My 2000 LX470 got 4 accumulators replaced by Lexus dealership when only 50K miles. The repair costed me $3500. The tech insisted that 4 accumulators must be replaced eventhough only front two went bad. A year and half late, I had to go back to the Lexus dealership to get front two accumulators replaced because they failed to work again. I wrote to Toyota to tell them the design of AHC is not mature enough to put on the market. They like the brake and need change very often. Now my rear accumulators are causing bouncy and need new accumulator. I drive LX470 and other SUV. I don't feel much difference between with AHC and without AHC. Therefore, Toyota needs to put new tech only the tech is mature enough. Also in the manual Lexus never detail how can you lower your car in order to get in lower garage door and should you raise it after into the garage and/or you can leave the car in low level. I left my car in garage in lower position for a couple month. It migh be the cause of AHC fail too soon, only 50K mile. I check the manual and book never mention if you can park your car in lower lever for a long period of time.

 

my AHC lasted 140k miles without issue. Only reason I took it out is because I've added over a thousand LBs of gear and the valving was too soft for turns.

 

I bought a set to replace the factory accumulators from active suspension. My suspension guy said they are heavier and a little bigger. They shipped fast and total outlay was only about $1,700, so far so good, but they don't have many miles on them - I will say they appeared to be substantial units. http://www.activesuspensionsystems.com/

 

We have a 2003 LX470 with 34,890 miles on it. We bought the car with 14,998 miles in Nov. 2007. In Oct. of 2007 the previous owner had a problem with a bouncy ride and the car lowering itself and then raising itself back up. The Lexus dealer in Reno replace the accumulators and flushed the system saying that the AHC fluid was contaminated. Now we are having the same problem. The Lexus dealer in Reno told us that the accumulators were flat and the problem was contaminated AHC fluid. Has anyone had this problem and is there a way to get the "contaminated fluid" out? Any help would be appreciated because all the dealer can say is " That will be $3400.00 and there is no guarentee that it won't happen again in 2 yrs" Love the car but wonder how many other people are having this problem.

 

Remove the AHC and put in a standard setup from the land cruiser. Use Bilstein shocks, OEM t-bars and oem springs and you'll have a reliable system.

 

We are looking for bad or blown out suspension accumulators off all LX-470 models. We currently are doing a study on this system. We are hoping to design better aftermarket accumulators for this model. We are paying $100.00 each for bad units at this time. We are only buying a certain # of cores for research so please hurry if you are interested. Please send me an e-mail at adam@arnottinc.com if you have any bad units you would like to sell. We also pay for shipping charges too.

Thanks
Adam

 

Did you have anyone else other than the Lexus dealer work on your car? If so, someone likely put hydraulic fluid or brake fluid in the AHC resevoir. You MUST use only Toyota AHC fluid, which you can only get at the dealer. Anything else will cause the accumulator membranes to fail. I usually have mine flushed every 30K miles due to the extreme heat in AZ. I bought my '03 LX at 48K miles in early '06 and currently have 90k mi on it...about to do the 90K service. No issues w/ the AHC at all. We used to lower it each time when entering the garage, but now we just leave it in normal to save the pump. I only use the AHC height adjustment when offroad in 4wd LO. If my accumulators or AHC height actuator goes south, I plan to replace the entire suspension w/ OEM Toyota springs/t-bars/sway bars and bilstein or OME shocks.

 

I have a 2003 Lx 470 with the same identical issue. Two weeks back I took the lexus back to the dealer. They had to replace both front accumulators and shocks. Also replaced the AHC fluids.

Truck has done only 39k miles.

It runs much better now.

 

Do you know what it would cost to do this replacement? Have you heard of water getting into the system. I know that no one has poured water into the system.

 

I bought the dealer warrenty with the truck, so didn't cost me a dime.

I was suppriced when they didn't charge me for the shocks since it is not covered under the warranty.

 

I'm having the same problem with my Lexus lx470 2001 with 180,000 miles. Very bouncy ride. I'm curious how much it would cost to install the standard setup from the Land Cruiser?

Thanks

 

My 2001 lx470 is bouncy. The dealer wants to charge me $3700 to replace the "dampener(s)"...accumulators? After which, they still won't be able to guarantee it will resolve the suspension problem. I'm going to take it to a local mechanic who works on Lexus vehicles for a second opinion and estimate. Does anyone know if their is a reliable and less expensive route?

 

I thought that dampers were the same as shocks. Is it different for the LX? If you're still on your first set at 180k mi you will probably be changing them soon anyways.

 

Have you done this conversion? Do you know the aproximate cost of doing it? I think for now I can get away with just changing the front struts OEM but in the long run I think front and backk suspension will have to go. The air adjustment thing is just too much trouble and expensive.

If anybody has experience with this please chime in.

 

Do a AHC replacement search on www.i8hmud.com if I remember its about $1800 parts and labor. You don't have to remove any of the AHC parts only have to pull some fuses and put some tape over the AHC light on the dash. If/when my AHC fails I will convert mine.