Hey all,

Finally found a suitable replacement for the '01 LS430 I sold a month ago, but just wanted to seek out some clarity on some of the problems I'm having with the '05 ML I just got.

1. Telescoping steering - wheel will tilt but the telescoping motor has the wheel stuck in the fully retracted state and I would like to be able to adjust this so I'm more comfortable. I can hear the motor making a high pitched chirp sound. Does that mean it's totally done for? Repairs are expensive I hear.

2. Rain sensing wipers - the windshield was replaced with an FYG, and the rain sensing wipers seem to act like it's always raining. Can the sensor just be cleaned?

​​​​​Miraculously, pretty much everything else works. Just a few minor things, rear window weather strips are torn, exterior b pillar trim has a small crack, some paint scruffs, and a missing end cap for the rear door handle. Wheels are curbed and it has "iron man" tires lol.

 

Hello,

That sounds like some gear got stripped.. The lucky thing is that pretty much all the components that make up those two motors can be purchased separately straight from the dealership. Here you can find a Parts Catalogue for your car. Take apart the steering column to access the motor assembly and see what got wrecked in there, chances are you will be able to find a replacement for not all that much money.

Take a picture of how the sensor was mounted from inside and outside, it is supposed to have a special opening in the black primer around the glass, if the replacement wasn't designed for the rain sensor, you will have to find a way to scrape a clearance for it.

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

thanks! I also found that the steering wheel volume controls do not work, but all other controls do (horn, display buttons, mode, etc). I tried the mode reset procedure:

1. Put car into acc mode
2. Press and hold mode for 10+ sec3. Release mode, press up 3 times, then down 3 times within 5 seconds
4. Turn car off fully then back to acc and try the controls

And it doesn't seem to work. Bad clock spring? I would think all controls would be intermittent at minimum. Do these buttons just fail from time to time? My car also seems to have an aux audio device from iSimple added. There is an antenna for the sat radio but I can't find the aux port to connect my phone. Where do owners typically run an aftermarket aux port?

Thanks!!
​​​​
​​​​
​​​​

 

For issues like that, you may as well get a Techstream cable that may help diagnose systems you have issues with, you may even be able to calibrate a sensor and see if the buttons respond at all using it. Just a good tool to have if you plan to own a Toyota or Lexus for a while.

Hope this helps and best of luck!