got a 93 ls400 with 166,000 mile on it. Best car ive ever had and that includes the NEW merc c180 coupe i got rid of last year. Now got a problem with the power steering pump. its been leaking a bit for a while but now its dumped all the fluid into my drive and makes an awful noice when running. Does anyone out there no of a fix for this. I believe its one of the LS few weak spots and i seem to remember reading a thread about a 5p `o` ring fix.

the pump can be overhauled, and is the best bet, dont run it anymore with no oil or it will be fit only for scrap

The usual O ring fault is the one between the reservoir and the body of the pump.

look on www.lexls for O/haul info.

[quote name='ROYT' post='670986' date='May 31 2009, 08:52 PM']The usual O ring fault is the one between the reservoir and the body of the pump.

look on www.lexls for O/haul info.[/quote]


Bought a PS Pump service kit from lexus for £29. Filled up the reservior so that i could drive the car 30 meters to the workshop and the pump squealed its head off. shut off and left for 10 minutes for the fluid to gat round but still whining when engine running. Is it knacked?

PS. while hanging around i found that the leak is from the steal cooling pipe below the radiator. Rotten with rust and fluid dripping out. One to watch for. If id known the pipes were that rusty id have changed them. Now it sounds like an exchange pump at about £280.

I seem to remember a topic on here regarding the power steering fluid cooler pipe you mention and the forum member got hold of some microbore copper central heating pipe and made their own replacement a lot cheaper than what you have been quoted if you are DIY savvy ( or ask the garage you use)
You may find the pump is OK once you get the pipe fixed so do that first then try the power steering.
If you do have a duff pump PM me.
A bit of advice to other members a bit of preventative maintainance with some spray on waxoil on this pipe takes seconds and as we now know replacement is a costlier option.

I might have this wrong, but isn't there some kind of small filter at the rack end, that needs
cleaning occasionally?

[quote name='ROYT' post='672901' date='Jun 6 2009, 10:55 AM']I might have this wrong, but isn't there some kind of small filter at the rack end, that needs
cleaning occasionally?[/quote]


Latest update. removed the leaking steel pipe and used it as a pattern to make a new one from 10mm copper flexi central heating pipe. i takes a long time for the new fluid to get round and all the air to get out. I just spun the engine over for a second or 2, without letting it fire, and them left it for a couple of hours.
Works fine now. just a little whine but whifie woman says she cant hear it. No suprise there. She once drove our 1983 Tolbat Rancho 30 miles up the M61 with no water. it only stopped running when she came to the end of the exit road, by which time it had no water or oil, and no plastic bits over the engine. They had all melted away. I pured water into the expansion bottle and it ran out of the exhaust pipe. Really.

Women are quality!

watch out for the power steering fluid dripping onto the starter motor though......it blew ours up!

Sir John,
hope you got it right, without getting ripped off...........
I had the same troubles recently, after 3 visits to different garages nobody could pinpoint where it was leaking from.
I came here and found the o-ring page and did that job - still leaked.
Passed a Lexus Stealer, and they said it was the gearbox. This seemed odd as i was buying a tub of p/s fluid each week.
Sick of them all, i took it home and had a look myself.
The problem the garages had come across was that the oil was everywhere. I found it to be the figure of 8 pipe (open bonnet, look down behind radiator). well, the join with that pipe and the rubber hose
Took it off (headlight out and everything!) and saw that the pipe and its rubber neighbouring pipe were both in good condition and had no holes. Quickly figured that it was the 2 pincer clips holding them together. And didnt believe my luck
A £1.50 box of jubilee's later and the job was done.
The mess was b'cos it was leaking from that join and the fan was sucking it up and spitting it all out (sounds like them bloody women again!)
Job took a few hours (with brews!) and was chuffed when it no longer leaked.
Imagine if i'd paid Lexus for the gearbox leak??????????
I checked and there is no leak from anywhere anymore.
Gutted i wasted a fiver on the o-ring now

after fitting a home made cooling pipe to replace the rusted out original i havent touched it other than to top up the fluid occassionally. obviously still leaking from the body of the pump.
its in for teh MOT next week so it will get the overhaul it needs when it passes.