atropine

I bought a 94 LS400 about a year and a half ago. I would get some intermittent loss of power steering at idle, so I read through the steering bible on this forum and tried some fixes. Cleaned the solenoid screen and blocked off the IAC valve, but not a whole lot of change. Then about 6 months ago it started leaking fluid down at the rack. So I dumped in some of the Lucas stop leak, but it didn't make much difference. As the weather turned colder recently, the steering was getting much worse- very stiff until the car warmed up. Recently I cleaned the solenoid screen again, but no improvement. So I decided to replace the thick fluid that had a bunch of stop-leak in it with just fresh, straight ATF. I sucked the reservoir empty with a syringe and replaced with Dexron III ATF. Immediately after doing this, the pump started whining the first time I started the car (like the system was full of air). Tried to bleed the air out by turning wheel to wheel about 100 times, but no improvement. In fact, things were worse- now the power steering was not working ever, and the whine was pretty significant. But at least my rack leak had stopped.... So I then decided to flush the system, which I did just a couple days ago. Still no improvement. Fluid poured out the return line pretty fast and the reservoir emptied fast, which would seem to indicate that the reservoir screen is not plugged and the pump is actually pumping. I am tempted to just replace the whole rack and get a new pump so I can essentially have an entire new, clean system. Replacing the pump looks pretty easy, but I haven't found a good DIY for the steering rack. Some posts seem to claim that it is very simple, but has anyone ever done this and tell me for sure? Is the disconnect from the steering column simple? Can I do it without replacing the tie rods?

steve2006

Although for the SC400 the link below may help.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...ement-diy.html

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

It is not difficult. Just make sure you put the steering wheel in the center position and do not allow the steering wheel to rotate once you disconnect the spline from the rack because if not you could damage the airbag coil spring. Also make sure the new rack is in the center position when you reconnect the spline to it. While you are doing this you might as well change the tire rod ends (if the rack does not come with new ones) and the rubber bushing that the rack mounts to. Also when I put a new one on mine the rack play nut was not adjusted correctly and I had to readjust it to have a nice tight steering (with no play). If you have never changed your lower ball joint I would change it also while you have things apart.

atropine

Great info, thx guys. I'm not going to keep the car forever; I just want to get it working well enough to sell it. It's been a great car and I will still keep it a few months, but I am probably going to get another car that gets better fuel mileage as my daily commute is over 100 miles. The SC400 writeup is exactly what I was looking for, thx. Do you think the tie rod ends really have to be removed? Will the rack tie rods rotate 360 degrees continuously to enable me to unthread them from the outer tie rod ends in order to save me the hassle of removing the outer tie rod ends?

johnnyg66

The tie rods unscrew from rack as shown. You will need to either swap them over to new rack or buy new ones and install. Where you referring to the ball joints on your last question?

Than no but best to change them over since you have gone that far. Unless cash is an issue.

atropine

OK, so I replaced the rack today. Did both outer tie rods at the same time as suggested. Decided not to do steering pump as it seemed to be working and I thought maybe the problem was just the solenoid/rack. Got everything back together, flushed system, and filled reservoir. Bled the system and it bled pretty quickly/easily. Pump is quiet, and no leaks. But as soon as I put the car back down on the ground, I found that I have no power steering. (It was impossible to tell with the car on jackstands, but it felt like it prob wasn't working). So I tested the new solenoid, and I can't hear it click. The ohms reading is correct (just like the original solenoid), but I can't hear it click when I deliver a known good 12V source. Could I really have a bad (new) solenoid? If so, would it prohibit me from having ANY power steering at all? Does anyone know which circuit of the car this solenoid is in? If it isn't the solenoid, about the only thing else I can do is replace the pump. But I would be surprised since the pump sucks the reservoir empty very quickly once the car is started...

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

May still have air in there

python

iTrader: (4)

disconnect the return line and hold it over the reservoir..have someone in the car turn the wheel back and forth..you should have a steady stream of fluid..if not u could have blockage in the lines. as for the air in the system..get the car off the ground and turn it back and forth(from stop to stop) until it acts as it should.

atropine

It was the power steering pump. Replaced it and now all is good.