tallcaguy

My indy (and one of his technicians) spent 30 min diagnosing the whine. Stethoscope on PS pump, idler pulley, any possible source of noise. Put the car up on the rack and ran the engine. Checked the alternator. Redid the fluid (high perf synthetic) which did help slightly. Says the reservoir filter is completely clean. No mention of second small filter but don't think it's an issue. Bottom line? Pump isn't bad but there is more noise than normal. I was sitting in the waiting room which is separate from the garage. Couldn't see the car but knew exactly when they started the car because I could hear the whine. New OEM pump next week. Oh yeah, he thinks the 430 is one of the best cars Lexus ever made. He's a Lex Master Tech with many years of experience. Also owns a perfect low mileage 01 CL. Thanks to everyone for all the help and suggests.

tallcaguy

Had the PS pump replaced (800 for OEM). Much better. Totally quiet at idle. No whine when the engine is rev'd in Park. Not the obvious sharp whine when I slow down suddenly from 80. However the almost inaudible steady high pitch 70-80 whine is still there. Doesn't happen at any other speed. Maybe the mysterious 04 whine that several have mentioned. However it completely disappeared one day which was very nice. Any other car and I wouldn't even worry about it.

I'll either slow down (not likely), live with it or get another LS. I have an other wise perfect LS. With any replacement, there will things to repair before the car runs reliably.

tallcaguy

Do you hear it when driving? Several have mentioned the 04 barely audible high pitch whine at 70-80. If I drive under or over those speeds, no whine. Also disappeared completely one day. I'm going to check to see if anything's loose in the engine compartment or around car.

911LE

A whine at those speeds is usually from the rear differential. If it is the power steering pump the whine would be associated with engine speed, not vehicle speed. Does the noise change or disappear at those speeds if you downshift to a lower gear? Does it change if you are coasting at those speeds?

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

Yah sounds like pinion bearing so $60-$150 for the bearing then $400-$800 for labor, its a pain in the a$$$$ to do.

tallcaguy

Thanks for the suggests. I'll do another test drive.

tallcaguy

I really hope it's not. There's also the cost of the beer.

911LE

Even if it is the differential it doesn't mean a bearing is going south. Could just need a fluid change or top-off. And if it is a bearing it doesn't need to be replaced. They can make noise for years and many miles without failure. You may WANT to replace it, or the entire center section (cheaper and faster), when your whining is louder than its whining.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

Or he could get the cusco lsd and report back =D

tallcaguy

Yeah you're right. I have been whining a lot. Don't worry, I won't post a video. My wife drove and didn't hear anything. Told me I'm crazy (but she's been saying that for years). Using the stethoscope, the old PS pump had a metallic grinding noise. The new one sounds a lot smoother. Also no cold start whine. Hey I've gotten the car dialed in and everything works well. Thanks to everyone for the help and good suggests.