Dealer says air shock bad - (Update) airline tool & ECU reset

[Infinity00]

They called back. First he said nothing they could have done would have ruptured them. Then I explained what you said here about the compressor overfilling them if they don’t turn off the AHC when it’s on the lift. Pause, then he said he’d talk to the foreman and shop manager to see what they could do.

 

[Infinity00]

Are you planning on building up your GX470? If you are, it's good to have a plan, so that you can line up the changes to meet your goals. This includes tires, LCAs, UCAs, springs, shocks, wheels, etc.

If you want a frugal low-cost entry-level build up, I have some suggestions...

It has practically new tires on it and a brand new set of hakkapalleta (whatever) studded snow tires to swap in the winter so I wouldnt be changing tire size for a few years but I would love to have recommendation on a good frugal lift - and yeah I’d do everything else!

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Well, you need to focus on your current issue for now. Dealer prices are super expensive, so find yourself a local independent mechanic. I buy quality parts online and take it to a local mechanic to do the work. You save a lot of money doing this.

It doesn't make sense to do the frugal build if you keep stock size tires. And the hardest part is the suspension when you are frugal.

 

[Infinity00]

If the dealer wants to make this right, I’ll let them work on it. The only good local mechanic I trust is me! I know there are good mechanics out there, but the few times I’ve taken my vehicles in I’ve had more problems than I started with (with the exception of John Peters at Super Repair for the Subaru, and then only if I’m desperate, or really don’t know what I’m doing like something in the diff) .

Taking it to the dealer was to take care of the recall and because I was at the “Lexus dealer” and I was lazy and tired and wanted to get one repair on the books so to speak (and have 3 other cars in various states of repair), so I let them do the rear brakes. Was about the same price anyone else would have charged me, but I know what you’re saying. Right now I have more time and less money so normally I would have done this myself.

Here’s the thing I don’t get though, if the car is off while on the lift, why would the compressor turn on to fill the bags?

 

[Infinity00]

If they put it on a lift and didn't deactivate the height control they are most likely ruptured for sure now. There is a height control "OFF" button near the height control switch that turns the system off so the compressor won't overfill the bags during a service.

@GXMac why would the compressor fill the bags when the car is on the lift? Doesn’t it need the key to be on for it to activate?

Just trying to understand this - and wondering if I am thinking this through correctly: the bags get filled while it’s on the lift, maybe even overfilled if suspension is dangling, then they bring it down off the lift and they compress and rupture?

 

[GXMac]

@GXMac why would the compressor fill the bags when the car is on the lift? Doesn’t it need the key to be on for it to activate?

Just trying to understand this - and wondering if I am thinking this through correctly: the bags get filled while it’s on the lift, maybe even overfilled if suspension is dangling, then they bring it down off the lift and they compress and rupture?

Yes, you are correct- the vehicle would have to be placed on the lift AND turned on for the compressor to rupture the bags.

 

[Infinity00]

Heard back from the Lexus dealer. Basically, they say (and I believe this), the bags were already cracked and leaking only a small amount that the compressor could keep up with. The position of the car on the ground basically sealed the leak. However, when they raised the vehicle on the lift, using the frame to lift it, the bags extended because the axle drooped, and allowed all the air out through the cracks. Once the air was out, the bags couldn’t refill, or the compressor wouldn’t refill them due to the pressure was too low. A couple things about this, I had the car inspected and nothing was found, nor did the garage putting it on the lift cause the bags to deflate. Second, I recently had Discount rotate the tires and they often use a scissor lift and nothing happened (but the axle maybe didn’t droop as far). That said the bags are old and a wear item - but it wasn’t like that when I took it in, and they should have been very clear how dangerous and uncontrollable the car would have become when it started bouncing. This was a huge safety issue in my book, that I was totally unprepared for when driving 40 minutes back.

Done bitching, and I hope I did the right thing - I found a set of OEM new in box with factory warranty for $216 on eBay, my shocks were supposedly good and I’m hoping they didn’t get wrecked driving back with no bags to protect them from taking all the suspension pounding. Also, I’m hoping the compressor faulted out when it sensed there was no pressure in the bags.

According to the tech, these compressors can take a lot and don’t fail often (but if they do it’s $$). He was also the person who told me it won’t turn on if it senses the pressure is low, so how does it pump up the new ones when they are deflated? Hoping it just works when I put the new bags on.

Anyway, I decided for that price I can’t go wrong even if they go bad in a couple of years. The identical OEM parts from Lexus were $846. There’s a few good write ups and I think I’ve got a handle on how to replace them. I’ll post up if I can add anything of value.

 

[Infinity00]

Link to a great write up. Using it and watching a YouTube video makes this job more easy to visualize.

I replaced my airbags and heres my how to

 

[HomersCanyonero]

That’s a good price for the oem bags on eBay. These are Toyota brand?

 

[Infinity00]

Yes and at the risk of losing a great source for these - I’m posting here to help other mudders out, hope they are legit!

 

[Infinity00]

Link
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eB...0&pm=1&ds=0&t=1523314477000&ver=0&cspheader=1

 

[Infinity00]

Today I pulled the air shocks. I’m kinda liking this. It was the easiest suspension repair job I’ve EVER performed. So much easier. I’ll post the tool I made and maybe (if I can figure out how) I’ll post a video on how to make the tool, size, and easiest way to use it. It’s not hard like everyone says. You just need to get the right sized opening and you take both lines off at the solenoids near the rear drivers side wheel. Don’t even try removing the airlines at the top of the shocks until you have them off. Then you can just pull the retaining clip off the top of the airshock, again, very easy - it’s just like a big version of the retaining clip holding rubber brake lines on - if your familiar with those. Then just guide the air lines thru the top as you easily maneuver the air shock out from under the car. Anyway, I had the whole thing removed within 1.5 hrs.

Here’s the “sst” I made.

Oh and I’ll post a picture showing the “F” up the dealer made. They didn’t seat the airshock correctly and that’s why it popped on my way home. It shouldn’t be sideways!

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Nice, I look forward to your instructions and video. It really sucks that the dealer screwed up your airbags and then figures out a way to explain how it wasn't their fault! Epic.

 

[Bluetribal]

Today I pulled the air shocks. I’m kinda liking this. It was the easiest suspension repair job I’ve EVER performed. So much easier. I’ll post the tool I made and maybe (if I can figure out how) I’ll post a video on how to make the tool, size, and easiest way to use it. It’s not hard like everyone says. You just need to get the right sized opening and you take both lines off at the solenoids near the rear drivers side wheel. Don’t even try removing the airlines at the top of the shocks until you have them off. Then you can just pull the retaining clip off the top of the airshock, again, very easy - it’s just like a big version of the retaining clip holding rubber brake lines on - if your familiar with those. Then just guide the air lines thru the top as you easily maneuver the air shock out from under the car. Anyway, I had the whole thing removed within 1.5 hrs.

Here’s the “sst” I made.

Oh and I’ll post a picture showing the “F” up the dealer made. They didn’t seat the airshock correctly and that’s why it popped on my way home. It shouldn’t be sideways!

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Yeah info on the parts you used to make the tool is the key. I tried to make one with some hose I had laying around but I think it was the wrong size hose and it didn’t work.

 

[Infinity00]

I tried an old airline from my ARB compressor first but it was too small. Then I cut the tip off a new tube of caulk about halfway back. Then I cut the tip off and sliced it longitudinally. It didn’t work at first because the tip diameter that I cut to was too small. So I eyeballed it to be the size of the little bump on the air line. I had read someone said about 1/4”, I didn’t measure - just cut it but I tried to ensure I didn’t make it too big. It seems perfect or I could have gone a tiny bit bigger. I’ll get measurements when I get back to my shop and post the image of it next to a ruler

 

[Infinity00]

I got my airbags in today, it’s really easy, took around an hour to get it in and everything fitted together.

The compressor didn’t kick on by itself which I was slightly worried about, but it seemed like all the posts I read the people just replaced the air shocks and were done.

I tried searching for an override to the ecu assuming it went into a failsafe mode. I only found one guy who jumpered pin 4 to 13 on the scanner port and did a couple moves on the pedals and got his to respond but I didn’t do that. He has a 2006 with nav and I couldn’t find anyone else to corraborate so I’m not risking copying him...yet.

Removing the battery cable to reset it didn’t work. Neither did removing the EFI and ETC or ECU fuses and leaving them out over night.

Finally I just removed the compressor relay and jumpered the two largest pins (87a and 30, I believe) with the key on. This confirmed the compressor works and I pumped up the air shocks hoping then the ecu would recognize they had air and start working again but still no luck. I’ve turned the height control to off to keep the ride height where I pumped it to.

Now waiting to see if anyone knows how to override or reset the ecu to get out of the failsafe mode I believe it is in. The sensors looked fine. I’ve been trying to get on the tech info website to get a repair guide forn2 days but the login process didn’t sync right and I’m waiting for them to fix it. I’ll post up if I learn anymore.

 

[Bluetribal]

That’s a bummer and I can’t think of anything you haven’t already tried. And no engine light on throwing any codes?

 

[Infinity00]

It’s fixed! I got the repair guide and was able to read the codes and then reset it. Resetting it allowed the compressor to work correctly again.

To reset the air suspension ecu do this:
Make a jumper wire and jumper the DLC3 connector pin 13 to pin 4. Turn key to on, pump brake 8 times quickly. Turn off key and remove jumper.

Locate pin 1: lower right corner is #1
Counting right to left staying on bottom row count to pin 4 Edit: jump to upper right corner to find pin 9 then staying on top row count to the left until you get to pin 13. Put a jumper wire between those two pins and leave it there. Now turn the key to on (don’t start the car). To reset just push the brake pedal down and release it, 8 times in 5 seconds. The dummy warning lights will begin flashing at a regular interval. At this point turn the key to off and remove the jumper wire. Now your air suspension ecu is reset.

 

[Infinity00]

To read the codes before resetting the ECU - jumper the same two pins, 13 and 4 and turn the key on. The “off” light for the suspension height control will begin blinking. If there are no codes it will blink continuously every 0.25sec. When there is a code present it will blink a series of times, then pause for a half second and blink another series of times. Then it will pause for a longer period of time before beginning the sequence again.

count how many times it lit up before the first pause and write down the number, it should be between 1-8 if I remember correctly, 1-9 if I didn’t. Then do the same for the next sequence after the half second pause, again 1-8. For mine I wrote don a 4 then a 1 which is code 41. Now a longer pause happens and the sequence will begin again. If there is another code stored you will get a second set of numbers, mine was 51.

I think if you get a 13 or 14 it’s the height sensors. Mine were related to an open or short on the air suspension relay, 41 (probably when I took it out and turned the key on) and a continuously running compressor, 51 (probably from the leak in the air shock)

 

[Infinity00]

As promised here are pictures of the home made air line removal tool and link to a demo removing the airline (off the car)