Builds The Story of Blue (1 Viewer)

[ClassyJalopy]

High presuures:
Front 9.6
Rear 7.8

Neutral pressures:
Front 6.8
Rear 6.5

N to L time: 20 sec
L to N time: 29 sec

 

[ClassyJalopy]

From techstream

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Should I try putting a couple of 100 lbs of weight in the back to see if that helps? Really don't want to strip off AHC if I can help it.

 

[suprarx7nut]

From techstream
View attachment 3377535View attachment 3377536

prompt replies with data and screenshots, you're trying to get some sort of trophy or something...

Those pressures tell me you're over sprung by a bit. Pressure in H should be closer to 9-9.5 in my experience. Being oversprung is good for reducing the pain factor if a failure occurs in the AHC system, but not great for ride comfort when everything is working properly. I don't think it would be super harsh though - just not as cush as it could be.

Since you say the harshness is significant and if I understand correctly, it arrived without anything else in the car changing (no newly added weight, etc...) I'm not sure that's the core culprit.

The air bubbles points to a failing globe, but that's an unusual thing. The lack of damping change points to a bad globe and/or shock and/or actuator/wiring. The bad shock and actuator are pretty uncommon as well. Wiring troubles are high on my list of checks, but they are pretty reliable in giving a code. Looking at the manual it seems possible to have an open circuit on the actuator and get no alarm. There's an over-current alert, but I'm not seeing mention of an open circuit fault. Got a multimeter and a desire to go hunting?

Checking at the BI2 connector (95% sure that's one of the ones in the rear driver quarter bumper area) will tell you if a problem exists from there downstream. That's where we most commonly see trouble in the wiring.

If the check is good at the BI2 connector, you can move onto each actuator.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

prompt replies with data and screenshots, you're trying to get some sort of trophy or something...

Those pressures tell me you're over sprung by a bit. Pressure in H should be closer to 9-9.5 in my experience. Being oversprung is good for reducing the pain factor if a failure occurs in the AHC system, but not great for ride comfort when everything is working properly. I don't think it would be super harsh though - just not as cush as it could be.

Since you say the harshness is significant and if I understand correctly, it arrived without anything else in the car changing (no newly added weight, etc...) I'm not sure that's the core culprit.

The air bubbles points to a failing globe, but that's an unusual thing. The lack of damping change points to a bad globe and/or shock and/or actuator/wiring. The bad shock and actuator are pretty uncommon as well. Wiring troubles are high on my list of checks, but they are pretty reliable in giving a code. Looking at the manual it seems possible to have an open circuit on the actuator and get no alarm. There's an over-current alert, but I'm not seeing mention of an open circuit fault. Got a multimeter and a desire to go hunting?

Checking at the BI2 connector (95% sure that's one of the ones in the rear driver quarter bumper area) will tell you if a problem exists from there downstream. That's where we most commonly see trouble in the wiring.

View attachment 3377731


If the check is good at the BI2 connector, you can move onto each actuator.

View attachment 3377733

Thanks for sticking with me. I have spent so much time and money on AHC (new globes, new pump, new shock bushings, flushes etc.) that I really want this to work!

Do you have the pdf version of this manual? is this just a screenshot of the EWD? Admittedly I have never tested factory wiring before so I am a little uninitiated

 

[yngmrostrvile]

You can diagrams here

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Thanks again for all the help @suprarx7nut and @yngmrostrvile . I looked at most of the wiring I could get to under the truck and didn't see any obvious issues. Nothing is crumbling or falling apart. I tried to disconnect BI2 connector but it isn't budging at all. I am afraid I might end up breaking it if I use any more force on it.

At this point I am pretty sure, I am done futzing with the AHC and do not want to continue to deal with it. While it was great when it worked, it is also clearly pretty hard to keep running correctly even with a lot of new parts! I am especially concerned that any time and money spent on trying to correct it will only result in it failing again, in another novel way in a few months. I realize it was a mistake to try to make it work by spending all that effort on it the first time around.

I think I am pretty set on ripping this out and see if I can recoup some of my investment by selling the parts to other more risk-taking LX owners.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Thanks again for all the help @suprarx7nut and @yngmrostrvile . I looked at most of the wiring I could get to under the truck and didn't see any obvious issues. Nothing is crumbling or falling apart. I tried to disconnect BI2 connector but it isn't budging at all. I am afraid I might end up breaking it if I use any more force on it.

At this point I am pretty sure, I am done futzing with the AHC and do not want to continue to deal with it. While it was great when it worked, it is also clearly pretty hard to keep running correctly even with a lot of new parts! I am especially concerned that any time and money spent on trying to correct it will only result in it failing again, in another novel way in a few months. I realize it was a mistake to try to make it work by spending all that effort on it the first time around.

I think I am pretty set on ripping this out and see if I can recoup some of my investment by selling the parts to other more risk-taking LX owners.

I can understand that.

Might be worth one last bleed of the rear globes. If it's bubbly again, must be a leaking globe. $300 and a quick swap for both of them.

If you do end up removing AHC, I'd love to get the globes/actuators you remove for testing.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

I can understand that.

Might be worth one last bleed of the rear globes. If it's bubbly again, must be a leaking globe. $300 and a quick swap for both of them.

If you do end up removing AHC, I'd love to get the globes/actuators you remove for testing.

That's great advice! I went out and bled the center height accumulator as well as front and rear accumulators again.
Front and center: Absolutely no bubbles whatsoever! Straight stream of smelly pink oil
Rear:
Completely foamy! After a couple of bleeds got the driver side down to a steady stream of oil with a constant showing of bubbles. Moved on the passenger side, again super foamy oil until the second bleed and then mostly oil with still quite a few air bubbles.

I did make sure that the reservoir never had less than minimum level of oil and did start the truck after every bleed to let the pressure build up again and rear rise up to normal height.

So - does that mean my troubles might be limited to just the two rear globes? If so, I am willing to make a $300 bet.
Although I am still not sure what I'd have done to bust both rear globes like that! it is not a trophy truck that I use to do "sweet jumps"!

 

[suprarx7nut]

That's great advice! I went out and bled the center height accumulator as well as front and rear accumulators again.
Front and center: Absolutely no bubbles whatsoever! Straight stream of smelly pink oil
Rear:
Completely foamy! After a couple of bleeds got the driver side down to a steady stream of oil with a constant showing of bubbles. Moved on the passenger side, again super foamy oil until the second bleed and then mostly oil with still quite a few air bubbles.

I did make sure that the reservoir never had less than minimum level of oil and did start the truck after every bleed to let the pressure build up again and rear rise up to normal height.

So - does that mean my troubles might be limited to just the two rear globes? If so, I am willing to make a $300 bet.
Although I am still not sure what I'd have done to bust both rear globes like that! it is not a trophy truck that I use to do "sweet jumps"!

That sounds very much like you have one (or two somehow?) dead globes. Manufacturing flaws happen and if you got them at the same time, the likelihood it was the same manufacturing batch is high. Could be a weak batch of polymer in the bladder material. The global supply of polymers was 100% awful for a while in 2020. If you bought them around that time, chances are real high the polymer used was a bit unusual.

A globe swap is a lot less time and money than an entire system changeout so I'd throw a couple globes at it and see what comes of it.

Let us know!

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Yes - I bought the globes in 2021 perhaps they were inferior quality - I do remember paying for them with real money though

In any case, I just put in a new order for 2 new rear globes at Impex. @js47 looks like you caught on this earlier than I did!

 

[hoser]

Any chance the AHC reservoir was contaminated at any time with brake fluid?

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Any chance the AHC reservoir was contaminated at any time with brake fluid?

Not in my ownership (since Mar 2021). In summer 2021, I took off the AHC reservoir, put a new pump in and flushed the whole system with fresh AHC fluid before putting in all new globes.
When I flush the accumulators, I get fresh pink fluid with no contaminants so I am pretty confident that AHC fluid is in good nick! Also, it looks like my front globes are not foo-bared, which makes me think this is not a system wide issue!

 

[NE Snowman]

Man, a fuel pump and now globes both OEM. You should start playing the lottery.

At least it’s been your own wrenching time and not at shop cost. Although the older I get the more I determine I don’t have as much time as I’d like.

Off topic-ish, but yeah manufacturing has been a problem. In the past 2 years I’ve returned more construction materials than I did in my first 12 years combined. Not exactly the same QC as parts though.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Since the truck will be out of service until the new globes show up, I decided to start the timing belt job.
Spent about an hour draining the coolant and taking off some parts - still a lot to do!
So far I have been pleasantly surprised how easily everything has come apart. All the bolt had thread locker on them and so nothing was found cross threaded. Looks like the last person that did the TB job knew what they were doing

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Timing marks before taking the TB off:

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Using a chain wrench to hold the main driver pulley while loosening the main bolt works best in my experience. Don't forget to cover the pulley grooves with a piece of v belt!
Thanks @2001LC for sharing this trick

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Putting torque specs here so I don't have to go fishing for them:

All values in lb ft

• AC compressor bolt: 36
• Alternator: 29
• Steering pump: 46
• Timing idler pulley No. 1 and No. 2: 25
• Timing belt tensioner: 19
• Crankshaft pulley bolt: 181
• Timing belt covers 12
• Fan pully 16
• Water inlet housing: 13
• water inlet: 14
• Fan bracket:
  • 12 mm bolt: 12
  • 14 mm bolt: 24
• v-belt idler pulley: 29
• water pump:
  • bolts: 15
  • nut/studs: 13
• v-belt tensioner assembly: 12

 

[MountaineerLC]

I never got the 181 lb/ft on my crank pulley. Just got it tight as I could and called it a day. It's still there two years later!

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Mileage 194,525 - Timing Belt Replaced.
It is alive! Finished the TB job in about 8-10 hours of labor. It started right up and ran smooth! No leaks and the heat and AC still work!
A quick 3 mile drive was eventless too!