It finally happened guys, I'm almost certain that the two front AHC Globes have s*** themselves and imploded and fluid is flowing unrestricted into the 2 front shock absorbers. Every bump in the road turns the entire front end of the car into a vibrator and getting out of the driver's seat after a long enough ride is dreadful because you have to brace your now-jellied legs. Anyway i'm just looking for some confirmation that the Globes are in fact the problem, I mean I know, but it never hurts to be sure amirite? The back two globes and rear suspension system are still working perfectly, everytime we go over a speed bump in the road, unless you literally crawl over it, riding in the front (driver and passenger seats) feels like riding wild bulls at a rodeo while riding at the mid-row seats and rear-most seats retains (most) of its original comfort. Also, when the car is parked (and I assume every other time) the front is visibly higher than the rear. Front looks like it is in super-high mode while rear is at Normal setting. I'll just attach a few pictures here and there.
(Not Solved Anymore :/) New year, new problems. 2004 LX470 is a rolling pogo stick.
- Thread starter Chibu
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- ahc ride height
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check this video, and others on youtube
- Thread starter
- #5
There is actually droop (albeit only at the rear) sometimes when the car has been parked for a day or 2. Also, the car loves to switch from H to L mode randomly but it only chooses one mode per drive. Driving the car in L mode, stop the car, turn off the ignition, wait like 5 mins, then start again, and it'll go to H mode. Maybe the actuators imploding has confused the system given that it can no longer control the front suspension.
- Thread starter
- #6
Ok so, I have no idea what happened but, went to check the front accumulators today and started with the driver side. Released the pressure from the accumulator assembly and at this point the entire front end went down to about LO position. Fair enough. Brought out the globe itself and it passed the pencil test. Sus, but ok I guess. Stuck the accumulator back on the car and poured back the old fluid after filtering it twice. Started up that car. Front end remained in LO position but the bounciness is 100% gone. Like I'm-driving-on-a-cloud gone. Someone posted that it could be my ride height sensors as that is what happened to them when they had the same symptoms and they may be onto something. It's worth noting that the driver side ABS sensor is not connected properly and the ABS, VSC, and VSC lights are on the dash and the AHC also blinks OFF while driving (has to be due to the ABS as it was working perfectly before I screwed up by not reconnecting that sensor). I tried putting the car into HI mode but it just blinked twice and did nothing. Tuff break but no problem for now as the car is back to riding like a champ (pause) and I am going to be replacing the leaking, trashy aftermarket CV axle with an OEM axle in Abt 2 weeks when the snap rings arrive and I will be sure to reconnect the ABS sensor properly.
So to recap, I have no ****ing idea what happened and I need to get techstream.
So to recap, I have no ****ing idea what happened and I need to get techstream.
GTV
SILVER Star
It might be. There’s no way to know for sure without Techstream.
- Thread starter
- #10
Ok, so, I went and checked the passenger side accumulator today, knowing that at least I would be able to temporarily stop the bounciness by releasing the pressure and pouring the old fluid back in. However, this fluid was exceptionally dirty and even had pieces of rubber or plastic come out from the mouth of the accumulator assembly after unscrewing the accumulator. Any ideas what this could be? Or maybe it could be some weak wiring loom that feel into the bucket when the bleeder hose touched a wire? (There's also just hella grime and dirt pieces everywhere in the fluid :/ )
GTV
SILVER Star
It's a sign that a fluid flush is long overdue.
Just get some standard LC torsion bars, rear coils, and 4 shocks and be done with that crap.
Have you hooked up Techstream and done the basics first?
Ok, now that you have the cable:
How-To: TechStream In 5 Minutes
Then, your front heights look WAY off. It's far too high, and will most definitely ride like garbage.
Looks like either: your height sensors have failed, or they are set super wrong.
The "AHC Cheat Sheet" from @suprarx7nut, is outstanding, there's a good video as well.
AHC Info
Another good place to start is to read this:
Definitive list of AHC maintenance items
Get your heights (fender-hub) under control: first adjust neutral AHC pressures & cross level, then adjust height sensors, check H->L graduations, order replacement globes if required (sounds probable).
The system is pretty simple to work on once you figure out how., and it's worth the effort. Once you have it right, the ride is butttttttterrrrrrrryyyyy
Keep posting here, and ask for help as you need.
How-To: TechStream In 5 Minutes
Then, your front heights look WAY off. It's far too high, and will most definitely ride like garbage.
Looks like either: your height sensors have failed, or they are set super wrong.
The "AHC Cheat Sheet" from @suprarx7nut, is outstanding, there's a good video as well.
AHC Info
Another good place to start is to read this:
Definitive list of AHC maintenance items
Get your heights (fender-hub) under control: first adjust neutral AHC pressures & cross level, then adjust height sensors, check H->L graduations, order replacement globes if required (sounds probable).
The system is pretty simple to work on once you figure out how., and it's worth the effort. Once you have it right, the ride is butttttttterrrrrrrryyyyy
Keep posting here, and ask for help as you need.
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That loom just fell off into the bucket. No way that was in the hydraulic system.
Or maybe hook up Techstream, discover the obvious problem and spend a fraction of the time and money correcting the problem and keeping superior suspension?
Smart guy. Let us know what Techstream shows. Probably need new globes and new fluid, maybe a height sensor. All much less expensive than a conversion.Oh, no, no, no. Switching to conventional suspension is a no, no. (Dad's orders)
The pencil test or anything similar is a waste of time IMO. When you took them off did you happen to notice the date on them? Mine were the original ones, 20 years old.... Based on the fluid that I drained I'd say it was at least 10 years old (second owner got scammed into replacing a shock that was weeping otherwise probably would have been original) and more like differential fluid than hydraulic fluid.
It really is a shame there wasn't more knowledge about the maintenance of the system. When it is working right you might as well be in a LS460 it's that smooth. It WAS the top of the line Lexus back in the day and they had a reputation to uphold.
It really is a shame there wasn't more knowledge about the maintenance of the system. When it is working right you might as well be in a LS460 it's that smooth. It WAS the top of the line Lexus back in the day and they had a reputation to uphold.
- Thread starter
- #20
Yep, mine were the original too, and I can bet my right arm that the fluid was original also. 17 year old fluid! Funny thing is that for as long as I can remember riding in the car (circa since 2006), the AHC has actually been deactivated because someone pulled the 20 amp AHC fuse in the driver footwell fuse box. I never saw the AHC lights on the dash EVER until a few months ago when I replaced the fuse after the car had been sitting for a year and used as a storage unit and all the fluid from the shocks had been compressed out. I guess this problem I have now was inevitable given that the car (and AHC system) has been almost a daily for months now after it (AHC system) hasn't been alive for years.
