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Air suspension anomaly

Simon5030

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So its been a while since i have had to repair anything on the LC!

Over the last month i have noticed that bumps seem to be getting bigger, but only on the rear (mine only has rear air suspension).
Decided to investigate this week, firstly sent the car to its high position, nothing happened, then to its low position, it seemed to drop down low, moved it back to normal and nothing happened?
The air compressor (under the fuel tank filler hose) was not activating so a bit of research into what can go wrong
Key areas:
  1. Fuses/Relay
  2. Compressor
  3. Air system leaking
  4. Height control assembly
As i could not get the compressor to activate whatever i did i checked the fuse (50amp under bonnet) and then the relay, the relay was not activating!
Checked the relay was working by putting 12v across it and it worked ok, checked the voltage across the contacts, one side was showing 12v and one was to ground but still not activating??
Pulled the electrics and noticed that the live went into the suspension ECU so i assumed it was only a potential voltage and was unable to determine what was controlling its flow.
So i then overrode the contacts with a fly wire and the pump fired up, so i knew that it wasn't the pump.
20200804_164753.jpg


So moved under the LC to have a look and noticed that the height control sensor linkage had broken off the upper control arm! The linkage had seized solid on both the eye joints, checked the other side and it was free but in poor condition (excuse the rust!!!!)

20200804_165552.jpg


Disconnected the connector and cable, removed the plate and sensor, removed the upper control arm (came off quite easily but the bolts were a bit awkward to reach.
So on to the internet to find some spares, both Milner and Roughtrax didn't have the linkage for my LC (just the complete sensor and linkage at about £150) so called Milner up and they confirmed, after taking a second look at their website , removed my car and did a general search for 'active height control linkage' and it came back with a few items without images

1596824417484.png

Interestingly these parts seem to be listed against front suspension for 4Lt + LC's?
Further investigations led me to pictures of the same items with each linkage having a LH and RH arm with it but the adjustable link on the arm looked the same so i took a punt!

20200806_113720.jpg


Removed the arms and linkages were identical

20200806_115714.jpg


Welded the bracket back onto the control arm (replacements about £72)
Replaced linkages and reset lengths, cleaned up all the rust on both sides, re-positioned the settings (all measured before removal), few bolts replaced for stainless ones and a dose of wax oil. Checked ride height from manual and all was sitting pretty!

Only problem i encountered was after removing the upper control arm i had to rock the LC back and forwards a little to get the bolt holes to align again

Hope this helps someone

Simon
 
Well done Simon, now get busy with that ACF50 or whatever magic anti rust you choose :icon-cool:

However i am intrigued by those adjustable links you showed, pray where can i get one.
I ask because a similar link on the rear track control arm of our Forester seized and when mighty mouse here tried to unseize it the blighter snapped in two, one of those adjustable links would be perfect, at the moment a cable tie is doing the job because that adjuster from Subaru was some £35 :shock:
 
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Have a look at Milner off road , based down Matlock, Derbyshire. Always cheaper than roughtrax!
 
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Thanks for the Milner suggestion, it appears those adjusters you posted pics of are for height control on 100 series.
Not as that matters i've ordered one and it works out half the price of the genuine artice from Subaru, much obliged to you Simon.
 
This is my problem also as my ride is very harsh over bumps
 

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[Saw your post but not sure what problem is?
If its just harsh over bumps then this is same as what i had, check the ride height sensors are all functional and that its not sitting on the buffers or hitting them.
Mine had been broken for some time and had just 'locked off' at standard ride height so ride height looked ok but it wasnt topping up or dropping when you get out, this was a key indicator, then i changed the ride height to low and in just sat on the buffers!
Simon
 
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My sensors were rusted to bits and I had all my rear bushes replaced.
The machanic had to remove the sensors link arm to replace bushes
Since removing the sensors they were to badly rusted to put back on the car. After starting the car up I pressed the height button and the car just raised itself.
My dash indicator for hi, lo is stuck in neutral and won't move.
I have bought new sensors but not sure how to reset the suspension system.
 
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Tony, there is some good info in the workshop manual on this, see attached
Simon
 

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Wow Simon that was such good information and the diagrams and information were very help full so many thanks.
 
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Tony
Can mail you a copy of the manual if you send me your email address?
Simon
 
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Do u no how to reset the air suspension as its sitting hi but stuck in neutral. Replaced both sensors so just need a reset.
Many thanks Simon ur a star.
 
Tony,
Sorry for late reply,
You say its stuck in 'nuetral' i assume you are referring to the 'normal' position?
When you move it to high (when the car is stationary) does it raise up?
When you move it to low (when the car is stationary) does it drop down?

If it doesnt move and all the linkages are ok then the first place i would look is the compressor to make sure its working, the compressor removes the air as well as pumps it up, when the car (I call it a car but in reality we all know its alot more than a car so please dont be offended!) ignition is turned off and you get out of the car does the suspension drop?
When my sensor arm broke it made no difference until i tried to test it, wouldnt go up but did drop down and stayed down, but before i tested it i had noticed that when i had been getting out of the car it had not been dropping down a few inches like it used to do!

As far as i am aware there is no electrical reset that needs to be done, its demand on the compressor to go up and down is driven by the feedback from the sensor

Hope some of that makes some sense and is of help?

Simon
 
No Simon I have fitted 2 new sensors and yes it's neutral on the height gauge.
I have had an autospark look at it and he says one of my sensors is bad.
My problem was when removing the old sensors they were badly rusted on bolts and one side was hanging off almost but still working till I had to revolve to change the bushes.
My new sensor is reading on the passenger side +80.
Drivers side - 90.
My problem is since the bolts were so badly corroded I told the machanic to just cut them off and weld the new brackets on as it's the same thing.
The machanic told me it is possible that the sensor is wired up properly and may be able to use my old sensor with new parts from the new sensor and minipulate the system he arriving today after work and this will be interesting to see how he does it.
My back up plan is coil spring replacing the airbags and are from milliners unopened yet. Let's hope he fixes it later today as the ride is awful. :auto-ambulance: :auto-ambulance:
 
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Karl,
Seems like someone has got an interesting challenge on that one!
Good Luck, let me know how you get on

Simon
 
Here is my problem.
The auto spark has told me he needs to reset my height sensors because he phoned toyota for technical data and got told crap.
The technical data he was told that both sides should read + or - together but instead they should read + & - to work correctly.
This is because left and right sensors are opposite way round to each other in there functioning.
Example
Drivers side= - 10
Passenger. = + 10
This calculation is worked out so the cpu and compressor can stable the car.
I have no idea why all this has happened since all I did was buy left and right neew height sensors and get them fitted. After fitting passenger side = 66
Drivers side. =-90
Apparently the perameter is 50 and anything outside this the on board cpu will not read correctly and go into save mode hence the full height setting and stuck in neutral on height settings. The outospark and his laptop minipulated the system to a point.
My car now is still not 100% functioning as I cam move up and down but the sensors have been locked so the car cannot go back to full height again. The problem is the car drives perfectly under 30mph on height settings but drops down just above the low setting but in neutral mode. This was the only way to minipulate the system temporarily. The spark has to set both sensor perameters to the bracket on the lower control arms for the sensors to fit on to.
All this sounds easy but he was here nearly 2 hrs getting the car to lower and not rise again and says it will be a couple of hrs to reset perfectly as very complicated. This apparently is all down to the proximity settings on each sensor and the cpu reading codes. (all bollocks to me) but just want my car back ( So)
I am scraping my air suspension and moving to coil springs from milliners. My problem being if I go off road will my springs fall off.
After watching clips on YouTube I found these
 

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My problem is they are only in the USA and with postage £123 to send to the UK.
Has anybody fitted these before or hava a good alternative to my problem.
Since I have spent around £600 up to now replacing the whole back end of my car for my own piece of mind I may as well do it properly.
Milner or roughtrax don't sell them.

Any ideas anyone.
 
This is fitted to a lexus Gx470 as they apparently don't sell it for a landcruiser 120.
 

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Coming to the end of my airbag to coil conversion. My new rear coils are fitted for now but just waiting for my spring bottom holder from the states to arrive but out of stock so God knows when they will arrive.
One of my other deletes is the switch in the centre concole as replaced them as don't need no more.
Replaced with this item I found on YouTube again from the states but only taken just on a week to arrive.

My airbag delete has taken longer to to parts being unavailable in the UK but I will spare no expense on my LC5 as love it.
If your going to replace a part then do it properly.
IMG_20201009_103003.jpg
IMG_20201009_103343.jpg
 
Here is my problem.
The auto spark has told me he needs to reset my height sensors because he phoned toyota for technical data and got told crap.
The technical data he was told that both sides should read + or - together but instead they should read + & - to work correctly.
This is because left and right sensors are opposite way round to each other in there functioning.
Example
Drivers side= - 10
Passenger. = + 10
This calculation is worked out so the cpu and compressor can stable the car.
I have no idea why all this has happened since all I did was buy left and right neew height sensors and get them fitted. After fitting passenger side = 66
Drivers side. =-90
Apparently the perameter is 50 and anything outside this the on board cpu will not read correctly and go into save mode hence the full height setting and stuck in neutral on height settings. The outospark and his laptop minipulated the system to a point.
My car now is still not 100% functioning as I cam move up and down but the sensors have been locked so the car cannot go back to full height again. The problem is the car drives perfectly under 30mph on height settings but drops down just above the low setting but in neutral mode. This was the only way to minipulate the system temporarily. The spark has to set both sensor perameters to the bracket on the lower control arms for the sensors to fit on to.
All this sounds easy but he was here nearly 2 hrs getting the car to lower and not rise again and says it will be a couple of hrs to reset perfectly as very complicated. This apparently is all down to the proximity settings on each sensor and the cpu reading codes. (all bollocks to me) but just want my car back ( So)
I am scraping my air suspension and moving to coil springs from milliners. My problem being if I go off road will my springs fall off.
After watching clips on YouTube I found these
What is the tester what you use to get those values about height of car? (what in hand held tester?)
I changed also level sensors and some kind of problems to get levels right each either sides..
 
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