Did Low Temp Cause This?

[Gebo]

This morning it got down to 18F. Got in my '05 Lexus LS430 and here are the things that didn't work when I first started it up and had let it warm up for about 5 minutes in driveway.

1. Seat bottom wouldn't tilt but it would go backwards and forwards. Back would tilt.

2. Steering wheel wouldn't tilt or telescope.

Drove about 35 miles and now the steering wheel would telescope and about the same time the seat bottom started tilting. The outside temp was around 30F.

1 1/2 hours later the steering wheel started tilting. The outside temp was about 40F.

Any ideas? My 1998 LS400 never did this. What should I check?

Thanks!

 

[147_Grain]

How strong is your battery and charging system?

Cold temperatures and a weak battery (loose terminals) might be causing these intermittent situations.

After that, check the fuse and wiring connections on the components involved.

 

[OneEyeJack]

Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
How strong is your battery and charging system?

Cold temperatures and a weak battery (loose terminals) might be causing these intermittent situations.

After that, check the fuse and wiring connections on the components involved.


+1

 

[bsmithwins]

+2

Electric steering on the Mazda3 getting stiff was the first weak battery sign that car had.

BSW

 

[Gasbuggy]

Electronics being a little odd or slow in a old car on the first super cold day is pretty normal.

 

[JetStar]

18F is not that cold as far as electronics go. Automotive grade IC's are typically rated for -40. There may not be any actual electronics in the circuit path on a car that old, other than switches, relays, motors, and wires. May not be related to the temp at all. I'm curious if these are jack screw actuated. Thick grease and low voltage could have combined to cause this issue. You'll need to get to the motors with a DVM to see if the proper voltage is getting where it is needed.

 

[andyd]

18f is cold enough to stiffen grease and rubber. Switch contacts etc.

 

[Gebo]

ok. It has never happened on my 98 LS400. I'll see how old my battery is tomorrow. What seemed odd to me was how different components started working over time.

 

[bsmithwins]

Originally Posted By: JetStar
18F is not that cold as far as electronics go. Automotive grade IC's are typically rated for -40. There may not be any actual electronics in the circuit path on a car that old, other than switches, relays, motors, and wires. May not be related to the temp at all. I'm curious if these are jack screw actuated. Thick grease and low voltage could have combined to cause this issue. You'll need to get to the motors with a DVM to see if the proper voltage is getting where it is needed.


I wasn't thinking the actual electrics, but that the battery voltage could be low because of the temperature.

I've seen low voltage make lots of electrics behave strangely.

BSW

 

[Garak]

JetStar's point made me think about something. Did you notice if, when trying to activate these functions that failed, there was a current drop (i.e. a dimming of bulbs)? The old Audi had a sunroof that would work in the winter but not the summer, due to thermal expansion of the track, I suspect. Obviously, there were no current issues in the summer. As an aside, a sunroof that functioned only in the winter wasn't terribly useful.

 

[Gebo]

No, I didn't notice anything else dimming. My battery after sitting overnight read 12.42 volts.

 

[Garak]

Well, that's a good question, then. What I was getting at was a motor trying to do the work and going under load, but not being able to perform its function, like if a power window is stuck, or when you hit the limits of the seat rail, or my wonderful sunroof in the Audi.

 

[Gebo]

UPDATE!

Today with temp around 30F, the tilt wouldn't work for the first 30 minutes this morning. Everything else worked. Does this help your diagnosis?

 

[turtlevette]

Is the tilt electric? Most I've driven are manual and have a finite number of notches.

I think its the grease getting too hard to allow operation.

 

[Gebo]

IT is electric. When I push the switch, there is no sound, no humming, no dimming of lights. This morning, in my 40 degree garage, it worked like a charm first thing.

 

[Doog]

Time for a battery and alternator/regulator check.

 

[Garak]

Well, that's strange. Turtlevette's grease idea is plausible, and I'd be more onside with it if you had some indication it was trying to do some work, but failing, when cold. Heck, I suppose even thermal expansion of the switch might be making a difference. I've lived in a cold place all my life, and there are no end to oddities that arise, but usually only when it's like way down there, below -30 C. The Audi was the exception with the winter operating sunroof, and do nothing in the summer.

By the way, just with the wheel, when it's not working, is it totally dead, or will it go one way, but not the other?

 

[JetStar]

I have seen grease on the armature do some weird things. We can armchair diagnose all day, you really need to get a meter or test light on the motor when it's acting up.

 

[Gebo]

Battery checked out perfect. 12.62 volts overnight and 790 CCA With battery rated at 675 CCA

 

[meep]

my guess, it's not grease. if it were, there would be gradients in performance. In this case it's either totally normal or nothing at all. if it were grease, once it could first move it would still be sluggish.

I'm more inclined to think there are some ailing relays in the circuits.