Hey guys I recently started hearing a weird noise every time I turned the steering wheel from my 2006 is250 . Turned out the racket pinion was bad. So my mechanic replaced that and after that the noise when went away but the steering became almost impossible to turn. And he diagnosed that that power steering control module is bad. So I ordered a use one from eBay and had that replaced. However, the problem is still there. Please any comments would be helpful. Appreciate it. Really stressed and don't know what to do.

 

I would check all connections on the rack itself, and steering ecu. Also PS related fuses. There's some documented PS rack failures here. Some have had bad alternator that caused this issue. Others just bad rack again after getting replaced at the dealer. Also the rack has a ground wire that attaches to it and ties back up to the frame.

Is your PS light on in the dash, or engine light on?

 

Hey thanks so much man. The engine light is not on but the power steering light is on.

 

check the wires because it could be cut. Common area is by the powersteering ecu when they try to unhook... happened to me. Does your mechanic have techstream? If not, one of those expensive snap on can recalibrate your steering ecu as well. If it freezes on you during the torque angle calibration, the culprit most likely will be a cut somewhere. Took me 3 steering ecu and a rack to find this out. Pm me if you have any other questions


best of luck,

B

 

What's the DTC?

 

I checked everything today again everything has connection but p/s lights still on.

 

So if your mechanic was paid to fix your problem, why isn't it fixed?

 

My 2006 lexus is250 won't steer. Its causing the navigation in my rearview mirror to malfunction i.e. blink on and off and my car went stay started. I first started hearing the whining noise and then it became hard to make turns. Now it won't steer at all. Please help.

 

Have you had your battery tested at s local auto parts store?

 

If the power steering stops working, don't rush into condemning the EPS Control ECU just because the (EMPS Torque Sensor Adjustment) calibration procedure keeps on failing with a communications error. The ECU is located under the battery tray. Typical DTCs related to this will be C1515 Torque sensor zero point adjustment not performed / C1515 Rotation angle sensor initialization not performed / C1525 Torque angle sensor initialization not performed / C1525 Rotation angle sensor initialization not performed. These are factory codes and not all scan tools are able to read or detect these. The same goes for the EMPS Torque Sensor Adjustment calibration procedure where not all scan tools have this feature (located under Special Function). More often than a bad ECU module will be either bad wiring or a loose connection, usually caused by broken connector lock tabs or broken wires when not handled properly. Second to this is a corrosion problem that can develop once (usually a damaged connector) allows moisture to collect on the contacts. If anyone had to remove this module during maintenance, suspect the wiring or connectors may have been damaged. The very first step if the PS stops working is to of course make sure the module has good power and ground. Make sure it is receiving 12V, that the fuse is not blown and that it also has good ground. Next inspect all the wiring very closely. Inspect for frayed or broken wires. If necessary, disconnect the connectors and perform continuity testing between the connectors at the ECU and the other end at the steering rack. Of course damaged connectors need to be repaired. Also and especially if you find any loose or damaged connectors, corrosion may have formed, so you probably want to use a specialized electrical contact cleaner to clean the connectors on both the connector and module side and apply some tune-up grease. Once all is inspected, fixed and cleaned, reconnect and attempt the calibration procedure again. To release connector on LHS: Using a small flat screwdriver, pry up on the little black tab; this loosens the larger white/gray tab. Now you can pull up on the larger tab and continue pushing to the right until the connector disengages. Connectors on the RHS: On the other similar connector, you can just pry underneath with a large screwdriver and as you lift up, it will release. The second one is straight forward, however, due to brittleness, it might be better to gently pry up with a small screwdriver just enough to release it. It might make sense to remove all the 10mm bolts to loosen the unit before attempting to remove the electrical connectors. I hope this helps someone.