rdbuss

Hello, all! I just wanted to share with the community my experience with the steering rack solenoid, as well as ask if there is anyone out there with a part I need. Sorry if this is long-winded...

First off, I recently got a 1996 SC400 that has a few minor issues. My plan is to fix these small issues and use the car as my daily. One of the issues was the power steering which wasn't really working. Since the previous owner had recently replaced both the power steering pump and steering rack, I determined that it was the solenoid in the steering rack that was not functioning.

Broken solenoid wires...


The first picture is of the wires and connector going to the solenoid. As you can see, the reason why it wasn't working was it had no power. Easy fix! Just splice in a new water-tight connector, and problem solved! Mostly...

Once I started up the car after fixing the wiring, the power steering was a thousand times better! Yay! But, it wasn't perfect. It was still "catching" in the middle range of the steering range, and there was a slight judder if I turned the wheel too quickly to the left. Not perfect.

So, I did more research and discovered that the symptoms seemed to match a clogged solenoid screen. So, I went ahead and pulled the solenoid out (kinda tricky, but not too bad once you take the front right wheel off) and discovered that my solenoid is missing the screen.


Here is what the solenoid looks like in place...

Comparison below as to what my solenoid is missing:

My solenoid...


A solenoid with the screen mine is missing...

As you can see, mine (the top pic) is missing the screen around the neck of the solenoid. Before anyone asks, yes I checked everywhere for it in case it fell off somehow. It wasn't in the oil pan I used to catch the fluid, or still up in the rack. It's just gone :-(
I was disappointed, but I went ahead and checked the health of the solenoid by doing the click test (it passed) and checked the resistance (it read 7.5 Ohms. Supposed to be between 6-11 Ohms, passed), so it is definitely a functioning unit.

All of this is to say, I need that screen for my solenoid. Is there anyone out there who has one and is willing to sell it to me? You can even send me a dead solenoid with a good screen on it. Anything to get this fixed :-)

Thanks for reading!

vipsoarer

Unfortunately i dont have the screen to help you with, but i have had experience with the solenoid. You may be able to find the part on some of the parts sites for lexus dealers (south atlanta for example). A few of them will have every part diagram for the car and hopefully youll get lucky and find the part.

My warning to you: Be sure to replace ALL of the O-rings for it before placing it back in the rack. Be sure to lube them up well so they dont pinch when installing, but you'll see that they get brittle and compressed over time. If you dont, you'll have highly pressurized ATF all over the place.