vmdw1980

update posted in my OP up top

213374U

Did they unplug or remove any of the height sensors? I believe others that did this conversion made sure to leave all sensors in place and connected. Just seems odd that "your model" would be any different than any of the others I've read about here.

Definitely glad to hear you're happy with them otherwise. I'm probably going to scoop up a set and just stash it away in the garage for a rainy day. Please keep this thread updated as time goes by and the suspension settles as longevity and ride quality deterioration over time are the only factors remaining to make these a real solid recommendation for all of us.

vmdw1980

No they did not according to them. That said, I have a local mechanic that has great reviews and specializes in imports, particularly Lexus. I'm going to make an appointment to have them check all the ride height sensors. I went to this dealer mechanic in particular because that is where I bought the car, only to have the rear air shocks fail 3 days later. They wouldn't cover the damage of the parts but did offer free labor on the total conversion, plus installation of new control arms and front brakes and rotors. So in the end it's not too bad. that said, I've yet to fully enjoy the LS because of all this stress@

Vansibel

My guess is that you can't just replace the air strut without doing something about the whole air suspension system that would keep running and waiting for data. The compressor at least should be deactivate because it would keep try pushing air on non existent struts. Did you try unplugging the height control module/ecu, remove the air compressor fuse and clearing the code ? I think that worked before for RWD air ls460. Worse case I would try to get a diagram for the sensor and see how the system receive it's signal about the height of the car and maybe you can trick it by feeding current/shorting pin somewhere or manually adjusting the control height sensor and trick the system so it think that the suspension height is normal. Did you scan DTC to check exactly which code is thrown ?

vmdw1980

I'm not mechanically proficient so I was going off of what the dealer mechanic told me. However, I am doubting that they followed the instructions that Strutmasters provided as I can still hear the compressor going off about 30 seconds after I shut off the car. I'm taking it to a local mechanic soon to check for the compressor fuse and confirm if the ride sensors were unplugged. Per Strutmasters, you're supposed to remove the compressor fuse but retain the ride height sensors.

213374U

Yeah, if the compressor is running they didn't remove the fuse. Removed fuse means no power to the compressor.

BUT, you say you hear it 30 seconds after turning the car off. If it's the sound I think it is, that's not the compressor. It's your AC systems closing the recirc door to keep dust and stuff out of the car while parked. AFAIK the compressor and shock valves will not operate without the ignition on and engine running.

vmdw1980

So I took it to the local foreign car shop today, and the tech there spent about an hour looking at it and verified that the air suspension ecu was disabled (the one behind the glove box) . He called a friend of his that happens to be a master tech at a Lexus dealer about 20 minutes from my house. The Lexus tech said he's seen it before and knows what to do, and said he'd be able to do it for 2 hours of labor. Again, I'm not sharp when it comes to automotive repair, but he explained that he will need to rewire / redirect some of the signals from the suspension sensors and basically electrically convert the car from air to coil, instead of just a hardware conversion. I'll give it a shot as I can drop it off Monday morning and he'll give me a loaner to get to work. I'll post an update and I'll make sure he provides details on what he did so I can share that here.

vmdw1980

4/10/18 Update: Took it to Lexus, the service team hooked me up and got this fixed by rewiring the height sensors and replacing the ECU to a non-air setup. No warning lights, and I still have full functionality of the AFL. Total cost was $498; another expense I didn't want or expect, but at the end worth it in my opinion. So, the Strutmasters kit cost me $700, another $498 for this. Luckily I didn't need to pay labor for the strut install since the dealer that sold me the car covered it.

Overall, I do recommend the Strutmasters kit as it does provide a nice ride. A bit stiffer than air, but still smooth as expected from a full size lux sedan. Granted, be aware of the AFL / ECU sensor replacement if you want to avoid any dash light warnings.

213374U

So there's a suspension ECU for coil cars too? What exactly does it track?

RR601

Have a question maybe you could answer. Have a 2010 sport LS.
Dont have a problem now. But my concern was switching to non air the ride would not be as firm compared to sport mode. You did say the ride was a little firmer. On mine I have comfort, normal and sport.
Any chance you have driven a sport model. I may not have an option to switch. Wife gets car sick on trips with the LS. The sport mode works fine and I actually like it better. But if I had to use normal mode all the time would have to get rid of the car. To much like an elevator.
Her car was a IS but to small for trips, European models not a problem but want to stay with lexus. But wonder how much of a gamble I would be taking to get rid of the air suspension and find out I need to put it back in.

Thanks for any feedback

vmdw1980

I never drove a sport LS before so it's hard for me to comment on the ride comparison on what you have. That said, my car rides a bit firmer compared to the air suspension, meaning that it doesn't have that "floaty" feel to it. The car still feels smooth over bumps and drives more like a traditional car. If I were you, I would look for a local dealer that is selling a 2011 or 2012 non-air LS 460 and take it out for a test drive with your wife to give you an idea of how a standard suspension will feel in your car.

213374U

How are you liking the coil suspension after a couple weeks with it?

vmdw1980

Funny you asked for a follow up as I was going to post an update here. The suspension is JUST OK. It's a little springy in my opinion, and if i had to go back I would have purchased 2 rebuilt air struts off ebay (apparently there are now U.S. based sellers there). On a separate matter, the LS started exhibiting some jerky transmission behavior and ultimately I traded in the car for a CPO 2015 Genesis 3.8 over the weekend. Love the new car, do miss the quiet comfort of the LS, but not looking back given the price for what I got with the Genny. Also, an extended 8 year, bumper to bumper, up to 150k miles warranty through CNA only cost me $1300!

What I'll miss from the LS: The smooth V8, the ultra-quiet interior (Genny is quiet but not as serene as the LS), the soft closing doors, ML audio, slower depreciation!

213374U

Dang! Was not expecting that! So I guess that means no long-term review

But, you did confirm what I've thought all along, that nothing is going to match the factory air ride. Last hope is the member here looking to swap OEM coils on as soon as the air starts giving him fits, beyond that I'll just expect to replace air struts as they go out.

vmdw1980

Honestly, it's an OK kit to use if you are strapped for cash and love the car to the point that you are willing to sacrifice the air-ride quality for the sake of keeping the car. Like I said, I loved my LS but it got to a point where I didn't make sense for me to keep dumping money into an 8 yr old car that was starting to show troubling signs with the transmission and was out of warranty. On top of that, it started to show signs of wear on the interior- mostly the common issues you hear including the worn arm rests, cracked door trim, etc.