If you are in the Seattle area and are thinking about tackling this job, I have a set of brand new globes sitting in the garage. I paid $500 for them and unfortunately my car was wrecked before I could install them. Willing to let the go for $400
LX570 AHC Globe/Accumulator Replacement (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter NKP Garage
- Start date
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One lift, one mechanic, and one huge pair of channellock pliers later and we're back in business. Last globe installed, one final bleed, and she drives like new.
- Thread starter
- #523
Could you have done it on the ground? I didn't even jack mine up off the ground.
@NKP Garage - it's been a while since I've seen your video - did you strip a bolt, too?
I removed most of the globes on the ground, no problem. Things got more difficult/time consuming when the globe bolt stripped. I simply didn't have the right tools on hand (or time left to go get them).
I will say, the mechanic had much more leverage using the channellocks with the LX in the air. He was positioned under the vehicle and pushing outward. As you know, the globes hang at an angle, and the pliers were positioned in a way to get the most "bite" that would be difficult/impossible with the truck on the ground.
No doubt more time and better tool selection would make this DIY-able.
Note for anyone in this position later on: I asked them to barely loosen the globe (less than 1/8 turn), as I hadn't bled the system and it was still pressurized***. I then drove it a short distance home in Normal height mode with AHC turned off - just in case I lost pressure. I didn't detect a drop of hydraulic fluid after the drive, and I was able to unscrew the globe by hand after bleeding.
***I wasn't sure what would happen if I bled that corner and then put the vehicle in the air. Would it have created a vacuum in the hydraulic line from the hanging wheel weight? I decided I didn't want to find out the hard way.
So I did mine this weekend tip #1 don’t mess with that back bolt on the rail guards, you can just bend it down and work around it. You’ll have to turn the globe sideways to put it in and rotate it but it looked easier than the hour I’d have spent trying to get that last bolt out.
I went from about 9 seconds L to N to anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. I’m getting no error but sometimes it seems like the arrow that comes on when it’s adjusting goes away for a second and then comes back on. I’m hoping I just need to do another bleed maybe got some air back fed into the lines? I way over filled the reservoir and kept it above max the whole time so I know I didn’t pick it up from there. Any ideas?
I went from about 9 seconds L to N to anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds. I’m getting no error but sometimes it seems like the arrow that comes on when it’s adjusting goes away for a second and then comes back on. I’m hoping I just need to do another bleed maybe got some air back fed into the lines? I way over filled the reservoir and kept it above max the whole time so I know I didn’t pick it up from there. Any ideas?
The key is to remove the bracket from the running boards to access that pain in the butt bolt from the rail guard armor. Angled socket can be helpful as well. I would take them off so you don't take a risk of threading those globes at too much of an angle and strip the threads.
I drove mine up on wood blocks. Worked out well. Defintely remove that front running board bracket and fully remove the armor next time. Can't imagine doing it with rails in the way.
- Thread starter
- #528
Nice work!
It really wasn’t bad at all. Like I said all I had to do was turn the back globe sideways to get it in there. I didn’t have the right combo of extensions and I knew it was gonna be a pain in the ass.
I’m more worried about the half a minute it takes to go into N.
I’m more worried about the half a minute it takes to go into N.
Wonder if possibly your 5th accumulator hasn't refilled and isn't being used. Did you drain it? Pretty sure you can only get those sub 10 second lifts when the accumulator is doing it's thing. I would try doing some L to Ns and give the truck plenty of time to fill the accumulator before making another change. If you watch in Techstream (or OBD Fustion with AHC dashboard) you can see when the accumulator is being filled.
I didn’t drain the 5th. I only bled one corner and replaced the globe, cranked the ride to let it refill and moved to the next corner repeating the process. Always keeping the res above max.
5th accumulator? What am I missing there. I swapped out 4 in each corner. Is there another accumulator hiding out?
Good call on Techstream
The 5th is a huge cylindrical one right beside the cat. It has a shield around it so it’ll have to be cool to get to it as you have to remove the bolts5th accumulator? What am I missing there. I swapped out 4 in each corner. Is there another accumulator hiding out?
Good call on Techstream
Which face the cat. I just re bled the other 4 and it’ll go to n in about 12 seconds one time and 28 the next time. From L to driving it autos to N in about 25 seconds. I give up. I guess I can try bleeding the 5th one tomorrow when I get home. The cat is too hot right now.
Damn. I had no idea. None of the videos online that address accumulator globe removal/install mention a 5th globe? I wonder if this is something that should be replaced over 100k?
Hate to even mess with it now as it is working. However, during install of new globes, despite bleeding each corner, I somehow ended up with a vacuum lock. I couldn't get any fluid to drain at one point. So I reversed the pump I used to fill the AHC fluids and pulled fluid from the nipples. Ok, that sounded weird, but I'm talking about the AHC drains. It finally worked. I will need to rethink my next time around. Some people start it each time after replacing a globe and run the fluids through. That makes sense too. I had the light on/off for awhile. Finally just drove it around. Bled more fluids out. Added more to the reservoir, which is impossible to see the line, and kept going. It's a finicky system. Still feels like it takes longer then it should to raise/lower. Although it does auto-actuate on highway and around town. You can feel it working. Pretty cool when it is dialed in. Now I can see why some Lexus dealerships are charging $3-4k to do the same thing my hands and $600 in parts did.
Good luck guys.
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well crap, thought I responded earlier. As stated above, the 5th accumulator is a cylinder near the height control valve. I wouldn’t be concerned with replacing it, or really doing anything with it. The only thing it is there for is speeding up lifts. In normal function, when a lift is called for both the pump starts and the valve for the 5th accumulator opens. It is pre pressurized by the AHC pump. This is how the truck can do a lift in under 10 seconds. After the lift is complete, the pump continues to run pressurizing the 5th accumulator. The accumulator only has enough “juice” to help with a single lift phase before needing to be re-pressurized . I have seen, especially during maintenance the accumulator not get filled fully and then not get utilized for a subsequent lift. The pump can lift without it, but that’s when you start seeing the longer lift times.
My suggestion would be to just let it be and do normal driving for a while. I suspect it will work itself out.
My suggestion would be to just let it be and do normal driving for a while. I suspect it will work itself out.
