Before I Begin AHC Swap...

[OG 91 LC]

Ok fellas. I have read the pdf file for AHC Swap How-To.

I was about to begin the process so I dropped the vehicle to L. I was using my baster to take the fluid out when I noticed this:

The AHC fluid in the reservoir was clean. The last time Lexus did a service on the vehicle was at 71k miles. I'm wondering if it was done either at 60k or 70k miles. My truck currently has 94k miles.

So my questions to you guys is should I still go through the process?

For those of you who did the AHC fluid swap was the fluid in your reservoir dirty? (Darker)

Also. I have a full can and a half of AHC fluid that was given to me. (Score!) they both have the same part number on them. The full can has fluid that is the same color as the fluid that I found in the reservoir. The can that is half full has a pinkish tint to it.

Can these two fluids be mixed??

Thanks fellas.

 

[Weatherman]

'Clean' fluid is pale pink. The fluid in your res is dirty-ish and I'd bet the stuff that comes out of your accumulator and globes will be black. The fluid in my res was almost clear with a very slight pink tint and the stuff that came out on the corners looked like cola.

 

[PADDO]

The appearance of the reservoir contents isn't a particularly good indicator of much at all, it's the fluid's quality and contamination levels that's at the working ends ie the shocks, dampers and height accumulator that matters. You'll find that samples from these extremities will be much darker than the reservoir's contents as the fluid doesn't circulate. Drain a few mils off the height accumulator into a clear glass container and look at that in the daylight and I expect you'll see it's different to the reservoir's contents. If you can't establish when, or if, the fluid was last changed you can't go wrong baselining it now in my opinion, AHC fluid is cheap in the big scheme of things.
If you're absolutely sure that the open can's content is 100% unadulterated AHC fluid then there is nothing prohibiting you mixing the two cans, the color of the fluid changed over 5 years ago from a clear strawish to a pink rose but it's just refined, low viscosity mineral oil so it mixes. Personally I'd just buy a new can and not use the open one.
P.S. I wouldn't call that sample in the baster "clean" looking either, some of the seals in the shocks are nitrile rubber and they stain the fluid blackish as they wear.

 

[brosama]

This caught my attention -- I thought you meant AHC suspension swap

Carry on.

 

[Traskew3]

This caught my attention -- I thought you meant AHC suspension swap

Carry on.

Lol! Me too!