View Poll Results: Does it work?? Did it ever break??Repaired??
Yes it Broke and had it reapired....
73
27.55%
NO. The Suspension works like a charm...
176
66.42%
YES, my AIR CONTROLLER broke it...
16
6.04%
Voters: 265. You may not vote on this poll
LS430 UL with Air Suspension...Post your Issues Here
05-31-14, 02:52 PM
#181
08-06-14, 03:24 PM
#183
I searched earlier but didn't really find a answer either way. But is there any aftermarket bags that could be replaced instead of the OEM ones when I get to the point of replacing it? I'm thinking of getting the datacontroller, however I'm afraid of making the struts fail prematurely if I drive too low. At $4k for the struts alone, I would likley go aftermarket air completely if I had to. I don't think I would go to coilovers, as my experience on other cars has not been good with ride quality.
08-06-14, 06:48 PM
#184
Aftermarket air shocks will not work with the oem system. I was worried about the bags failing when I purchased my ul and found a nice used set on eBay for less then $500. They have been in storage for a year now. But I guess it's nice to have them. 119k and counting.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311006386087?redirect=mobile
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311006386087?redirect=mobile
Last edited by Lavrishevo; 08-06-14 at 06:52 PM.
08-13-14, 08:25 AM
#185
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How to convert Air Suspension to Regular Suspension
Convert EAS (Air Suspension) to Conventional - I have a 2001 LS430 Ultra Luxury with Air Suspension. The Struts are gone. They leak. Car hits bump on highway and steering wheels shakes, rattles and vibrates. Mechanic says need new air struts. Car has 96k miles; I am only owner. in nice condition. don't want to spend so much for struts. Does anyone know what exactly I need to convert to - if I eliminate air suspension and use a standard strut? Any experience with this? Wife says get rid of car. not sure I want to. actually rides nice on smooth road; has so many luxury features; body good; looks good.
08-13-14, 08:26 AM
#186
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Convert EAS (Air Suspension) to Conventional - I have a 2001 LS430 Ultra Luxury with Air Suspension. The Struts are gone. They leak. Car hits bump on highway and steering wheels shakes, rattles and vibrates. Mechanic says need new air struts. Car has 96k miles; I am only owner. in nice condition. don't want to spend so much for struts. Does anyone know what exactly I need to convert to - if I eliminate air suspension and use a standard strut? Any experience with this? Wife says get rid of car. not sure I want to. actually rides nice on smooth road; has so many luxury features; body good; looks good.
08-14-14, 08:40 AM
#187
Convert EAS (Air Suspension) to Conventional - I have a 2001 LS430 Ultra Luxury with Air Suspension. The Struts are gone. They leak. Car hits bump on highway and steering wheels shakes, rattles and vibrates. Mechanic says need new air struts. Car has 96k miles; I am only owner. in nice condition. don't want to spend so much for struts. Does anyone know what exactly I need to convert to - if I eliminate air suspension and use a standard strut? Any experience with this? Wife says get rid of car. not sure I want to. actually rides nice on smooth road; has so many luxury features; body good; looks good.
Last edited by Lavrishevo; 08-14-14 at 08:45 AM.
08-14-14, 02:47 PM
#188
Probably the cheapest fix is to try to find some nice used air shocks online. Do you need to replace all 4? I purchased a whole set for my 04 UL (ebay) as backup's for less then $500. I was paranoid about this when I first purchased the car and they have been in a closet for over a year. To convert the suspension is about $1200 - $1600 That's if you purchase the parts yourself and pay for labor and an alignment.
01-10-15, 04:24 PM
#189
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Possible Issues with Air Ride Suspension?
This is my first time posting. Have an 04 Lexus LS 430 with Ultra package. Car has been near flawless since new and currently has 138K miles. Dealer has performed all service and minor warranty repairs. All of the air suspension parts and struts are original. I have the following questions regarding the air suspension to the group. I read the majority of posts on this thread, but there is a lot of information and it is a bit overwhelming.
1- Does the car have air struts only on the back for leveling or is there air struts up front too?
2- The suspension switch on console that changes ride from Norm to Sport appears to work without issue. What type of struts are up front?
3- Air compressor is supposedly located up front and can now be heard cycling on and off. Over the last few months the cycling is more frequent ..........say every 10 to 15 minutes, probably even more frequently since i really can only hear the compressor when the car is idling and stopped. So it is likely that it is cycling while i am driving the car as well. I am assuming that something in the system is leaking to cause the frequent cycling.
4- I took it to the dealer and they said no visible leaks and the compressor was just old, and if i wanted to at a later date i could replace it for about $3,000. Yikes. So i left dealer with the original compressor. But obviously the compressor will fail as a result of continued over cycling, so i really cant ignore this problem any longer.
5- I understand that the leak could be anywhere from compressor, struts, air lines, etc., but the question to the group is what is the most likely component that is leaking? Again the struts do not have visible signs of fluid leaks yet.
6- Most of the time the suspension feels appropriate and rides well without any uneven corner heights. The car rides level. However on certain road surfaces that are really uneven and have potholes, the suspension can feel and sound pretty jarring and i get a quick wobble in the steering wheel. Does the group believe that my struts are worn out with these symptoms?
7- I want to keep the stock air suspension. But obviously I am choking at the repair costs I have read here.
8- What is the most competitive factory parts supplier that the group uses? I live in Southern Calif.
Thanks for your help.
1- Does the car have air struts only on the back for leveling or is there air struts up front too?
2- The suspension switch on console that changes ride from Norm to Sport appears to work without issue. What type of struts are up front?
3- Air compressor is supposedly located up front and can now be heard cycling on and off. Over the last few months the cycling is more frequent ..........say every 10 to 15 minutes, probably even more frequently since i really can only hear the compressor when the car is idling and stopped. So it is likely that it is cycling while i am driving the car as well. I am assuming that something in the system is leaking to cause the frequent cycling.
4- I took it to the dealer and they said no visible leaks and the compressor was just old, and if i wanted to at a later date i could replace it for about $3,000. Yikes. So i left dealer with the original compressor. But obviously the compressor will fail as a result of continued over cycling, so i really cant ignore this problem any longer.
5- I understand that the leak could be anywhere from compressor, struts, air lines, etc., but the question to the group is what is the most likely component that is leaking? Again the struts do not have visible signs of fluid leaks yet.
6- Most of the time the suspension feels appropriate and rides well without any uneven corner heights. The car rides level. However on certain road surfaces that are really uneven and have potholes, the suspension can feel and sound pretty jarring and i get a quick wobble in the steering wheel. Does the group believe that my struts are worn out with these symptoms?
7- I want to keep the stock air suspension. But obviously I am choking at the repair costs I have read here.
8- What is the most competitive factory parts supplier that the group uses? I live in Southern Calif.
Thanks for your help.
01-10-15, 06:25 PM
#190
1: Both front and rear are air.
2: The air-shocks are made by KYB.
3: Every 15 min is quite often and will wear out your compressor if not dealt with. You are leaking air somewhere.
4: Totally ridiculous quote from the dealer.
5: One of the air-socks itself is most likely the culprit. I have never seen or read about a leaking tube but this is not out of the question.
6: Yes, this is a sign of a failing air-shock.
7 / 8: You can purchase a new air-shock for around $1,100 or buy a nice used one for around $200. I know there are companies that rebuild them in Europe but I have not found any is the US. There are no aftermarket solutions that will be compatible with the OEM system.
You can also convert the entire suspension to coils and shocks for about $300 more then buying 1 new air-shock.
Check out the FAQ thread at the top. This has a lot of good info.
2: The air-shocks are made by KYB.
3: Every 15 min is quite often and will wear out your compressor if not dealt with. You are leaking air somewhere.
4: Totally ridiculous quote from the dealer.
5: One of the air-socks itself is most likely the culprit. I have never seen or read about a leaking tube but this is not out of the question.
6: Yes, this is a sign of a failing air-shock.
7 / 8: You can purchase a new air-shock for around $1,100 or buy a nice used one for around $200. I know there are companies that rebuild them in Europe but I have not found any is the US. There are no aftermarket solutions that will be compatible with the OEM system.
You can also convert the entire suspension to coils and shocks for about $300 more then buying 1 new air-shock.
Check out the FAQ thread at the top. This has a lot of good info.
01-10-15, 06:57 PM
#191
Lexus Test Driver
One other thing to consider: your compressor may seem like it is over-cycling but in fact it may be normal. The car lowers itself a bit above a certain speed (I think it is around 60mph), and if your usual driving routes include some high speeds in between stops, then the car will be constantly lowering and raising its ride height. You'll hear the compressor at the stoplights. Mine has a similar behavior and I was concerned I had a leak; my tech checked it out thoroughly and couldn't find any leaks anywhere, and after a while I realized it was normal. All but one of my shocks are fairly new, and the one remaining checked out ok.
01-11-15, 02:39 PM
#192
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Thanks for the replies and insight. I appreciate it. To ancdmd that is a very interesting thought on the car lowering and then at speeds lower than 60 it airs up again. I will try to pattern the compressor cycling to see if this is the reason for cycling.
To Lavrishevo, i have since confirmed that your price of about $1,100 seems to be coreect at least as of today. I priced ithem at Parts.com. Now you mention buying good used struts. Where would used struts be sold, Ebay? And how can you tell that the used ones you got are good and have some life left? I would imagine that if I found a used strut would be at least 8 + years old if they were take offs from a 2006 LS?
To Lavrishevo, i have since confirmed that your price of about $1,100 seems to be coreect at least as of today. I priced ithem at Parts.com. Now you mention buying good used struts. Where would used struts be sold, Ebay? And how can you tell that the used ones you got are good and have some life left? I would imagine that if I found a used strut would be at least 8 + years old if they were take offs from a 2006 LS?
04-21-15, 10:34 PM
#194
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Creaking noise when turning wheel
Recently started to hear a creaking noise when turning wheels completely left or right while stopped. Is this ball joints ? Thanks. Ps this is a 2001 LS430 ultra with air ride.
04-22-15, 05:53 AM
#195
Do this to check the joints. http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Ball-Joints
Typically a bad ball joint will make the car almost feel like it jumps and wants to change direction over bumps.