LX570 AHC Globe/Accumulator failure

[tylerb42]

2013 LX, 86k miles.

Ride has been terrible lately at low speeds, seemingly no damping occurring. Almost scary at highway speeds over bumps. Tech confirmed globes were ruptured, said he hadn't seen a LX this 'new' with this failure. Quote was $5400 ($3600 parts--globes x4).

Found the globes and confidence to DIY for ~$1000 thanks to Ebay and Ih8mud.

Anything I need to look out for?

 

[grinchy]

There are an additional set of little plastic washers required for install, four 49156-60030 Suspension control back-up ring. Have enough AHC fluid on hand.

It can happen . . . $1000 is still way less then the most basic spring based suspension.

That is a lot of hours ($1800) for what I expect to be a two or three hour job . . .

 

[Madtiger]

Did you do the maintainance at 60k?

 

[tylerb42]

There are an additional set of little plastic washers required for install, four 49156-60030 Suspension control back-up ring. Have enough AHC fluid on hand.

It can happen . . . $1000 is still way less then the most basic spring based suspension.

That is a lot of hours ($1800) for what I expect to be a two or three hour job . . .

Thanks, hadn't noticed those in the schematic before. Lots of fluid ready to go, imagine there's a lot of nitrogen and contamination floating around if all 4 really ruptured, so will be bleeding a lot.

Agreed, $1k isn't terrible. the $5400 quote was pretty shocking though! I imagine most folks would sell a 7yr old car to Carmax at that point and walk away.

8hr labor quote, which I agree is excessive. Looks pretty straightforward after several hours of reviewing the process on 100s and the fluid replacement process on 200s.

 

[tylerb42]

Did you do the maintainance at 60k?

yep!

 

[UCrazyKid]

I’m surprised to hear about this. Was it used for dune jumping in the UAE?

 

[tylerb42]

I’m surprised to hear about this. Was it used for dune jumping in the UAE?

Not that I know of. Truck was in great shape when I got it and has continued it's grocery getting life since.

 

[turbo8]

All 4 were ruptured? Did they give you any codes?

 

[UCrazyKid]

I wonder if the wrong fluid was put in at sometime and it ate the rubber bladders.

 

[LBridges]

^^^ What @UCrazyKid said.

The service at 60K may have put in regular hydraulic fluid. Otherwise I couldn't imagine all 4 being gone in only 86K miles. I'm still on original globes at 222K miles in my 2000LX (although lately feeling a little tired).

I think I would figure out what is required to COMPLETELY flush the system, not just an install and bleed.

 

[tylerb42]

All 4 were ruptured? Did they give you any codes?

The tech didn't specify but recommended all 4 given the contaminants now floating around. We'll see when I pull them. In my opinion, the front is shot and the back is squirrely too, so all 4 isn't surprising.

I wonder if the wrong fluid was put in at sometime and it ate the rubber bladders.

Very well could be. I was almost positive that the 60k fluid replacement had been done, but I just rechecked the Carfax and don't see the 60k service.

Maybe it was never changed?

 

[grinchy]

Sounds more like shocks than globes? DO you have any weeping at the shock tubes?

 

[Madtiger]

But damn, all 4 bad at same time?! Might as well buy lottery ticket today...it might be your lucky day!

 

[tincan45]

I wonder if the wrong fluid was put in at sometime and it ate the rubber bladders.

^THIS^ Someone likely screwed up the 60K. When you drain keep a sample of the old fluid. Let's hope that is not the only damage. I would buy twice the required fluid and flush it thoroughly.

 

[tylerb42]

Sounds more like shocks than globes? DO you have any weeping at the shock tubes?

I'll check again, but didn't notice anything. If the shock tubes were the culprits, wouldn't it cause (long term) hydraulic pressure loss and a complete failure of the AHC? It still raises, lowers, and adjusts, which leads me to think the system is still able to pressurize.

My thought is; if I have system pressure, but no Nitrogen-filled diaphragms acting against the fluid, there is no compressible material in the system, which is required to create short term pressure variability...ie damping. Said differently, without the compressible gas in the globes, the system is unable to generate short term pressure changes--which should be how it dampens. Without the pressure differential caused by the fluid compressing the diaphragms, the pressure is static and it's like riding on bump stops.*

*I have no idea what I'm talking about but it sounds right in my head.

 

[04UZJ100]

Interesting.

The AHC system seems super complex on paper but the thing is dummy proof on install. Bleed, disconnect,install, and the thing automatically bleeds itself......

Sorry to hear about the premature failure. Was it rust related by chance??

 

[tylerb42]

Interesting.

The AHC system seems super complex on paper but the thing is dummy proof on install. Bleed, disconnect,install, and the thing automatically bleeds itself......

Sorry to hear about the premature failure. Was it rust related by chance??

Thanks, not that I can tell, undercarriage is in great shape!

 

[studawg]

I saw an LX470 recently with a brake-fluid-topped-off AHC reservoir. Not good.

 

[tylerb42]

I saw an LX470 recently with a brake-fluid-topped-off AHC reservoir. Not good.

Cracking mine open tomorrow, don’t jinx me!

 

[studawg]

Honestly I'd delete the whole thing no matter what the problem was anyway. Id actually be happy I even had the problem cuz it would justify ripping it out! But I'm a kind of a nutty AHC hater and thats just my opinion.