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I Simply kept moving the tilt down button multiple times until it started working again. Did the same thing for tilt up. Now it's working as normal again. Will see how long it lasts.
I attempted to remove the tilt motor on my 01 LS from the instructions on the first page, but I was stuck on this last part:
Originally Posted by jasperaxle
]Then while still holding the steering wheel up, lower the tilt motor and just screw it out counterclockwise.
The motor did screw out counterclockwise, but not all the way. I wasn't able to unscrew the last bit to get the motor off the screw entirely, so I had to give up and reassemble everything.
I bought the car with a non functioning tilt motor. I haven't bought a new motor yet because I wanted to take apart the old motor and see if it was repairable like in the older SC and LS: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-...ng-repair.html
My first question is does anyone know if the motor on the LS430 is fixable by adding a washer or maybe relubing? If so, my second question is why can't I get the dang thing off!
Anyone else have an issue trying to get the lower plastic cover of the steering column off around the tilt switch?
I tried to take a quick look at the motor and I couldn't really get the lower section of the column cover to get around the actual tilt switch. I was trying to pry it off and around the switch to the point of where I thought I was going to break something.
I just got my '04 LS and the steering wheel is the lowest position and will not move. I don't hear anything when I try the switch so I'm assuming I'm going to have to change the motor and at this point it almost seems like getting the plastic column off is going to be the hardest part especially since the steering wheel is all the way down.
Anyone else have an issue trying to get the lower plastic cover of the steering column off around the tilt switch?
I just completed the procedure of replacing the tilt motor today... Work like new. You just have to pry it over the switch. I rather break the cover than damaging the switch... Cover flexes enough to clear the switch.
I just completed the procedure... Thanks for the pictures!!!!
I didn't like the fitting as there was some play after the installation. Then I noticed that I forgot to remove the !@#$!#$!#$ sleeves (shown on the picture) and insert them in the new motor. Thank God, it's only the two big HEX screws on the sides. (I didn't have the plastic cover back in place when I figured what was wrong)
P.S I did screw up one part of the job, After I had everything back together there was a slight play in the wheel up and down. I forgot to remove the orange bushings from each side of the old motor. The new motor does not come with these orange bushings or the "e" clips either so DONT lose them you need to reuse them! Good Luck
Jeez !@$#!$ I should have read your post again as I did the same freaking thing.
I have the symptom where my car starts but the tilt and telescope don't retract out to the last saved position. Neither do the memory buttons make a difference.
I read this here on the forums, on one of the posts someone said, "if the tilt motor is weak, then it will disable the whole automatic retraction features."
This makes me feel better towards ordering the new motor, knowing that it doesn't have to do anything with the "PUSH TO START" system I have installed.
I hope a new motor is all I need. Already saw a seller on Amazon with only 2 left in stock, running at $359.52 +free shipping.
Anybody else find a different price?
* Jasper, thank you so much for the informative and very helpful post! Pictures explain everything nicely.
I have the symptom where my car starts but the tilt and telescope don't retract out to the last saved position. Neither do the memory buttons make a difference.
I read this here on the forums, on one of the posts someone said, "if the tilt motor is weak, then it will disable the whole automatic retraction features."
This makes me feel better towards ordering the new motor, knowing that it doesn't have to do anything with the "PUSH TO START" system I have installed.
I hope a new motor is all I need. Already saw a seller on Amazon with only 2 left in stock, running at $359.52 +free shipping.
Anybody else find a different price?
* Jasper, thank you so much for the informative and very helpful post! Pictures explain everything nicely.
Ebay is best price I found at 300 shipped for brand new oem part. Prices have went up as I only paid 259 shipped 2 years ago from a Lexus dealer on ebay.
Thanks for the link bmore430. I actually bought one for $317 from a guy on eBay.
I got the one with part # 89231-50060.
The price for the one ending in # 89231-50050, is just very slightly cheaper, around $290.
Now, I don't know what the difference in between the 2 motors. But I assume it's maybe the updated version of the 1st motor from DENSO.
Quoted from one of the posts floating in ClubLexus, that the 01-03 models take the one ending in "50", meanwhile the 04-06 take the one ending in "60".
I don't believe that is true, and that's because when I took my motor out today to check it, it had the one ending in 50. My car is an '06, and I know the previous owner didn't replace it because they have done every little other thing at the dealer, and there's no note of this.
Now they might be compatible, but I stick to my first thought, it seems like the one ending in 60 is just a refined version of it's predecessor. Someone with enough free time on their hands, send an e-mail to DENSO asking for a description of both motors....
Reading this Thread and looking at the pictures, I fixed my 2001 ls430 tilt issues.
1. getting the plastic shrouds off, are kind of pain. the TWO SCREWs as noted above are accessed by turning the steering wheel! Also you may need to turn the steering wheel back and forth to FINESSE the bottom plastic cover off.
2. Getting the damn C-Clip (the small one on the end of the leadscrew) took me forever ! So if there is Good tool to do that, you should get it. I finally managed with two screwdrivers, to impact the clip just right, to get it off. used magnetic to retrieve the c-clip. (which by the way i never bothered to put back on..)
3. Now that the c-clip is off, (and with the electrical un-plugged--- BE GENTLE these wires and connector are tiny and delicate ! ) you can unscrew the whole motor and lead screw and take it to your bench. CAREFULLY-Carefully I took the motor apart. (pry or plier up the sheet metal tabs) You have to GENTLY untape the double sticky and pull off the electrical that goes on one side. Anyway I took it apart and cleaned it. there is another Clip inside, by the way. Snap some pictures so you put it pack together correctly (I didn't but was super careful to lay things in the same order as I took them out , which is pretty dumb in hindsight) ! Strange motor. Makes me want to look up how these work? Little fingers with friction running on an aluminum disc... Anyway, seemed like I had some sort of thin film stuff stuck in there. I had proper a c-clip wrench so I took all the discs out (and like i said carefully laid them down in order. I cleaned, put just the tinniest bit of grease on the fingers to aluminum disc (which might be a dumb idea YMMV) , got it back together (I had to use a long socket or tube to compress the disks so the the C-clip would go back in (didn't take much force, just hand pushing) Then also make sure the clip is full seated in its shaft groove! Push it in with a screwdriver, etc. Got it back in the housing, re-bent the tabs (i used a spring loaded center punch to bend the tabs over) , re-taped everything, i had some aluminum hvac tape. that went over the original tape that was still there.
Took it back to the car and plugged it in but just held the motor in my hand and ran the switch. It worked. It is definitely "indexed" or something, because it only turns so many turns one direction and stops. And then goes so my turns the other direction and stops. I did this a bunch of times to make sure. Nice ! So ran it to one "side" and the installed / spun the motor/ lead screw down almost to the E-clip (the big clip). (yes I greased the lead screw also) Then put everything back together. So because The motor doesn't turn enough turns to allow it to come off the lead screw, i didn't bother putting the little clip on the end of the lead screw, back in.
By the way one could also, I suppose adjust the tilt to be permanently set. (by spinning the motor/leadscrew out) to a good location and then just un-plug the connector.
-from John
9-14-2016 FYI, the motor now only works sporadically... so the above is certainly not a permanent fix... -JMS
03-24-2017 UPDATE. Steering wheel was too low and tilt motor wouldn't work anymore. So adjusted it manually (by spinning the whole unconnected motor) until it was up and nice height and then re-assembled. Keeping the motor un-connected so it won;t move.... (at least until i get a new motor or figure out how to fix this one..)
Last edited by schmidjo; 03-24-17 at 09:48 AM.
Reason: Motor quit working
I'll post some pictures when I have time to attempt to take apart the column again haha.
So, do you know if the motor can be repaired by relubing or replacing a deteriorated washer?
Hello all, my first post here.
In fact, I did repair the tilt motor by relubing it. Once I got to the motor and took it out, before I disconnected it, I tried on the switch and found the motor was working, kind of "rusty" though. So I took it out, dismantled it, found it was dirty, bearing was hardly rotating. I applied WD40 until it started to rotate and applied lube on parts that rubbed each other, put it back together and voila! It then took couple of times tilting up and down, but for the time being it works fine.
Only thing I did not get from the instructions on page one was:
After you remove the stopper bolt then take a magnetic pickup tool and remove the tilt steering comperssion spring
Can someone tell me where this compression sprig was supposed to be? It seems missing in my car or I missed it while working on it. What does it do and what it if it's not there?
Ok, I THOUGHT I fixed it. After a day it stopped working again. It seems the lube does only help on a short run. Did anyone tried to open the motor and knows what supposed to be inside, especially between aluminium disk and the base?
09-20-14, 10:19 PM
YMMV) , got it back together (I had to use a long socket or tube to compress the disks so the the C-clip would go back in (didn't take much force, just hand pushing) Then also make sure the clip is full seated in its shaft groove! Push it in with a screwdriver, etc. Got it back in the housing, re-bent the tabs (i used a spring loaded center punch to bend the tabs over) , re-taped everything, i had some aluminum hvac tape. that went over the original tape that was still there.
