fix anything...

once again, well done neo

Neofate

iTrader: (1)

It isn't THAT complicated. I took pictures after the fact.

The tutorial was meant to help, not so people can criticize just how incomplete it might be. Take it or leave it -- If I didn't write it, you wouldn't be any better off, or worse off.

I am truly sorry you can't use the tutorial written steps, which are an improvement over what I've scraped up off the forum (that I used to clean and remove my solenoid MANY times now) --

I didn't show pictures of how the electrical connector is separated?

Come on! -- Have you even attempted this? The electrical connector is like every other one on the vehicle. It is a clip. A white clip at that. (Think of the electrical connector for your tail-light bulbs) -- You push in the little white strip that is on the side of the connector, and out comes the little white end that leads to the solenoid.

Pictures really wouldn't do that any good. It is shown in the picture.. It is strap tied to the car. (On my car I tie it to make sure it doesn't go anywhere) -- I could have shown a picture of it 'undone' -- but that wouldn't do anygood. I suppose, a picture of me with my finger pressing on the obvious and only area to release the clip?

If I do something like that, people start bashing because it has unnecessary steps that are obvious..

I would get the other side saying "If someone can't figure out how to undo a clip then they have no business working on the car" -- I can see it now.


Frankly, everytime I scroll up and read your reply -- It looks more and more sarcastic -- I swear. Maybe your stirring the pot, I dunno. heh..

I mean, your complaining because I didn't show a more precise picture of the vice grips ON the solenoid? Gimme a break. lol .. You put them on, and you turn. It is how you use them, .. I don't think a 'how-to' on how to use your tools is warranted.

Should I include how to use your flat head, and how to use your phillips head screw driver next time?

Heh -- In fact I am 90% sure you are just stirring the pot here with that comment.

Another 'neo type' owner will claim they have the ultimate tutorial and it will be a failure. I never claimed this to be the ultimate tutorial,.. hah, far from it. I am usually fairly modest in things like this. I believe I actually said, maybe it will help someone.

It already has,.. so it has served its purpose.

Countless people getting stuck? I highly doubt it.

I was able to remove my solenoid without too much trouble without any pictures and bits and pieces of how-to's from some searches here...

If I ever pull it off again, I will take some more in depth pictures, of the grips ON the solenoid,.. heheh.. With the solenoid coming off.. Then the solenoid off and the screen removal. I might even take a picture of the toothbrush and cleaner. Maybe a picture of the solenoid off and the resulting hole in the rack with PS fluid dripping? That would be immeasurably helpful I'm sure

I am just responding out of boredom here,.. I know your just trolling to get a rise. So I'll bite

PD -- Thanks.

Ls4hundred

Hey, Neofate you are doing the forum and all its members a service by making any tutorial at all. Doing this blind could result in damage to someone's car and a fat paycheck to a lexus tech lol. So thank you.

steveski

Neofate - fantastic write up brother - thank you for posting it

Neofate

iTrader: (1)

Much appreciated you guys.

CUMan

I agree with the two previous posters, Neofate. Your DIY's are quite good and are very helpful.

Should we expect perfection in these write-ups? I would suspect that none of us is a trained technical writer with all the necessary tools to turn out the perfect DIY.

The comments made by someone about your taillight replacement DIY were especially troublesome. I remember the first time I had a dead taillight and opened the trunk, expecting to reach inside the taillight assembly and pull out a bulb holder. That's not how it works in a Lexus, is it? Well, I figured it out eventually, on my own. Your write-up would have saved me considerable frustration had it been available at the time.

Keep up the good work.

SW07ES

Yes, I've attempted removal several times and always got stuck on the two issues pictured:

drewkaree

Even in your pic, SW, it's easy to see how this'd work. A vise grips doesn't HAVE to get around the whole nut like a box wrench does. The box wrench's strength lies in having more leverage and pressure around a bigger area, and the leverage of the wrench itself. The vise grips gets pressure around a smaller area, but "clamps" onto that smaller area and is far harder to remove than a box wrench with an equal amount of purchase on that nut. Add to this the fact that you can increase/decrease the amount of pressure by tightening the spring screw, and apparently, as in Neo's case, you can get enough grip to solve your problem.

Or else he didn't do it with a vice grips or your situation is completely different and I'm just talking out of my ***!

KMinAF

Pretty much any Toyota PS vacuum valve will work. I paid $1.50 for mine from the local Pic N Pull. I took mine from a truck since the pump is mounted up high and easy to get to. The valve looks slightly different, it all metal, but it works just fine.

qewani1

This also may help
http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/steer...mprebuild.html

JAndersson

Maybe this has been answered many times. If so I apologize. But what happens when the solenoid is bad? Does the steering get's heavier or lighter? The reason to why I ask is that my steering gets quit light around 120 kph (75 mph). Up to that it works fine. So the PPS (Progressive Power Steering) seems to work fine at lower speeds. Have done the Modifying Speed-Sensitive Power Steering mod from AutoSpeed (http://autospeed.com/A_110778/cms/article.html). This helped a bit. The problem is that this doesn't really helps at higher speeds because of the way the PPS works. (High speed = low voltage out = the resistor doesn't make that big of a change). But the steering feels much better after this mod even when the resistor is bypassed (normally drive the car this way). So I ques that a dirty solenoid can be the problem (the solenoid want open fully). Or does my car behave as it should? Made a power steering flushing not that long ago.

91LS400LEX

That is a good question. I would like to know too. I have had a problem with my PS pump on my '91 for awhile now. Its normally worse in the winter months, but even now that hot weather is here, I am still having leaks and noises. It didnt leak in the summer last year, only the winter before. I know that these have "internal" and external leaks, but I have another problem now too.

Example this morning, it was 65° and when I started the car, at first, it make a "zip" sound, went away, then 10 seconds later the PS pump was "whining". I shut it off and checked the fluid and there was some showing on the bottom of the stick. I poured more fluid in (and naturally I overfilled it), but had to go on. It still had that whine until the car warmed up despite being full of fluid. I am guessing that there could be air in the system now, or the screen needs to be cleaned. I am not much of a DIY'er, but I am going to have to try I guess.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Guys, anyone heard from Neofate? He just diappeared from the forum one day....