Noticed my 96 LS with 180k is leaving a spot on the garage floor each night. I havn't had time to do a thorough investigation, but the oil seems to be dripping somewhere from the front passenger side of the engine. I'm hoping it's a valve cover gasket and not a cam seal as the timing belt isn't due for another 50k miles. Oh, almost forgot, it's definitely motor oil and not PS fluid.

 

rare for a 96 to leak enough oil to make a spot on the floor, are you SURE it's not PS fluid?

 

On first glance, it looked like motor oil, cleaner motor oil since I changed it a few weeks ago. I'm happy to hear your assessment of the 96.

 

You were correct. Dirty dexron looks a lot like motor oil on a garage floor. Time to look at the PS bible.

 

A few hrs and one expensive Lexus O-ring later and all is well...No more leak!

 

what is the Toyota part number for the O-ring that you ended up using?

 

more specifically, which o-ring was replaced?

 

I am assuming the one at the base of the reservoir?

 

That's the one. I don't remember the part # I asked for but I got it from searching online. Whichever one it was it was wrong. Toyota said it was a Lexus # and Lexus thought it was a Toyota number. When I explained to the parts guy where it was he found it quickly. I'd have to check the bag to see what the part number was. The O-ring was $7 before I sufficiently shamed the parts guy to the point he sold it to me for $5! They probably paid 10c for it.

Installation was straight forward. As people have reported, there is one bolt that is a pain to get to. I had to have my wife use her smaller hands to get it back in position. I also replaced the 6" low pressure hose and clamps. Since I didn't mess with the high pressure side mine seemed to have zero air in it when I performed the bleed procedure..

 

44362A: part number 9030111016

can't you just remove the reservoir from the pump and replace the o-ring w/o removing the whole pump from the motor?

 

That's the correct part number, I fished the bag out of the trash and checked it. You can remove just the reservoir and that's what I did. It's still a PITA to get on and off. If anyone has an older LS and is doing the TB and water pump, that would be a great time to swap the O-ring out. It's the lower plastic cover under the distributer and rotor that causes the problem.

 

great dealership! - The full Lexus retail price on that o-ring is only $3.19 and typically discounted down to $2.35 or so, and even a bit cheaper at a Toyota dealership (identical part #) - what a bunch of crooks, trying to charge over double list price!

we need a dealership hall of shame thread