2006 Lexus LX 470 AHC Hose Failure (Guidance Requested) (2 Viewers)

[ManEatingPotato]

I have a 2006 Lexus 470. It has 160K miles all on New England roads. Rust and wear is winning the battle with the AHC.

I noticed I had dropped fluid in my driveway and the AHC was flashing yellow and the vehicle would not go to N (stuck in L).
I took it to my independent and they confirmed a rotted driver side hydraulic hose. They did not have the ability to read the codes, so they recommended a different independent or the dealer.
I then took the vehicle to the dealer and they confirmed that the pumps were working appropriately and the codes indicated a continuously running pump.
They recommended replacing the rotted hose, bleed, and refill of the system. They quoted $2,600 to repair. I laughed, said thank you, and left. (they also offered to replace the license plate light bulbs for $92 parts and labor)

This vehicle is my daily suburban driver. I plan on running the vehicle into the ground.
I'm concerned that I will be playing whack-a-mole with the AHC over the coming years, so I am considering just eliminating the hydraulics and replacing with a traditional setup.

I've read that if I go that route, I will also need to replace the torsion bars.

Can you steer me to the best option for a traditional setup and confirm additional items I would need to address if I go this route (e.g torsion bars)?

I'm the second owner (bought in 2017), and the previous owner maintained the vehicle at the Lexus Dealer in Greenwich. I have done all the recommended maintenance, timing chain, etc., so I am confident this vehicle has a lot left.

I was also approached at the independent by an gentleman who offered me 16K for the vehicle as is, so that is an option, but I don't want to find something else, and my wife would kill me. She loves this thing.

Thanks all.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Which hose is it? Front or rear?

Some people have replaced the lines with relative ease. Others have spent many hours to no avail. Haven't gone through it myself, but I understand it can be painful. Maybe not $2600 painful, but painful, nonetheless. The lines seem to have been installed before the body.

One option with the hoses is to have new hydraulic hoses made from a company like Pirtek or any other industrial supply shop. Hydraulic hose failures are common in the industrial world and there are shops all over the country that make custom hoses all day. Having a custom hose made up could alleviate the labor pains of replacing the hose because you can re-route it around the body instead of between body/frame.

If you go conventional, yes, you need new springs front (T-bars) and rear. Try to find someone getting rid of their Land Cruiser suspension. Paying for new parts will have you spending more than the AHC repair, so at that point, just fix AHC, IMO. Toyota shocks are cheap, but do not come with the retainers and hardware which can add up quick.

I tend to say rust is the only real killer of AHC. However, I'm seeing more people comment that they replaced ALL the lines and it really wasn't that bad. :shurg:

 

[ManEatingPotato]

Which hose is it? Front or rear?

Some people have replaced the lines with relative ease. Others have spent many hours to no avail. Haven't gone through it myself, but I understand it can be painful. Maybe not $2600 painful, but painful, nonetheless. The lines seem to have been installed before the body.

One option with the hoses is to have new hydraulic hoses made from a company like Pirtek or any other industrial supply shop. Hydraulic hose failures are common in the industrial world and there are shops all over the country that make custom hoses all day. Having a custom hose made up could alleviate the labor pains of replacing the hose because you can re-route it around the body instead of between body/frame.

If you go conventional, yes, you need new springs front (T-bars) and rear. Try to find someone getting rid of their Land Cruiser suspension. Paying for new parts will have you spending more than the AHC repair, so at that point, just fix AHC, IMO. Toyota shocks are cheap, but do not come with the retainers and hardware which can add up quick.

I tend to say rust is the only real killer of AHC. However, I'm seeing more people comment that they replaced ALL the lines and it really wasn't that bad. :shurg:

Thanks. It is the driver side hose that needs immediate replacement. The passenger side looked like it was close to the end of life.

The mechanic said the passenger side line was really buried in the vehicle relative to the driver side.

 

[ManEatingPotato]

Thanks. It is the driver side hose that needs immediate replacement. The passenger side looked like it was close to the end of life.

The mechanic said the passenger side line was really buried in the vehicle relative to the driver side.

Meant to specify these are the front hoses

 

[jerryb]

edited to be clear.
when someone offers in the teens for an 06 with sub 200k, counter with an added 10k on top.

OF all the late late 100s, in ten years there won't be anyone tolerating the upkeep of AHC on a 100.
Even the French ditched the idea a while ago. It's ok to just say no.

 

[ManEatingPotato]

Could I just get an ironman comfort or performance kit - have the independent install- and be done with AHC? I'm not sure how much shop time that would be to install.

 

[suprarx7nut]

when someone offers in the teens, counter with an added 10k on top.

OF all the late late 100s, in ten years there won't be anyone tolerating the upkeep of AHC.
Even the French ditched the idea a while ago. It's ok to just say no.

I disagree. Adjustable suspension as a whole, is on the rise. AHC doesn't have any wear items that we'd expect to die with age aside from the globes and sensors which are already at/beyond their first replacement cycle.

AHC is still standard on all LX models and I'd be surprised if it wasn't also present on the 300 series LX.

Could I just get an ironman comfort or performance kit - have the independent install- and be done with AHC? I'm not sure how much shop time that would be to install.

You definitely could. Lift kit install and AHC delete tends to be $2500-$4k. You're not going to save any money in the short term by switching away from AHC, but if you have multiple rusting lines you might save $$ in the long run.

AHC will be the more comfortable suspension. There's no conventional system that holds a candle to functional and properly configured AHC in regards to comfort. Reducing the comfort level to save some $$ might make sense.

 

[jerryb]

I disagree. Adjustable suspension as a whole, is on the rise. AHC doesn't have any wear items that we'd expect to die with age aside from the globes and sensors which are already at/beyond their first replacement cycle.

AHC is still standard on all LX models and I'd be surprised if it wasn't also present on the 300 series LX.


I don't see the disagreeing part. Ahc is still standard in toyota fashion, them being behind in everything and all. Don't get me wrong on that, I have one toyota and one lexus, that's it at the monent.

I guess the dampers don't count as wear items.

All I really commented on was the money aspect, and everyone would/should agree it will take more money to upkeep and AHC system than anything else. Everything is becoming adjustable, but they are moving to air, not fluid. I don't know what Citroen is doing, or mercedes, but the info is there, I saw something about mercedes dropping the GLC option for 6500$ for 2021. MAybe I'm wrong and they are all going to fluid. I don't think so.

Other than that I agree with everything you have said about ahc, It's more comfortable, it costs more to maintain, it's not simple for the average joe and in the end no one will service it that really doesn't want to except for high dollars.
I would prepare though If I wanted to maintain that system into 2030, and you will be in the minority, minus the most fastidious. Budget for your hobby, everybody needs one.

 

[ManEatingPotato]

I currently don't have a mechanic here in Central CT (yet) that seems to be willing to dive deep into the AHC for me to maintain in long term. I'm concerned at some point it has to go to a dealer and that is just a non-starter for me. The pricing is closer to sodomy than reality.

 

[unleashd]

@ManEatingPotato
I was in the exact same situation a couple of months ago. In my case, the rust caused one of the fittings (soft line to hard line) near the passenger rear to give up. Lost all the AHC fluid for the rear and the LX was riding on the bump stops as the stock AHC springs aren't able to carry all the weight. Since I have plans to drive this truck for many years and in harsh conditions, I did not want to keep putting band-aid fixes to the AHC. I live in NoVA and we do get salty roads in the winters and my rust is starting to build up on my 2001 LX470. The effort to go through all the nooks and crannies where the AHC lines run through to find other rust spots wasn't worth the effort to me. The decision to switch to conventional LC setup (4 shocks, 2 springs, 2 torsion bars, AHC delete steps by disconnecting the specific computer) was easy to make. I found the parts easily and converted. I got help from a friend who has a nice shop at home with all the fancy tools. I paid him a small fee (much smaller than a shop), and we both performed the switch. The 2 most difficult tasks were removing the rusted rear shocks and rusted torsion bars. But his plasma cutter made things quite easy after it was decided that we couldn't save the rusted components. There are YT videos describing the easy 3 connector disconnect method to disable the AHC ECU. The ride was comfortable, but you do lose out on the ability to raise/drop the truck at will.

A month and ~500 miles later, I took advantage of the 25% sale from IM and recently completed the switch over to the stage 2 kit. The ride is now a lot more nicer(JMHO). It is firm, yet comfortable. I do get the additional height for when I go off roading. But the best thing with both of these changes is the peace of mind that I get from not having to worry about a rusty AHC line leaving me stranded thousands of miles from home.

Depending on the amount of rust, this may take a weekend of working on a driveway and can be fixed at home. If you have access to a lift and the fancy tools, it can be done in 4-6 hours.

PS: I still have the full LC setup available for purchase. PM me If you are interested.

 

[97 AZ LC]

Turning down $16k would be just plain nuts. But the buyer probably backs out when he sees the rust.

 

[mitchjohnson000]

$2600 is a steal.

AHC Repair on 09 LX570

Was directed here from a Lexus forum re '09 LX570. This past weekend, my AHC failed, the car was stuck in "Lo" and leaked it's insides all over the outside onto the driveway (I'm guessing this is the hydraulic fluid). I managed to creep it down to the Toyota dealer, which is literally at the end...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[ManEatingPotato]

$2600 is a steal.

AHC Repair on 09 LX570

Was directed here from a Lexus forum re '09 LX570. This past weekend, my AHC failed, the car was stuck in "Lo" and leaked it's insides all over the outside onto the driveway (I'm guessing this is the hydraulic fluid). I managed to creep it down to the Toyota dealer, which is literally at the end...

forum.ih8mud.com

$2600 was just to replace the one hose to the driver side suspension. That’s it.

 

[scrappyslexus]

I loved my AHC but gave up on it when I lost a passenger side line to rust. All the lines were going to have an issue. My vehicle is a 2000 so I had a good run. What I did was asked the dealership to do the delete. I sent them the strutmasters Video and they did it for me. They did not know that the torsion bars needed to be changed. After reading all the information on this thread I bought sway away torsion bars and had an independent shop put the on. As for the ride, I really don’t see a big difference. I hope this helps.

 

[BOB F]

Illl just tell you my experience.

Bought a 75k 06 out of IL 3 years ago with the ahc on L and not working. Took a shot. Empty reservoir.

Added fluid , ran it through some cycles and it worked fine. Loaded it up with some of my daughters stuff when moving and it blew all the fluid.

Got it on a lift so I could see what was up and identified LR line to the shock and replaced 4 of the hard lines off the block onn the left side, inboard as well. The lines arent crazy expensive and it costs me a few hundred to have someone replace them and the LR one as well.

3 years later, now, it periodically blows fluid and I can see its from around that block mentioned above. I can run it through H/N/L and it wont blow fluid. I know theres a leak somewhere but i have to catch it and identify it. I put my phone under the car on video and recorded that block after drying everything off but damned if it wont leak.

I am going to continue to chase the leak and deal with it. I am in NJ and dont want to rip the AHC out.

R

 

[Steve00600]

Illl just tell you my experience.

Bought a 75k 06 out of IL 3 years ago with the ahc on L and not working. Took a shot. Empty reservoir.

Added fluid , ran it through some cycles and it worked fine. Loaded it up with some of my daughters stuff when moving and it blew all the fluid.

Got it on a lift so I could see what was up and identified LR line to the shock and replaced 4 of the hard lines off the block onn the left side, inboard as well. The lines arent crazy expensive and it costs me a few hundred to have someone replace them and the LR one as well.

3 years later, now, it periodically blows fluid and I can see its from around that block mentioned above. I can run it through H/N/L and it wont blow fluid. I know theres a leak somewhere but i have to catch it and identify it. I put my phone under the car on video and recorded that block after drying everything off but damned if it wont leak.

I am going to continue to chase the leak and deal with it. I am in NJ and dont want to rip the AHC out.

R

 

[Steve00600]

hi Guys- I have a 2006 LX with a leak in an AHC tube on the drivers side a few inches after coming out of the height control pump. It sounds like a PITA to install new tubes and I’m wondering if anyone has replaced Them with a hose? TIA

 

[ManEatingPotato]

Just wanted to say thank you to all who provided input.
@unleashd especially. I bought his LC setup and my mechanic got it all installed, springs, shocks, and bars.
You all saved me a lot of heartache, money, and time.
I was able to walk mechanic through the work. He didn’t listen to me and learned some hard and messy lessons, but we got to the right outcome.
Vehicle rides beautifully again.
Thanks to all again.

 

[unleashd]

Glad to be o

Just wanted to say thank you to all who provided input.
@unleashd especially. I bought his LC setup and my mechanic got it all installed, springs, shocks, and bars.
You all saved me a lot of heartache, money, and time.
I was able to walk mechanic through the work. He didn’t listen to me and learned some hard and messy lessons, but we got to the right outcome.
Vehicle rides beautifully again.
Thanks to all again.

Glad to be of help!

 

[Zer0zg]

hi Guys- I have a 2006 LX with a leak in an AHC tube on the drivers side a few inches after coming out of the height control pump. It sounds like a PITA to install new tubes and I’m wondering if anyone has replaced Them with a hose? TIA

I replaced drivers front and passenger rear line on my truck with clean used ones when I first bought it, got the truck for a steal with known issue. Each one took me the better part of a day wrestling with it to get it in place, but I got them both done on a weekend while street parked (I live in NYC). Didn't do anything crazy like lifting the body, and did it with the side steps still installed. The rear lines are FAR more difficult, but certainly not impossible. That said, the job was enough of a pain that I didn't go ahead and preemptively replace the other two lines, and 3 years later no issues at all.

I'd say before replacing with hose, grab an OEM one used and see if you can't get it done. Patience, and some slight bending then straightening of the hardlines to get them in place can make it happen.