LX 470 Eyeballs Needed!!!

[hkeller]

Hey. I need a set of eyes from a LX owner. Can someone take a look at their suspension fluid? You may need to pull out the filter sleeve in the resevoir to get a good look at it. (It pops right out with your finger.) Mine has a frothy white coating on the top of it. Like the foam on the top of a beer, only thicker.

When I bled the system, the fluid that came out was emulsified. It was almost like runny shaving cream. I bled it into a clear bottle and, after it sat for about a week, it separated into a white pasty looking mess on the bottom with the brown fluid on top.

I am thinking the PO put washer fluid in the AHC fluid reservoir and it was never properly bled. I am going to bleed it again, but that does not remove all of the fluid. Anybody know how to bleed this system to get all of the fluid out?

Any toughts? Maybe all of this is normal??? I hope!?!?!

Thanks.

 

[cruisermaine]

I looked at LX's when I was shopping for a 100 series (I bought a cruiser so no 1st hand experience as LX owner). I asked my local Lexus service guy about this and he said if the PO put washer fluid in there you are looking at a complete fluid flush and refill NOT simply bleeding. He also suggested it could harm the system but I had my doubts about that. If that hydraulic fluid was contaminated then it needs to go. Do you have a FSM? I expect it would have instructions for flushing the system. Another possibility might be an air leak in the system if that's possible.

 

[FinallyGotOne!]

Sorry -- Just checked mine and it is clear, consistent, and definitely without sludge. Sounds to me like water (ww fluid?) contamination.

 

[hkeller]

Thanks. I was afrtaid of that. I just couldn't bring myself to admit it, without one of you confirming it for me. Urgh. The TSM obly has instructions for bleeding, not flushing and filling. I don't know what to do. I'll bleed it again, but I bet I could do that a 100 times and not get rid of all of the water. I am sure the dealer will want to replace the whole system to the tune of about $5,000.00. What a PITA!!! (sorry, but I am frustrated)

Any other thoughts?

 

[FinallyGotOne!]

I don't yet have a shop manual to refer to, but I would bet that it would be smart to get all the junk out you can before bleeding: 1) Suck all the fluid you can from the reservoir, and 2) refill with new fluid, 3) bleed at the shocks, 4) refill reservoir to proper level.
Again, this isn't based on experience or shop manual, but it is what I would do if my brake fluid was that messed up.