sami

Hi folks,

I have a question to the folks that own 90 LS400s with air suspension, but first the story
On my 90 LS400 i have the air suspension on it anyways in the last 2 days i noticed a fluid leak by the front left tire on the inside, i thought i blew a brake hose but upon close inspection it looked like the fluid was coming from behind the inner wheel cover ( behind the left turn signal).
So i took it apart and i saw the washer fluid resovior and right next to it was a black container looking piece with a hose on top and bottom. That unit was soaked in a red fluid ( not ATF) more like a hydrolic fluid. Honestly i'm stumped, i cleaned it very well and dried it off, turned on the car and let it idle for 20 mins hoping i can duplicate the leak but nothing leaked out.
Before i jacked up the car i switched off the auto height system button in the trunk and i never turned it on again.
Can anyone shed a light on what this unit is and if it happened to anyone on here before?
Also is it possibel to ditch the air suspension for some after market shocks and lowering springs and what is involved as far as misc parts and hardware?

Your advise is greatly appreciated.

Tammy

Follow the hoses...

Could this be your power steering reservoir, which contains red Dexron ATF for power steering fluid?

sami

Not at all i checked all the hoses and they are dry, its leaking from around the actual unit, i just called Lexus and they said its a hydrolic compressor

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

the coolant reservoir tank is in that general vicinity as well, check your coolant level since toyota coolant is also red in color. i wasnt aware that the air suspension system contains hydraulic fluid...

sami

Well when i bought the car it had green coolant in it, so i know its not coolant,
honestly the fluid is thicker that ATF but smells nothing like ATF. i checked the powersteering resovior and its full, so i'm baffled.

Tammy

Again ... "follow the hoses."

To what units do the hoses attach to?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

still want a pic

sami

I iwll do that tommorrow for you guys

sami

One hose on the top attatches to a hard line that is supposedly going to the rack, the other hose looks like a vaccuum line

mobilyte

iTrader: (3)

may be the ps return line, parts of the return line are steel tubing (where sharp bends occur) and parts are rubber hose about 1/2" OD. if you follow the rubber portion and it leads to steel tubing behind the front bumper (directly in front of the radiator), it's part of the return line. most of the rubber hose portions are covered with a thick insulator, i suppose could be mistaken for a reservoir.

i'm looking at the factory service manual, plus i just got done changing my rack, pressure hose, and ps pump just last week (also have a 90LS). i flushed the ps system by disconnecting at the rubber/steel line connection right below the driver side headlight (mentioned in first part of reply), the return fluid does have a large flow rate.

could have been a very brief leak in your case, mine spat ps fluid (i've used both dexron III & toyota type IV atf) all over the garage floor when i wasnt paying attention to where i had the rubber return line pointed.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Maybe its blood? Ran over something lately?

sami

Thick blood that is