The Lexus IS350 Regan Macneil edition... SPOOKY!

Part of the security system, it wobbles the wheel in order to stop the car thief from driving away. Common in cars with electric power steering.


As seen in the video, it is so good at it that it is not even letting the owner drive the car :p
 
Wow, that's violent!
How the hell are aftermarket headlights going to effect the steering? Especially in a way that makes it go mad like that. At least it happens when he first turns the car on and not randomly while driving along.
 
Wow, that's violent!
How the hell are aftermarket headlights going to effect the steering? Especially in a way that makes it go mad like that. At least it happens when he first turns the car on and not randomly while driving along.

I wonder how he actually drives the car out of the garage without crashing it.
 
Holy hell, that's frightening.
 
Now that's weird.
 
Wow, that's violent!
How the hell are aftermarket headlights going to effect the steering? Especially in a way that makes it go mad like that. At least it happens when he first turns the car on and not randomly while driving along.

just a wild guess, but possible the headlights turn along with the steeringwheel, and while replacing the bulbs, he damaged one of the actuators?

but that guess is so wild, it still makes fire with a flint...
 
just a wild guess, but possible the headlights turn along with the steeringwheel, and while replacing the bulbs, he damaged one of the actuators?

but that guess is so wild, it still makes fire with a flint...

It said in the video that it was caused by a dodgy aftermarket HID installation. How that caused this I have no idea, but that seems to be a possibility.

Edit: reading the Lexus forum thread, he said the HID ballast was placed too close to the power steering ECU, and "fried" it, causing the force feedback calibration.
 
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"power steering ECU"?
We have officially gone too far with the car electronics. Sheesh...
 
Edit: reading the Lexus forum thread, he said the HID ballast was placed too close to the power steering ECU, and "fried" it, causing the force feedback calibration.

This is why you don't get cheap HID kits - the damn ballasts often don't have proper shielding. Better to go to the junkyard and snag some OE ballasts.

Of course, if your car has next to no electronics, then it really doesn't matter.

"power steering ECU"?
We have officially gone too far with the car electronics. Sheesh...

That thing has all-electric power steering assist. Not a big fan of it here, honestly.

I did like the prior step, which was that the steering assist was still hydraulic but the pump was electric.
 
^ Is there any actual benefit to electric steering vs hydraulic steering?

I remember the Merc 600 had hydraulic...everything and I always wondered why more cars didn't use that.
 
^ Is there any actual benefit to electric steering vs hydraulic steering?

I remember the Merc 600 had hydraulic...everything and I always wondered why more cars didn't use that.

A wire is thinner and easier to route than a hydraulic hose. That is pretty much why.
 
I've driven a few cars with electric steering and they all felt detatched somehow. I prefer hydraulic, 100%.
 
reading the Lexus forum thread, he said the HID ballast was placed too close to the power steering ECU, and "fried" it, causing the force feedback calibration.

That's a rather unique set of circumstances. I guess his HID kit must have been absolute crap to short circuit (or whatever happened) to the "steering ecu" and cause electrical damage. Makes me glad I've got well designed OEM HIDs.
 
That's a rather unique set of circumstances. I guess his HID kit must have been absolute crap to short circuit (or whatever happened) to the "steering ecu" and cause electrical damage. Makes me glad I've got well designed OEM HIDs.

I think it probably created a sizable EMF that destroyed the ecu for the steering.
 
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