jazz

i have a 2000 lx470. the problem is the ride, it seem bumpy and does not seem to absorb the bumps in the road. it has about 80k on it. the problems seem to have arisen after my last oil change.

when i got the car back from the dealer, the vehicle pulled to the left slightly, enough for me to keep the steering wheel cocked tothe right. It was also very bumpy, even on the soft setting. the strange thing is that it drives okay for the first 5-10 minutes then begin to gradually pull. but if i stop and turn off the engine and start up again, it drives okay for the first 5 min then start to gradually pull. wierd.

after a month of this i got the alignment checked and made some adjustments, but very minor. it did not solve the problem. i checked the suspension fluid and found that it was really high. (i followed the procedure to check the fluid leve). i took out about a cup cup full of fluid and it was riding better but still not as soft as before.

does anyone know the problem i have? its driving me nuts trying to figure it out for the lexus dealer. they checked everything and found nothing wrong.

do i need new shocks? if so, i have an extended warranty that covers virtually anything but they will need to know the problem.

the car leans slightly to the right, but hardly noticable sometimes.

ShadyJC

iTrader: (2)

Did you check your tire pressure?

electro992

Check your AHC fluid.

jazz

tire pressure is ok, ahc fluid is at good level now. still the problem persist.
could the valves for the shocks be an issue here?

pemarsh

This reeks of a tire problem. I had a similar problem....I had my tires checked...they were WAY over inflated.

You need to make sure the tire pressure is at specs for Lexus (specs for tire pressure usually located on the inside panel of the drivers door)...do NOT go by what is listed on the tire---that is MAX pressure for the tire---thats what happened to mine.

jazz

i had replaced the stock 16 on my 2000 lx to the stock 18" rims from a2004. what is the correct tire pressure for the 18" on a 2004? i have it currently at 30 psi on all four.

flyfishman

Could be increased road noise, viibration from the lower profile tires associated with the 18" wheels. Anyone else having (or know of) issues with the ride quality of the 18s?

Gohawks63

None. There wasn't a difference that I noticed moving from m '98 Land Cruiser to the '04 Land Cruiser with 18" wheels.

flyfishman

That's good to know. I am in the market for a '06 and 18" wheels and ride quality was of some concern.

ed94r

Give the front end a "press" test (press down on the bumper to see if there is any suspension travel). If there is none (very stiff, especially compared to the rears), then you are the proud recipient of failed front accumulators.

My front accumulators are gone (74K) and I am in the process of having them replaced. My LX bounces and lunges over everything. Only setting the ride @ full stiff aleviated some of the bouncing, but rides hard as heck. Heck, the gap in between my garage and the driveway (1") produces a 3 cycle bounce @ garage exit speeds.

I'm talking to a guy in Texas that can rebuild them for cheap...Setting up labor for the job...

Ed

lexusls430

I had the same problems it was the front wheel sensors which control the ride and stability. How is the car on turns, does it lean a lot? The sensors are a lot of money to replace.

jazz

when the accumulators failed, did you notice also the level of fluid in the suspension reservoir? was it higher than the normal level where you thought it was overfilled?

I had checked my reservoir to be overfilled. I removed the liquid very carefully not to contaminate the fluid. I had to remove a cup full of liquid to bring it down the the specified amount. I told lexus dealer of this and they swore up and down that they do not touch that liquid ever. they als said they don't stock that liquid at all.

i just pushed the truck's front end and it was tough to push it down or even bounce on it. is there a way the dealer can check if they are not working. it seems pushing on the car would be a subjective oppinion and not a scientific one.

ed94r

If you trust your local dealership to do what is in -your- best interests, take it to the dealer for diagnosis of your ride problem. My dealer charges $100/ hr.

Do to the hosing that I have received at my Lexus dealership (incompetence, perfected), the only thing I trust they will do is overcharge and underdeliver. The last time I had them drain/flush my hydro fluid, they drained the resovoir but did not flush the entire system. I am now replacing accumulators that were damaged due to water in the system that was never completely removed from the fluid IN THE SYSTEM, not just in the resovoir.

Usually, simple tests reveal common problems. It's only when simple tests don't reveal the problem that more "scientific" methods are warranted. If your cruiser has no suspension travel front or rear (or both), the nitrogen charge in the accumulators that act as the "give" in the suspension has seeped by the seals and now you have essentially fully hydraulic shocks, and fluid doesn't compress, so your ride becomes rock hard.

Your Lexus dealer will be most happy to charge you $100+ to tell you what I just told you for free

Ed

Nhouse

I have been following this thread for a few weeks, as I have the same problem with my 2000 LX470. It started about a month ago, all of a sudden I noticed the ride was rock hard and changing the position of the selector switch didn't change anything. It sounds like the accumulators are to blame, can someone tell me where they are, what they look like, or how hard they are to replace? How about a part number or maybe having them rebuilt?

Oh yeah, this is my first post, but I've been visiting the site for a while.

Thanks
Nick

ed94r

An LX470 has 4 accumulators, one for each wheel. They are easily identified by looking underneath the truck on the outside of the framerails. Behind the front wheels are the fronts, and in front of the rear wheels are the rears. They are the round "bombs" that are about 6" in diameter, and they are connected to what looks like a brake master cylinder. A 32mm(or 36mm, can't remember..) wrench will unscrew the bombs.

Send them to Keith Bowers to have them rebuilt for a very reasonable sum compared to the dealers replacement costs. I sent him my two fronts and in less than a week they were returned in reinstalled. My LX now rides like it should, nice and supple. A dramatic difference.

If you read this Keith, great job and highly recommended!

Ed