Hi need help
Mechanic Replaced all 4 hydraulic shocks without bleeding the accumulator so there was fluid all over the place, anyway
LX stuck all the way down and won't go up. The reservoir does have fluid
what can I do
Replace
An incredibly frustrating and unhappy experience -- but not the end of the world as we know it .....
Just to be sure that we are all on the same page and to avoid going in circles, can you please first confirm the age of the vehicle and that it actually was the AHC 'Shock Absorbers' which were changed, and if so, the reason for the changeout?? These actually are simple hydraulic struts. Change-out is not a usual 'wear-and-tear job' unless
- the 'shocks' have been overcome by rust, or,
- the lower bushes or upper cushions needed replacement and it was judged that it was easier to replace 'shocks' rather than refit new bushes and new cushions, or,
- AHC pressures have been very high for a very long time and this truly has caused failure of the 'shock absorber' internal seals (the first step with weeping shocks would have been to correct the AHC pressures which may have overcome the weeping or leaking).
Or was it the 'globes' (formally called 'Gas Chambers') which actually were changed out?? These definitely are 'wear-and-tear' items, replacement is a much more common job and it would be unsurprising if required approximately every 10 years (sometimes longer, sometimes shorter) -- because the internal membrane eventually does deteriorate and the nitrogen pressure is lost.
Whatever the situation, there is now a LOT of air in the AHC system. This will require a major bleeding effort all around the vehicle via the bleed screws at each of the four Damping Force Control Actuators (to which the 'globes' are attached) as well as the bleed screw at the cylindrical Height Control Accumulator midway along the LHS chassis rail. It is likely that this effort will necessitate two, possibly more, 2.5 litre cans of AHC Fluid Part Number 08886-01805 --
don't let anyone use substitute fluids and especially not brake fluid which can destroy seals in the AHC system.
Avoid using the 1 litre plastic bottles of AHC Fluid Part Number 08886-81221 which were marketed in the USA in past years and which are said to contain or degrade to a gel which causes blockage problems.
The AHC Pump also is likely to contain air and if so, it will need to be re-started. Sometimes this can be done using the "HEIGHT CONTROL OPERATION TEST -- ACTIVE TEST" per Section 5 at Page 6 of the first attachment (Special Service Tool SST 09843-18020 is simply a piece of bridging wire and a bent paperclip is just as good!) Ignore the array of dashboard lights which will show during this method.
If the Active Test cannot be made to work, then make a brief (10 seconds) direct connection from the battery to the AHC Motor, ensuring correct polarity so that the motor rotates in the correct direction.
Then follow a Bleeding Method such as the attached method attributed long ago (2016) to
@PADDO . In your situation, it is highly likely that patience and many repetitive efforts will be required.
Strongly recommend reading enough of the thread at the link below to get an undertstanding of the AHC and TEMS systems and what to do when common problems are encountered, including watching the video at Post #5:
I initially put this in the
Definitive list of AHC maintenance items thread, but at almost 800 posts long and growing, it's going to get buried and the thread itself is very unwieldy.
In an attempt to make as focused a summary as possible,
I present "The ABCs of AHC." It's intended as a comprehensive, linear checklist for anyone who needs to get their AHC back into factory tune. Information gathered from as many sources as I could find on this forum; I take no credit for developing any of this, just bringing it all together as much as possible. Special shout outs to...
