My 2010 GX has about 121k miles. I got it around 2019 with 65k miles. The vehicle has spent its whole life in western Pennsylvania. I was driving to work today and noticed that the KDSS light was on. I parked at work and when leaving at the end of the day the light was off for about 5 minutes after restarting then came back on. I did some research regarding issues and never knew that the accumulator cover was something to clean out. When I got home, I found the cover, removed the 2 12mm bolts and that thing was full of dirt and debris. I cleared away the gunk from the accumulator and also noticed dark gray fluid. Once I got it mostly cleaned off, i could see that the body of the accumulator was heavily corroded. I didnt pull codes but figuring this is my issue. I did not spend a lot of time cleaning up the 4 lines that go into the accumulator and not sure if they can be salvaged.

I looked through the main KDSS Info/Issues post and found the part number for the accumulator. I am not sure though what the part numbers for the lines are and how difficult those are to replace. I have a buddy that is a Toyota mechanic and Im sure he could refill and pressurize the system for me.

This vehicle is my daily driver. It spends all its life on road and I use it to tow a boat. With this in mind, what is my best option for getting this resolved?

Replace the accumulator and lines if necessary?

Delete the KDSS? (what issues would this cause with highway driving? who makes a kit? typical cost?)

Offload the GX and get a tundra ?

The GX is still in pretty good shape. They body and interior are good. I spray the underside two times a year with fluid film so the rust isn't too bad. I don't mind investing a bit into the vehicle because I know they are typically reliable. What should I do? Thanks!

The one photo is how much gunk was stuck on top of that cover.

 

You need to read the code. Its probably one of the solenoids. That valve is likely just fine.

 

Confirmed this morning that fluid is leaking out of the accumulator. The metal body was eaten away. I have a puddle on the floor under the accumulator and the cover is wet. The pic I posted was after I scraped all the corrosion off, so that is why it didn’t look horrible. I’m going to have to try and clean up the 4 lines/connectors and see if I’m able to salvage those. Still not fully sure as to my best/most economical option.

 

once it repaired, buy a $8 can of fluid film, remove the shield twice a year, clean it and spray it with fluid film to prevent it from happening again. Cheapest insurance possible against a failure that costs thousands... I'll never understand why Lexus/Toyota placed the KDSS accumulator along the frame rail of all places. boggles my mind for a brand so focused on reliability and durability.

 

So due to cost and hassle, it's tempting to remove KDSS completely. BUT then one losses the benefit of it's performance. It wouldn't be so bad if there were easy alternative system options. I think they all require fab/welding to go to a conventional sway bar set-up.

 

I have seen some used KDSS accumulators go for less than $200 on the used parts market

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...led-parts.html

 

I’m curious about the technical side of the recovery process. Once the new accumulator and lines are physically bolted in, what does the actual refill and pressurization process look like?

I've read conflicting info online. Some say it’s a dealer-only job because of the high-pressure SST pump required, while others mention manual bleeding at the shutter valves.

Does the vehicle need to be on a specific type of lift (frame vs. alignment rack) to ensure the cylinders are balanced during the fill?

What is the target pressure for a healthy system?

Is it possible to DIY the pressurization with a high-pressure manual pump, or is the special tool mandatory to get the air out of the upper chambers?

Would love to hear from anyone who has seen this done or has the bleeding sequence. This would be huge for anyone trying to save their GX from a KDSS delete!

 

Recent video of bleeding ..


He obtained instructions from owner of this company (Dr KDSS)
https://drkdss.com/

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...l#post12046534