How-To AHC Suspension Fluid Flush Lexus Lx470 / Toyota Land Cruiser UJZ-100
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- A detailed how-to video outlining the process used to flush the hydraulic suspension system, ahc (automatic height control), found on the Lexus LX470 and certian years of the Toyota Landcruiser 100 series.
Total cost under $50 usd
Total time under 1 hour
There will be many more How-To videos coming out for the Toyota Land Cruiser and LX470, subscribe to keep up to date.
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Tools used for this job include:
Gloves
Funnel
Penetrating fluid spray
Rags
brake fluid catch can
10mm wrench
Parts required for this job:
(1) 2.5L can of Toyota AHC fluid - PN# 08886-01805
OR
(3) 1L containers of AHC fluid - PN# 08886-81221
Thread about this video is on linked below:
forum.ih8mud.c...
‘01 LX470 w/365,000 miles. My dad was original owner. Just completed this thanks to your video. It rides so much better. Less bounce. Keep up the good work.
Thanks!
Just followed your process to the letter on my new-to-me 2003 LX470. My AHC system is now working again! The old fluid was nasty, dark gray. I used one of the 2.5L metal cans. It was precisely the right amount for a full flush and fill. Thanks a ton for putting this video together, it gave me the confidence to do this job!
Thank you for the kind words and glad you got your system up and running again.
Quality demo, thank you. Have just successfully bled the system on my landcruiser. The simple bu pivitol fact was that if the doors are not shutt the suspension pump will not kick in.
I was doing Citroens for years. System looked very similar to me :) So when my brother bought LC 100 with hydraulic suspension.. i did it as i always did. Used Total LDS or Fluide DA for system. First change was still dirty, so it was used only as a fluid flush. The spheres should be removed and checked for pressure. Toyota did really good job to hide everything..sphere pressure, fluid type.. use only toyota branded superspecial weird (normal oil) fluid :D
Worked great on my 06 LC! I had to special order the AHC fluid from a local Toyota dealership...they don’t Cary the big cans anymore so I bought 3 one liter plastic bottles. It was not cheap but worth it! Great video!
Great step by step you tutorial to keep your AHC system working and maintained. We went from an LX470 to a LX 570 a couple of years ago and still enjoying how well the AHC system works
I really enjoy the ahc system and the ride quality it gives, when its working properly.
@@lillyautomotive absolutely agree. Great work!
Fully explicit instructions.
Thank you
thank you
I finally got around to doing this. I was skeptical that the new fluid would improve the ride, I was just looking to do baseline maintenance. I was pleasantly surprised that the ride was noticeably smoother. I started on the drivers side for both bleeds, however. I think I'll do another bleed on the passenger side to ensure the lines were totally purged of the old fluid. This video truly helped, Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words, glad it helped you out!
Awesome video man--gave me the confidence to do this project on my own 100 and I finally got the AHC working after thinking it was shot.
That is awesome. I love the AHC system, glad you saved it. I think alot of people rip the system out of frustration / cost of repairs as alot of shops dont know how to work on the system, but the ride quality is top notch.
Fantastic video.. perfect pace.. both thorough and brief.. gave me confidence to keep my truck out of the shop for this one!! Thank you!
Thanks man! My phone is covered in ahc fluid because I was using this video as my guide. It was worth it. My results varied in that 2 liters had it close to the top of the tank. Bleeding had a milky looking substance coming out so I assume I had air somewhere in the system. But hey no warning lights and slight improvement in the ride. Thank you
Awesome glad it helped you out! If you have some extra fluid, you can bleed a little more out after a couple days, might help improve things.
@@lillyautomotive will definitely do that. To adjust the torsion bars for ahc vehicle is this the correct procedure- level ground, position to N and then turn with the car on the ground?
@@carrera3.262 make sure the vehicle is level and you have access to ahc system pressure using the software. I think you have to go to low then normal to have the pressure reading update. It's easier to spin the torsion bolts with the truck in high mode. It takes some fiddling but its achieved relatively easily.
thank you for your video. I am in the process of replacing all 4 shocks on my LX570. On top of your steps, I just have 1 more step. I have to stretch the new shocks to their full length and add fluid to the shocks through the shaft opening on the top. I bought 3 metal cans of AHC fluid (3x2.5L) just in case.
Xu Han sounds like you got it covered!
They use citroen LHM if you were wondering. Same same. Just if you can't get hold of "AHC" fluid. The "globes" are also Citroen - same as Bentley.. as is the whole suspension "idea".. Citroen. Use Citroen stuff. These/Bentleys.. blah blah - Citroen. Affordable-er.
Thanks for this.
Hello, I just broke off my rusted bleeder screw on the Height Control Accumulator (it's still closed) on my '04 Lexus LX470. I was curious if you knew if the bleeder screw could be replaced after tapping the broken one off or I had to replace the entire HCA? I've read other folks having this issue and NOT being able to tap the old bleeder screw out, so wasn't sure & don't know if they even sell just the bleeder screw? Anyway, I couldn't tell from your video how much old fluid came out of the HCA but was also curious if I could skip it, do the other 4 or the new fluid would just be contaminated when the ECU detects the fluid change & activates the HCA (cuz I don't use AHC ever)? Any advice would be MUCH appreciated. I also read replacing the HCA is a PITA & pretty expensive so if you know a work around, that would be awesome. Thanks, wT
i havent taken one of them all the way out before so not sure if they are identical to brake bleeder screws or not. If any lx are at a local junkyard you might be able to get one from there also. Id say as long as you can get the bleeder out without drilling it larger you should be able clean up the existing threads and put in a new bleeder screw. If it were me id just skip bleeding the cylinder and maybe do a second round (or even third?) of bleeding the fluid once you raise and lower the suspension a few times. You could be opening a big can of worms for not much benefit.
@@lillyautomotive hello, this is @wt8159; I'm sorry for the delay & wanted to thank you for your advice. So I just decided to leave the broken bleeder valve "closed" since after I bled every spot but the HCA & each bleeder valve was so rusted & I thought ALL were closed after bleeding the 4 spots I could (too afraid to over tighten, since the HCA one broke SO easily), well I soon learned the drivers rear valve was NOT completely closed & flooded my garage w/lovely pink, new fluid...ugh. So after having to buy another 2.5qt of Toyota AHC fluid, I refilled and called it good. The color looks good now due to this embarrassing accident when I had put the AHC from "low" to "N" and then "H," forced ALL of the new and, I'm assuming any old, fluid left in the HCA (all all of the new fluid in the reservoir) onto my garage floor (so fun, trying to close the bleeder with fluid all on the floor & spraying in my face, hair) & hopefully flushed each of the 5 components, so I figured I'd leave alone for another 100K miles & then deal w/it. Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to do this video & personally help me. Cheers
Thank you so much for this informative tutorial!
Thank you
Awesome man! Need to do mine ASAP! Thanks for taking the time to do this properly 👍
JoshCairns thank you! Post up how it goes
Daniel Lilly just did mine tonight. Took me 40 minutes. Man the fluid was black! Definitely a change in ride quality following the change too. Seems to raise and lower faster as well... maybe my imagination though. Again, thanks for the vid.
JoshCairns awesome! Glad to hear!
Great tutorial - well paced, excellent pics and thorough. Any chance you can do another on replacing the globes? How do you determine if all globes need to be replaced, or if just two on one side? I ask because my 2006 Lexus LX470 had two globes replaced on the driver's side when I bought it at 97,000K and the original passenger side globes were untouched. Thanks
You can tell how well the globes are by counting the lines on the reservoir from low to high setting. when the globes are new, you will get around 20 lines of movement - and Lexus states they should be replaced when you have 11 or less - but this is a general test that looks at all 4 globes. Without and external pressure gauge tool for testing it can be hard to determine. With the vehicle age i would consider replacing the other two globes if the fluid displacement test comes back marginal - and if your wanting to keep the vehicle. Low pressure globes will provide a harsher ride because there is less damping the shocks can provide.
Thanks for your help!!😊
Glad the video was useful for you!
Thanks. Very helpful. It went exactly like you said.
Robert Walser awesome! Glad it went well. Thank you for posting up.
I want the fluid.where can I get it?I am in Botswana
@@mphopusumane2215 try your local Toyota dealership or online places like ebay may have it. Pentonsin has an alternative fluid if that is available in your area. If none of those options are available a light weight hydraulic fluid can work as well but I would only suggest that if you have no other options.
@@lillyautomotive thanks for your advise
I assume if the graduations are below 7/8 new globes are needed?
Yes if from L to H or H to L that's the fluid differential you are getting
My lx470 2001 year, height control off flush light and i cannot control it how can i do now? Thank for help, brother.
Thanks a lot, man!
Hi sir i am replacing LC 100 serious AHC shock all 4 i have fixit but hight control is not working pls help me sir to fix it sir frist i want to fill the fluid to shock or what ,How to do bleeding show me video mgs me sir
Drop the vehicle into low and (over)fill the reservoir. Try to move the vehicle into neutral and watch the reservoir, once it hits the low mark turn the vehicle off and refill. Repeat until the system is operational. There are bleed screws at all 4 accumulators for the plus the accumulator for lift. You'll want to crack all of those once there is pressure in the system and bleed any air.
Very helpful, i have a question, you did it one by one so did you let each one drain completely then moved onto the next or did you release the bolt to allow the fluids to drain and then left the bottle to collect the fluid and moved onto the next globe?
I did each one at a time; I cracked the bleeder and collected the fluid out of the globe, closed it and went to the next. Each globe has pressure in it, they drain quickly
Fantastic video! Keep it up!
Thank you! Will do.
Ok thank you Ang I love you
Merhaba aracım 2001 toyota land cruiser sol ön amartisör değiştirdim ancak çukurlara çok sert giriyor araçta esneme yok yükseltme düğmesi çalışmıyor tüplerin çalıştığını nasıl anlarım yoksa değiştirmekmi gerekli yardımcı olabilirmisiniz, teşekkürler teşekkürler
I would assume the pump is not working or an error is preventing the ahc pump from running. I'd scan the vehicle with tech stream and see if you can get some more information from the vehicles computer.
Hi I have the 2002 Lexus lx 470 Currently the 'off' lamp is blinking constantly and the 'L' lamp is illuminated constantly. If I press the 'off' button next to the gear stick nothing happens. If I press the button to raise the vehicle the 'N' lamp illumintes momentarily then goes out. I have tried this with doors closed and park and the The reservoir is also overly full. I don't know if this is because all fluid has returned to the tank or because it is over filled. I wonder you have any idea?
Bat Tsak yes I already fix the problem how about you?
Thanh Duong so what did you do to fix it?
I have 2006 LX470 (220,000 miles) and I am currently having a AHC issue. Its blinking "off" and stuck in L and will not move to N or H. If I turn the "off" light off and attempt to go into N, the vehicle will start the process (the N light begins to blink) but within 10 seconds or so I hear a slight 1-2 second squeal and the off light pops back on and the AHC system is thereafter unresponsive. Reservoir looks full but then the vehicle is in L. Driving the vehicle in L mode is super bumpy. So I am guessing merely flushing and replacing the fluid would not solve this?
It's possible it may help. Scanning with the Toyota software may shed more light on the situation. It sounds like either the pump isn't building pressure, or it's pumping and hitting a high pressure limit ( due to an internal blockage of some kind ) and the system is cutting off. Do you feel or hear the pump working at all?
Thanks. Not sure if pump is kicking on or not. On start up it's in L, about 10 seconds later there is a short 1 second squeak under the vehicle and immediately the off light begins blinking. I dont feel or see any upward movement but something is trying to engage with the squeak.
Any difference on ride quality? Before and after
hi daniel i HAVE a 2006 lx470 the ahc works but the ride is little boncy from behind ,, my garage guys say my back shocks are leaking, and the fuild in my resovoir is green to ,what would be quick and cheap fixx for this ,,thank
Mr jaxx, put the vehicle in low mode and open the hood. Look at the graduation marks on the reservoir. Put the vehicle in high, and count how many marks the fluid level dropped and report back. Make sure the low light is solid and same for high before looking. I've found all the doors have to be closed and the vehicle in park otherwise the vehicle won't move as a safety feature.
In addition to changing the AHC fluid, you should check the fluid "Pump" , check your rear and front "pressures" and make sure they are within SPEC.. czcams.com/video/KJx6N_gVBx4/video.html
How many ltrs we need to flush all the suatem become clean
thanks
Thank you
Good job man
Thank you! I will be showing how to recharge the ahc globes with a new nitrogen charge in about a month, so stay tuned!
Assume engine is running and AHC set at low and auto transmission is in neutral with hand brake applied while you complete this task?
After the vehicle is set to and showing a solid indicator of low on the dash, i turned it off.
So if we don't get the 7 graduations, then what?
Well it can mean one of a few things but the nitrogen charge on the suspenion globes are flat. Either one or two have popped or all four have slowly lost their nitrogen and no longer meet their minimum specification & globe replacement is necessary.
@@lillyautomotive good tips! Thanks!
hi Thank you very much for this video, got one question, when you say put vehicle in neutral you mean the height adjust button to N or the gear to N I mean PRND that or the height N? thank you
That would be height
Yes, height.
if the fluid graduation is about 4, no need to flush?
Wondering this answer too 😃
Hi Daniel... I got a 1999 lx470 147,000 miles at an auction and notice the AHC light blinking OFF. The vehicle won't go in high or low position. I checked the AHC reservoir and it was bone dry. My question is since the reservoir has nothing in it should i buy enough fluid to go ahead and do a flush or just some to add to the reservoir to see if it works. I did get it to rise up once or twice before i checked the fluid but since then it won't obviously having no fluid in there.
Drop the vehicle in low and fill up to required level. I'd make sure the system is functioning prior to flushing. You want 7 graduations in the reservoir from high to low as a minimum.. anything less and the ride will be bouncy / harsh and the globes need replacement
My 470 is currently in Avery raked position… front is neutral but the rear is way up. I cannot get it to adjust and therefore am not sure if I have the required hash mark difference that you said is required for this process to be worth it. Any thoughts?
if you take a lot of weight out of the truck, the hydraulics will still have the pressure in the system to keep it level. Id try going to low mode and then normal mode and see if it levels out. There are ride height sensors that should keep the truck level. its possible the rear one has an issue or the arm that connects it to the rear axle is disconnected some how. At the same time you can check the hash mark difference from low to high and see the fluid difference is.
Some people also install Landcruiser rear springs (they are stiffer springs becuase the LC doesnt have the AHC) and the truck will ride in a raked position. I am not sure the history of your truck but just some things to consider.
So if my difference is 6 still worth a swap?
It still may offer some improvement in ride quality but you won't gain graduations from changing fluid. You will want to change the 4 globes at some point to bring back the full suspension range of absorption / quality.
Mantap jozz
Awesome video! If I understand correctly, you bled all the points without repressurizing the system between a each? I've had the fluid in my garage for ages but never fully understood the process enough to try it.
Brian Escamilla yes, bleed all 5 locations while in low mode, and then repressurize the whole system by turning the vehicle on. Really if you want you only have to do the 3 units on the drivers side as long as the wheel is straight, as both left and right sides are linked.
Daniel Lilly what happens if you bleed it in high mode?
@@lillyautomotive So all actuators and an acumulator to bleed untill empty in LOW, start car, wait for repressuring, turn off and still in LOW bleed all again untill fresh fluid comes out, then start car again, make sure there is at least MAX fluid in reservoir, go to NORMAL and fill reservoir to between MIN and MAX. Did I get it right?
Can you drive with h mode?
Over 19 mph it goes to normal, but they make over-ride kits to keep it in high mode all the time. I don't have one.
Great tutorial!! Are you a mechanic?
So how often does one do this?
If it were me, id say every 60k / 5 years.
Great video I need to put in work on mine how much was the fluid
BIG HEAD ADRIAN don't recall 50ish I would guess.
I checked this box today on my 05 but there is nothing in it its empty seems to ride fine tho what should I do
Where do i buy the aha fluid from?
Matthew Seebaran the dealer. Or online from Toyota. Do not use anything aftermarket. Period.
Hi my car 2000 Lx450 miles 230000 from BC . Every thing is good , the only problems is on the road very harsh ride or lick yoyo going up and down .i don't known is it shocks or the other things I thanks for your time.
fereidoun Tafakori the globes could be bad, don't replace the shocks thinking that will fix the problem. The globes do all the suspension work. If you raise the vehicle from low to hi and it's less than 7 graduations on the ahc tank, then the globes are most likely flat. A fluid change may help some, (flush out any air bubbles), and it's far cheaper than purchasing new globes. But if the globes are truly flat
, Then no amount of new fluid will fix your bouncy ride.
Great video ! I recently bought UZJ100 from Japan with 170,000 Kilometers and inspected one front and one rear shocks is weeping/leaking . The car AHC is working as it’s going high and low. Do I need to change the accumulators or just replace the shock absorbers ? And also do I need to change the coil springs ? Your advice will be really appreciated
My LX470 has lasted to 345k miles and the system is still raising and lowering but not to the same smooth ride it once had. Most guys just replace the globes/accumulators and the fluid which is what I'm doing once everything arrives. Get on the IH8mud forum and theres a treasure grove of info on the subject of AHC as well as everything else related to Landcruisers, LX470s etc.
how many miles is on your car when you were doing this?
I was right around 100k, and my vehicle is 17 years old. If I owned from new I would have done it much sooner.
Question- I have a 99 lx470. I try to change mode to low and it changes like it should.. Problem is, within 30 seconds or so, the car automatically switches back to 'n'.... I don't understand. Thanks for the vid!!!
Dustin SmithKC the vehicle will raise to normal if you go above 5mph. It will go from high to normal above 19 mph I think. It's outlined in the owner's manual.
Seems like a pointless expensive option. I think you should be able to drive in whatever mode you want.. Thank for the response though!
It does, and I was honestly really really disheartened by it after I figured out how the system worked. Then, I went off roading, and it worked well. Remember, this system also works with the suspension hardness dial it's an 18 way computer controlled damping system too. After experiencing the damping changes, again I was really impressed. Also, this system allows you to be in a high mode when you need it, and then a normal mode for 95% of your everyday driving so you arent wearing out CV axles, and suspension components excessively for your everyday errands. You can also look into a lock out switch or tricking your ride height sensors if you want high mode all the time. The system is extremely capable, imo. I know I'm in the minority with my thoughts but I am very happy with it.
@@Dmann816maybe Toyota design it's low modes for convenience on dropping old passengers or to put our things to the vehicle.. 🙏🏻😊
where did you get the black rubber fittings with the hose? thanks
It came with my brake bleeding catch bottle. If you dont have one flexible tubing can be used to direct fluid from the bleed screws. My particular bottle came from here:
www.ecstuning.com/b-schwaben-parts/brake-bleeder-catch-bottle/007481sch01a/
How many miles did you have on your truck when this was done?
approximately in the 130 -140k range
@@lillyautomotive thank you!
Why would you leave the truck so dirty?
Hahaha 😂 dirty condition is still very suitable though for LX470 / Landcruiser IMO 🤭💪🏼
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