How to disable AHC dash light?

[aaronrules]

I promise I did a search, I did a munch of them. But I can't find the answer anywhere.

2001 LX470 with Slee HD lift. I bought it the way it is right now, so I have no real idea about what went on during install of anything.

MY question is, is there anyway to kill the warning light flashing in my face telling me AHC is off?

Hopefully it's not too complicated, if it is, I might save the job for when I decide to take on replacing the blow speakers in the doors that I inherited with the truck too!

 

[jOnathN]

Take out the lightbulb

 

[Brock]

you can remove the fuze from lower left kick panel as you can find in my build thread...but when you do that (at least in the 2000 LX470) it also removes your steering angle sensor which is needed for VSC to function properly. I put it back in and my light flashes. One day will either take out the bulb or put black electrician tape over the light....but the VSC is more important to me than the flashing light. Doesnt really bother me actually...

 

[1loudLX]

You can pull the cluster and unplug the lights. I went one step further and covered the whole truck diagram with matte black vinyl to match the cluster.

 

[smarks]

you can remove the fuze from lower left kick panel as you can find in my build thread...but when you do that (at least in the 2000 LX470) it also removes your steering angle sensor which is needed for VSC to function properly. I put it back in and my light flashes. One day will either take out the bulb or put black electrician tape over the light....but the VSC is more important to me than the flashing light. Doesnt really bother me actually...

Brock, is this only in the 2000 LX? I have just purchased a lift from Slee for my '01 and they mentioned in their work, they remove the power as not to disturb the rest of the circuit which that fuse is tied to. Is there a write up on this procedure or has anyone else taken this route? I was going to attempt to download the electrical wiring diagram in order to determine how to do this...

Thanks,
Spencer

 

[smarks]

Disregard my last post as it appears that AlabameLX has posted the possible solution in unplugging the AHC ECU...

Spencer

 

[Brock]

I dont know....that is what I found with mine. I am going to do the LoudLX version when I get the energy or it bugs me enough.

That is just what I found with my 2000 LX....I would never have known if I did not put a code reader on it just to make sure and it started throwing codes for steering angle sensor inoperative. We saw where it is powered by the AHC fuze in kick panel.

I personally would rather have the steering angle sensor working and dont really care about the light flashing....for now. If there is another plug somewhere I could not find or different then will check it out....

 

[bknblk]

I recently had the OME full suspension with 2.5" lift installed to replace my AHC system. Slee was too far away to do the install so I had a local shop do install and alignment without the dash work. Originally they pulled a variety of fuses with the known complication of losing the VSC mentioned above. That was less than desirable so I replaced fuses but added the dreaded "AHC OFF" flasher. Maybe the previously mentioned fuse removals work without causing complications, but I know Slee pulls the dash to work directly on bulb. SO, I went to work on correcting the problem...

Initially after pulling cluster and breaking down the electrical boards, I found the small AHC subpanel which was attached with two screws and a plug in pigtail to the primary board. At first, I simply disconnected the pigtail and re-installed cluster without the small board. Maybe it was re-installed incorrectly regardless of pulling the board, but the cluster had a variety of anomalies after re-install (Reverse light always on, other lights in various stages of being lit...).

So, I had to remove and break down again. This time, I used a very small set of diagonal cutters to clip both leads to the LARGER (i.e. the problem flashing bulb) of the 4 bulbs on the small AHC board. Unfortunately, the bulb was not a removable one, so cutting was required . The AHC board was then reinstalled to cluster with pigtail and the cluster replaced in dash. On the Money this time! Dash looks beautiful with no anomalies and no flashing lights . With this mod, the "normal" position sensor light remains on which I was indifferent about in the first place, but it retains a more OEM/stock appearance.

I hope this helps for anyone motivated enough to get into the dash to make the blinking stop. While you're there, you might as well have a large number of replacement bulbs for your indicators. Otherwise, you'll reinstall only to have your "D" light front and center go dark in a month :whoops:

 

[aaronrules]

Unplug the AHC CPU and the light will go out without affecting the VSC system. It's located under the steering wheel, right above the gas pedal. Has a label on it that says AHC.

So I unhooked what I thought was the connection for the AHC computer...nothing happened. Is it a round looking connection? Is up under the dash partly?

 

[aaronrules]

Okay, unplugged the two longish plugs on the AHC computer. Lights are out. And as far as I know, everything works! Hopefully I don't find out what's not working halfway to Ouray in a couple weeks!

 

[bmwguy]

I have unplugged the AHC ECU, just the long plug toward the floorboard and everything seems to be okay.

When you unplugg it from the ecu, both the lights(flashing and N height indicator) are off.

 

[aaronrules]

I left all the fuses in...gotta have my telescoping steering wheel!

 

[Moody]

I'm looking under my dash, but I am not seeing the AHC ECU. Anyone have a picture? The flashing "off" is annoying me.

 

[Jrod]

I'm looking under my dash, but I am not seeing the AHC ECU. Anyone have a picture? The flashing "off" is annoying me.

It's up underneath the steering wheel. Small metal box that says AHC on it. Just unplug the cable.

 

[67FASTBACKFAN]

Thanks guys. Just pulled the AHC ECU and no more lights

 

[67FASTBACKFAN]

Anyone ever sell their AHC ECU after removing it?

 

[1loudLX]

I'm pretty sure you're supposed to keep the ECU plugged in, just pull the power for it.

 

[Moody]

Finally got around to unplugging the box. No more flashing light!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Finally got around to unplugging the box. No more flashing light!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Adding some additional info here. We did a full AHC removal on a 2006 LX470 today, pump, lines, globes, shocks, etc. (OME installed). All fine and dandy there. But rather than pull the underhood AHC fuse, relay and AHC-B fuse in the kick panel. We first removed the AHC ECU and sure enough that killed all of the lights. We pulled the fuses just to be on the safe side so dead leads were not being powered.

However, after re-connecting the battery we were getting the flashing VSRG (variable steering ratio gear) light. Drove it out of the shop en route to the alignment shop and it reset itself. I had the alignment shop verify calibration when they did the alignment. Turned out really nice.