so apparently in 08 there was a change to make the steering wheel more tight, like a BMW. I had an 08 loaner car last week, and like the feel of the steering wheel better than my 06....it reminds me more of my g/f's 2007 328 steering.

Anyway, I was talking to a coworker who has an Audi A3, and with a lap top he was able to adjust his how much assist he gets from his power steering, thus changing the feel of the wheel.

Can this be done with the Lex? I think the 06 steering feels to sloppy.

 

I also thinks the steering is sloppy in my 06. Would be nice if we can upgrade whatever parts to get it to feel tighter. Anyone know if that's possible?

 

yeah...its too light....

 

08 steering feels better than my BMW...doe your friend have a technican program to diagnosis & change his car?...i had a vw jetta & guys on the forum had a special program that allowed them to do all sorts of stuff.

 

Yeah, he has a software program that allows him to do all sorts of data logging, etc. Apparently he can also change some settings, such as the power steering, etc.

 

For VW/Audi there is an inexpensive aftermarket tool called "Vag-Com" which comes with software and a special USB adapter cable and allows a PC to function as a factory scan tool. I had one back when I had my Audi S4.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear that a similar product is available for our car, and the factory tool, a TIS Techstream, starts at more than $6,000. You can do simple things like reading and resetting codes, and even some data logging with an inexpensive CAN compatible generic scan tool, but flashing and programming controllers requires the real deal.

I've not heard about a controller setting on the Lexus that addresses power steering effort. If there is one, a mod friendly dealer may be willing to set it for you.

 

I'm just curious as to what changed in 08 to make the steering tighter....is it a new mechanical component, or some change in the electronics. there has to be a Lexus tech on this board that can answer this for us...

 

There is nothing in Lexus Tech Info about any changes to the steering for '08. You would need to look up the part numbers for the steering ECU and the steering rack to see if there are any updates.

Keep in mind, different tires will feel very different, so what you are feeling could easily be related to the tire selection Lexus made for 2008.

 

When my friend drove my 08 IS he also said the steering feels a lot stiffer than his 06 IS350. We thought it could have been that his 06 was more worn so the steering feels stiffer, but I guess we were just idiots haha. That's nice that hte 08s have stiffer steering, me like.

 

Someone needs to hack the F power steering ECU into the ISx50. Either that or do the modifications yourself by altering/controlling the voltage between the two torque sensors....

 

Give it time, I remember when the first hack came out for the EVO 8's. It is only a matter of time (LOL).

 

Yeah, I know....I think I remember seeing L-tuned power steering ECU for one of the older models (2GS maybe)...hopefully its only a matter of time.

 

I am driving a '08 IS250 loaner today. One of the first things I noticed was how much more effort was required to turn the wheel vs. my '07 IS350. Glad I saw this thread. I thought something was seriously off with the steering on the loaner.

 

Sounds like something is off with your car, not the loaner.

 

Yea, definitely felt the difference between my 06 IS350 and a loaner 08 IS250 from Southbay Lexus, which felt a lot tighter/better.

Does anyone know if 06/07 owners can change their power steering pulley to a 08? If it's the pulley which made the difference in steering tightness, an 08 might have a smaller diameter power steering pulley. If my assumption is correct, that means tighter steering feel + more power to the wheels!!