RamAirRckt

I developed a C1231 fault (steering wheel was at -851 degrees on scan tool) and I figured the sensor bit it, it did not detect movement of the wheel and it was out of range.

At the local boneyard I found a 00 LS, a very rare find. So I pulled the steering wheel sensor and the optical "chopper wheel" as it used to be called for it.

My symptoms were an always VSC on, never off. Even after reset car or codes, VSC on. So I plugged in the 00 LS sensor and I got the VSC to clear. But the moment I turned the wheel, VSC disabled. Ok, my old sensor bad. New sensor good, but the optical wheel is DIFFERENT on the 98 GS to the 00 LS. I did find not installing the sensor on the wheel made VSC work without steering input and no codes. I then pulled the wheel and installed the optical wheel from the LS on my GS with the LS sensor and it works.

The sensor has the IR LED's arranged in a different pattern on the LS than the 98 GS. My suspicion is that all cars got it as an upgrade in signal to the VSC ECU. The input pattern is the same, but the arrangement of the IR LED's MUST match the optical wheel.

The 98 GS Steering Sensor parts are obsolete and one Lexus dealer online said no replacement available. So if you want to fix it, use the later LS or GS parts, but it MUST have the matching optical wheel changed as well.