Height sensor or strut failure?
10-31-11, 01:56 AM
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
Height sensor or strut failure?
Shortly after purchasing my 2005 LS430, I noticed that it was sitting wonky on the driveway. So I did a bit of digging around on these forums and found that the height could be adjusted by using the rods behind the wheels to adjust the height of the sensors.
As the rods looked rusted i sprayed them with some plusgas to lube them up a bit. Unfortunately though when I tried to undo the nuts they just stripped the threads and ended up spinning on the spot. Only option was to grind the nuts off and cut the rods out.
I then replaced the rods with a standard piece of threaded rod (which meant I had to re-tap one of the joints as it was reverse threaded), but no matter it worked.
The problem still existed though. With both rods set to the same height, one side of the car would be much higher than the other.
So I started cutting one of the rods to make it smaller, to the point where eventually both sides of the car sat level despite one rod being much shorter than the other.
Everything was fine until yesterday when I came to the car only to find it sitting completely wonky again!!
WTH is wrong
Do I have a problem with the air struts or is one of the little height sensors bad?
As the rods looked rusted i sprayed them with some plusgas to lube them up a bit. Unfortunately though when I tried to undo the nuts they just stripped the threads and ended up spinning on the spot. Only option was to grind the nuts off and cut the rods out.
I then replaced the rods with a standard piece of threaded rod (which meant I had to re-tap one of the joints as it was reverse threaded), but no matter it worked.
The problem still existed though. With both rods set to the same height, one side of the car would be much higher than the other.
So I started cutting one of the rods to make it smaller, to the point where eventually both sides of the car sat level despite one rod being much shorter than the other.
Everything was fine until yesterday when I came to the car only to find it sitting completely wonky again!!
WTH is wrong
Do I have a problem with the air struts or is one of the little height sensors bad?
10-31-11, 02:55 AM
#3
Rookie
Thread Starter
LOL, yeah it does seem somewhat common as I was looking at other LS430's on Autotrader and nearly all of them exhibited some sort of sideways lean or the front of the car was poking up in the air.
Another question is, those of us that have "the lean", do you find it affects the drive of the car? At speed and going over bumps mine seems to want to pull to the right.
Is it more likely to be strut failure or sensors do you think?
Another question is, those of us that have "the lean", do you find it affects the drive of the car? At speed and going over bumps mine seems to want to pull to the right.
Is it more likely to be strut failure or sensors do you think?
10-31-11, 05:43 AM
#4
they all sit lower on the right rear when stationary but it levels out as soon as you start to drive, that took a lot of working out when they were brand new, countless part changes under warranty only to find that they all do it... As Caddy^^ says "The Lean"..
10-31-11, 05:56 AM
#5
Rookie
Thread Starter
Seriously? Wow that's pretty poor for a car that cost what it did new! My car looks like its got a puncture when parked up.
What causes it then? improper weight distribution or something? Seems hard to believe Lexus wouldn't fix it and leave a load of limping LS430's on their forecourts.
I suppose my question is, now that i've gone out of my way to make it straight when its stationary, how do i correct it so its not wonky when driving? I've got severe pull to one side and i think it might be related.
Would putting coilovers on it fix the issue (if its not weight distribution based)? I just dont think I can live with a car that looks like its p1ssing up against a lamppost.
What causes it then? improper weight distribution or something? Seems hard to believe Lexus wouldn't fix it and leave a load of limping LS430's on their forecourts.
I suppose my question is, now that i've gone out of my way to make it straight when its stationary, how do i correct it so its not wonky when driving? I've got severe pull to one side and i think it might be related.
Would putting coilovers on it fix the issue (if its not weight distribution based)? I just dont think I can live with a car that looks like its p1ssing up against a lamppost.
10-31-11, 06:54 AM
#6
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It is important to set the suspension on level ground, otherwise you are just making it worse. When adjusting, make a change, then start the car and wait for it to stop moving, then shut the car off to make another adjustment. If you leave the car running, it won't adjust properly. It may be teetering if improperly adjusted, where most of the weight is on two opposite corner wheels, so lower all wheels below where you want it to end up, then raise the back pair to even, then raise the fronts to even. The threads may not be the same. If I recall, one turn on one side is like a half turn on the other, but maybe that's the sensors. Once it is set correctly, it should be fine indefinitely. It's actually really easy to get it right, you just need an hour or so and a level surface.
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10-31-11, 08:21 AM
#8
Rookie
Thread Starter
Quick Q: How low does the OEM suspension go? For example, on stock 18's if I were to completely remove the adjustment rods so the sensors were as low as they could go, would the suspension drop to the point where the wheels touched the arches?
Also, if our cars aren't almost perfectly flat would that cause an issue with uneven tyre wear? I seem to have masses of outer tyre wear and it just seems a bit haphazard to fiddle with the height by hand when most alignment is done using lasers?
Also, if our cars aren't almost perfectly flat would that cause an issue with uneven tyre wear? I seem to have masses of outer tyre wear and it just seems a bit haphazard to fiddle with the height by hand when most alignment is done using lasers?
10-31-11, 11:23 AM
#9
Hi Jimxms,
Not sure how you created a new rod as you need a reverse threading on one side of the rod. Maybe you have a reverse tap which is hard to come by.
Anyhow, just because the rod is the same height does not give you the same ride height. That's where the threading comes into play. twist the rod one way will separate the sensor and vice versa. Making sure the engine is running and turning the steering all the way to either right or left depending on which side you are working on, you should be able to reach in and adjust. After adjustment, wait a bit for the car to either raise or lower then check for level, measuring wheel well height using measuring tape to get it exact on both sides.
I know we all heard about the "gangsta lean" but for my UL, it is currently perfectly level on all sides. It take a bit of learning how to adjust but once you understand some of the nuances of the adjustment, it becomes quite easy to do. (IE nuances like adjustment in the fronts affects the rears corners, etc) I can make adjustments in less than 5 minutes if I need to before I got my ASC.
Good luck.
Not sure how you created a new rod as you need a reverse threading on one side of the rod. Maybe you have a reverse tap which is hard to come by.
Anyhow, just because the rod is the same height does not give you the same ride height. That's where the threading comes into play. twist the rod one way will separate the sensor and vice versa. Making sure the engine is running and turning the steering all the way to either right or left depending on which side you are working on, you should be able to reach in and adjust. After adjustment, wait a bit for the car to either raise or lower then check for level, measuring wheel well height using measuring tape to get it exact on both sides.
I know we all heard about the "gangsta lean" but for my UL, it is currently perfectly level on all sides. It take a bit of learning how to adjust but once you understand some of the nuances of the adjustment, it becomes quite easy to do. (IE nuances like adjustment in the fronts affects the rears corners, etc) I can make adjustments in less than 5 minutes if I need to before I got my ASC.
Good luck.
Last edited by airtime; 11-03-11 at 06:52 PM.
11-01-11, 12:16 PM
#10
Instructor
If you ever get rear-ended, make sure they check your rear height sensors and replace&recalibrate if needed. Also note that even the Lexus techs weren't able to calibrate my sensors correctly on the first try, so don't feel bad if it takes you some time to figure it out.
After I was rear-ended, my front left was high, rear right was low. Lexus techs said both of my rear height sensors outputted an "out of range" value to the computer.
I had to argue with both the insurance company and the dealership for 2 weeks to get the height sensors replaced. They tried to claim the sensors were defective prior to the collision and were damaged by corrosion and normal wear/tear, but I proved that they were working and calibrated just fine when I brought in the car for service shortly prior to the accident.
I figure either the impact jolted the sensors into failing, or the impact moved 1 or more of the adjustment rods outside the normal operating range and ruined the sensor.
After the new sensors were installed and supposedly calibrated, I took the car home and noticed the calibration was awful. I had to take it back to them again and provided the service manager with the step-by-step instructions on how to calibrate the sensors properly.
To calibrate your sensors:
1) Set your air pressures to factory spec (per 2002 manual: 225/60/16 97H = 30.0psi, 225/55/17 95H = 32.0psi, 225/55/17 97W = 35.0psi).
2) Park on a level surface. Roll the car back and forth in neutral to settle the tires, then bounce the vehicle up and down to stabilize the suspension.
3)
4)
After I was rear-ended, my front left was high, rear right was low. Lexus techs said both of my rear height sensors outputted an "out of range" value to the computer.
I had to argue with both the insurance company and the dealership for 2 weeks to get the height sensors replaced. They tried to claim the sensors were defective prior to the collision and were damaged by corrosion and normal wear/tear, but I proved that they were working and calibrated just fine when I brought in the car for service shortly prior to the accident.
I figure either the impact jolted the sensors into failing, or the impact moved 1 or more of the adjustment rods outside the normal operating range and ruined the sensor.
After the new sensors were installed and supposedly calibrated, I took the car home and noticed the calibration was awful. I had to take it back to them again and provided the service manager with the step-by-step instructions on how to calibrate the sensors properly.
To calibrate your sensors:
1) Set your air pressures to factory spec (per 2002 manual: 225/60/16 97H = 30.0psi, 225/55/17 95H = 32.0psi, 225/55/17 97W = 35.0psi).
2) Park on a level surface. Roll the car back and forth in neutral to settle the tires, then bounce the vehicle up and down to stabilize the suspension.
3)
4)
11-02-11, 07:35 AM
#13
Im so glad I purchased the Premium Package instead of the UL - I looked at a UL for purchase and I noticed "the lean" right off, I thought it was from a collision and thought man they did a great job on the body work. lol! The ride height issue would drive me nuts!
11-02-11, 01:20 PM
#14
Instructor
Don't get me wrong, in most cases it is not the result of an accident. The Lexus service manager told me that the UL models have a known issue with the rear right sitting slightly low and the corresponding front left corner sitting slightly high.
I'm pretty sure the ULs don't come off the assembly line crooked. The calibration error probably occurs naturally after 1-5 years of service - perhaps the adjustment rods become loose or the sensors themselves shift slightly in calibration internally. However, after 7-10 years of service, it is more likely that the sensors are starting to fail due to corrosion and wear/tear.
When I was rear-ended, it was not a huge smash - more of a moderate bump. The impact scraped a small area of paint off at the lower right edge of the bumper, and dented the right-side exhaust tip. The bumper didn't crack and was not deformed on the outside, but the repair advisor told me it was deformed enough internally to warrant a replacement.
After the dealership calibrated my ride height the second time and finally got it right, the ride has been perfect. Perfectly leveled to factory spec for 11 months and counting, with lots of winter driving included. The front 2 height sensors are original (9.5 years old) and seem to be working just fine.
@ultm8mind: If the winter weather is affecting your ride height, one or more of your 4 sensors might be failing. To be sure, hook the car up to Techstream (or equivalent system) and make sure the sensor outputs are within spec.
The rear left and right part numbers are 89407-50060 and 89408-50060, $544.20CAD each, and 2 hours of labor to install+calibrate both. It took over a month for them to get my car fixed, but with 2 new rear height sensors + perfect calibration, plus a loaner car during that time, all for free, it is an acceptable conclusion.
I'm pretty sure the ULs don't come off the assembly line crooked. The calibration error probably occurs naturally after 1-5 years of service - perhaps the adjustment rods become loose or the sensors themselves shift slightly in calibration internally. However, after 7-10 years of service, it is more likely that the sensors are starting to fail due to corrosion and wear/tear.
When I was rear-ended, it was not a huge smash - more of a moderate bump. The impact scraped a small area of paint off at the lower right edge of the bumper, and dented the right-side exhaust tip. The bumper didn't crack and was not deformed on the outside, but the repair advisor told me it was deformed enough internally to warrant a replacement.
After the dealership calibrated my ride height the second time and finally got it right, the ride has been perfect. Perfectly leveled to factory spec for 11 months and counting, with lots of winter driving included. The front 2 height sensors are original (9.5 years old) and seem to be working just fine.
@ultm8mind: If the winter weather is affecting your ride height, one or more of your 4 sensors might be failing. To be sure, hook the car up to Techstream (or equivalent system) and make sure the sensor outputs are within spec.
The rear left and right part numbers are 89407-50060 and 89408-50060, $544.20CAD each, and 2 hours of labor to install+calibrate both. It took over a month for them to get my car fixed, but with 2 new rear height sensors + perfect calibration, plus a loaner car during that time, all for free, it is an acceptable conclusion.