Curt

I bow to all the Lexus gurus here. Now I ask for your help diagnosing my steering problem.

As I turn the steering wheel, it feels like I have no power steering for for about a half turn or so, then suddenly I have full power steering for another half turn or so, then suddenly no power steering again. This is quite consistent through the full turn of the steering wheel in both directions. I tried topping off my steering fluid (which was low) with ATF fluid as specified in my manual. That seemed to help for a day (although that may have been my imagination). Now the hard-easy-hard-easy steering is back, and my reservoir is still full. The fluid in the reservoir looks brown and dirty, not bright red and clean like the T-IV transmission fluid I put into it.

I don't think that my problem is the steering pump or belt, since the hard-easy turning seems to be related to the position of the steering wheel. Would you agree? Do you think that the problem is my rack & pinion? Have you heard of this problem before?

I changed a rack on a Taurus once, and I'm really not looking forward to this one. Any ideas, suggestions, or advice?
Curt

meZoom!

I just drove an LS with a bad steering rack and it's pretty similar to what you're describing. Basically the steering movement is binding up (ie your hard-easy-hard-easy sequence). Changing out the rack fixed it.

Tammy

You've given all indications of a steering rack worn... fluid color and all... Sorry to have to suggest it bad ..

Curt

Thanks for the help, guys. A little more research tells me that the pressure hose commonly fails on the early LS400's, releasing junk into the system which can wear out the pump, or clog the rack or one of the filters. I'm speculating that that is my problem.

For no explanable reason my steering has been getting better for the last few days, and today it was good as new. Maybe I have a little chunk of rubber floating around in there, and it was in the rack and pinion gears, but now it's settled to the bottom or trapped in a filter. So I'm planning to just install a new hose, clean the filters, and change the fluid and see what happens. That's less work than changing the rack, and I would change both of those with a new rack anyway.
Curt

Tammy

I missed this, but, per your pervious post.. The power steering takes Dexron III Transmission fluid; not Toyota Type IV transmission fluid... It is confusing as to what is where.