Hey guyz, I am having a 96LS...

For the past few weeks, i gave my car to one of my friend, and when he returned me... i am facing a problem with the steering column tilt...

At first, when I put the key in the ignition switch, the column tilts perfectly to its position, where i left it off while switching off...

But if I set it manually by using the controller.. The column works perfectly moving inside and outside, but motor doesnot work upwards and downwards.. I just hear a clicking sound when i press up or down...

In other LS cases, I have seen the motor sounds coming, but mine one just give a clicking sound like i am pressing a mouse button...

Any solutions for it???

 

sure they are, just do a search, it has been covered many, many times,,, and it is very simple... almost free..

 

In addition to this, the motor marked in the attached picture with a red arrow, sits right below the steering, when i press the tilt button upwards or downwards, the motors spins, just a second or two, enough to get to the position that i am looking for then stop spinning..

the motor spins again after leaving it for sometime and then stops working...

what could be the problem??

 

have you look at the tilt gear to see if it's aligned properly?

From what i've read in the Faq, the washer fix should resolve your issue.

 

here's a video

 

lchouinard, i guess the washer is alligned properly that's why its moving after time to time, but when its leaving the movement, it sounds like the motor is losing its works...

Is there a problem with the tilt motor?

 

all you have to do is look in there and find out, we cant look into it for you....
you can open it and take a picture of it....

 

Mine is doing this same thing, I plan to pull it apart this week when I'm not working and try the fix but I suspect this is not the issue. It's free to go in and check it out though. I never hear my motor working when the column is not moving. I'm also noticing that if it has been parked in the heat for a while the high cabin temps seem to prompt it to not work but when the AC cools things down I can tap it into position, a little at a time.

I plan to use some elec cleaner on the switch as well, I see the switch assemblies on Ebay to.

When I put the key in the wheel will extend and drop, just not to the full extent it should.... until the vehicle is cooled down inside, only then will it work as intended. Once cooled it will work always by the key and sometimes by the switch. I need for my car to be proper so I WILL find the correct fix, up to but not excluding replacing motors if need be.

Does this sound like your issue?

 

Caseyjones, thats exactly my same issue.. the motor doesnot extend to it full length, my car is also being parked in high temp.. usually the temp in the middle east is from 30-51^C here... so my motor is quite hot when i start my car... but as things cool down in the cabin, the motor works only for a while just to get the correct position where i need it to be... then i probably doesnt change the position...

I showed to one of my friend who himself is a great mechanic of LEXUS only... he told me the motor needs to be service and if it doesnt work, you have to replace it with the other..

Since it is quite expensive motor, i will look into any junkyard for a totalled LS400, and buy the motor on less price as compared to the new...

I always wanted my LS to clean and everything fine... so i probably change the motor...

I am sorry @Caseyjones but changing the motor can only resolve this issue..

Let me know what have you done with yours LS!

 

On mine the telescopic portion is fine. Occasionally it doesn't extend all the way to my setting by putting in the key but I can quickly adjust it with the switch. The issues I have are mainly the tilt. And it did cross my mind that the motor is to blame and not the worm gear drive system in the column.

I have been checking ebay just for fun and see the prices vary GREATLY depending on when you look. I'm not sure what availability is where you are but I'm guessing that a wrecked/parts car is by far your best bet. I have a few things to try before I R&R motors. New OEM parts are absurd but some used ones appear quite fairly priced from time to time.

 

Just another thought, I have read plenty that suggests that these motors are pretty reliable and that the drive systems are the fail point, but IF it turns out to be a motor, what about having a local electrical/electronics specialist recondition the motors. I have seen such services for electric motors before but nothing lexus specific and nothing recent. Someone that can recondition/rewind an elec motor if already removed from the vehicle. Worth looking into.

 

Ya, mine is also mainly the tilt problem.. and doesnt extend to its full lenght towards the chest... my friend also told me that the motor can be recondition but if it fails to work like before... you have to replace it... so i also saw on ebay for the motor but the prices are like they are selling the GOLD ... i can easily find the tilt motor for around $30-$50 from the wrecked car garages.. so i guess i will replace it sooner..

 

Do post the fix when done, I will do the same. I'm going on web searches now, have read a few where symptoms like ours were also fixed the old way with the washer/relube fix.

From what I gather the original lubrication for the gears and moving parts is lithium based, which I know will tend to loose some lubricity over time. I plan to find all the moving parts I can access without dropping the column and clean/relube everything with the (truly amazing and exorbitantly priced) Mercedes Benz sunroof lube if I can find my stash of it, or Teflon axle grease if I cannot. I hope that the old lithium based grease is providing enough drag on things along with an old washer caked with it to simulate a bad motor. Motor unable to overcome the drag of the gear drive system. Mine does not make any aaarrrrr noise or clicky sounds, or motor running but not driving anything sounds. It just stops working.

I work all weekend, every weekend and usually Monday. I will be outside Tuesday doing this and will promptly report back the results.

I had my Saab 9-5 perfect, EVERYTHING worked as intended. I tend to be OCD about having everything working right.

 

Update:

I got into the column as outlined in the tutorial, literally had the gear in the palm of my hand within 5 minutes, this is really easy.

Inside it was pristine, like unused brand new car pristine. Even the disintegrating washer was fully intact and in mint condition with the gears lined up perfectly, even the grease is brand new looking. This unit has to be new, really cant be from 96. So the zip tie/garden hose washer does not apply to this issue.

With the gear removed I ran the motor in each direction to make sure it runs free, and it does run with that nice satisfying ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ in both directions... for about 2 seconds then it slows down and stops. To make it run again I have to wait several seconds, then it works again for another second. This would explain why I have to wait and every few minutes tap the switch to move the column up/down 1/8" at a time, even worse when the temps outside are high. It does function better when the AC has had time to cool the cabin. Just for fun I loosened the nut at the end of the worm drive to see if it was binding somehow, no difference.

I can only conclude that this brand spanking new looking motor is defective, it looks like an easy removal. I am tempted to pull it and take it apart to see what happened but as of now it's what the wifey and I are both driving.

Now I will seek out another tilt motor, maybe on fleabay. It looks like a pretty straight forward swap, easy to get to. I'm glad the in/out works well, that motor is buried in there. I'll find another motor and then try to repair this one, so if it fails I can simply R&R.

Any other Lexus/Toy models with compatible tilt motor?

EDIT: All local wrecking yards are bingo on Lexii vehicles but A local U pull IT yard here has a 92 LS400, is this tilt motor compatible with my 96?

 

i guess you have to search for it, see the oem part number and match it with the 92LS... If the part is same, go for it...

Not pretty sure, but the setup of UCF10/11 and UCF20/21 differs alot each other... so i guess it wont be the same... Still see the OEM part number...

I'm not finding the time to fix this minor replacement, so i'll do it by the time.. Once i fix the problem, will post the pictures of it...