DV8ion

This is my first post here and I hope that someone can help me with the issue that I'm experiencing.

I have a 1995 Lexus LS400 and over the past couple of months I've had some weird issues with my air suspension. It all started shortly after we had a major snow in my area a few months back. I had dig my car out of snow over the course of two days and my car had gone over an small embankment. Anyway, the car seemed fine after that. Shortly after I had an issue with my harmonic balancer, but a friend of mine and I got that taken care of, so no big deal.

(To the issue at hand)
One night, my car was in the drive way, which is on an incline, and I was about to leave and noticed that the front end was dragging a little. After driving down the street, the car leveled out. After that, I noticed that the front end was lower to the ground than the back. After starting up the car and driving it down the road, again, the car would rise up. A few weeks later, I noticed that while driving on the interstate the car felt as if the back driver side tire was lower than the rest of the car, but when I came to a standstill it would raise back up. So, my friends and I thought that the issue was in the back driver side tire, parking outside of a relatives house (which is on a small slope, the driver side (both front and back would lower to the ground), while the passenger side stayed up.

Fast-forwarding- the issue that I'm having now is that the rest of the car will rise up and stay up EXCEPT the front passenger side. We checked the airbags and they're fine. The compressor comes on just fine, and my neighbor checked the height sensor connection with an Ohm meter and there's no power going to the sensor. I honestly don't know too much about cars, but if someone explains something to me, I do a pretty good job of figuring it out. If anyone can give me any guidance on this, I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you!

~D~

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

The bags are most likely starting to go out and they are expensive to fix. Most owners on here just replace them with regular shock/spring suspension. I can tell that you like the air suspension but these things usually get worst not better. Just search this forum with " Air suspension woes " and you will see what I mean.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

how did you check the air bag? a super slow leak is hard to detect. it could very well be your height sensors which can corrode and deteriorate due to snow and road salt. with the air bags subject to the same road conditions i would bet the bags are developing leaks, just as sha pointed out.

while driving, there is constant up/down force on the bags so they do not fill as fast compared to a stand still. do you see the same observations when the height switch is set to high?

DV8ion

It seemed fine the day before it stopped raising up. *update* My mother's neighbor checked it out and he stated that there was some air pressure but not very much coming from the valve; the rest of the sides all had plenty of air. I used soapy water with another mechanic my mother knew to detect leaks (I did a lot of Google searches before joining this site). Before this issue started, I never experienced a single issue with that side while driving, but I did have some issues with the driver side toward the end, and now that side seems to be just fine. My mother's neighbor told yesterday that the front driver side starts to raise up, but it struggles because of the front passenger side.

I have also been told before to adjust the height sensor which has yet to be done. Does anyone think that this would be a good idea? Could there be an issue with the relay?

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

did you find anything conclusive with the soapy water? that's a good way to check.

as for the relay, it is unlikely. playing with the height sensors only bandages the problem if you change the settings though make sure all are connected properly. the main problem is a leak, which is very common at this day and age.

TMAdash1

iTrader: (1)

Too bad you aren't closer, I got a full set of perfectly good air shocks I took off my 97 just takin up space in the garage that I have no use for, rather give them to someone who needs them than chuck them

DV8ion

Finally found out what's wrong with my car. It needs a new hose apparently. I was told that the part number is 48984-50050. The price for the hose is $218.00. Does anyone know of any aftermarket hoses that may work for this?

DV8ion

I went with the advice of others and just switched to struts. Not regretting the decision at all. Screw air suspension.