I have just purchased a second hand Lexus LS430. On the first day of driving all was ok, but on the second day the suspension seems to have locked solid, and now when driving I am bounced all over the place. I have spoken to a Lexus dealer, who tells me it will take four weeks before they can look at it. Does any one have any ideas on what the problem could be?

[quote name='dt0001' date='Jul 11 2005, 11:02 AM']I have just purchased a second hand Lexus LS430. On the first day of driving all was ok, but on the second day the suspension seems to have locked solid, and now when driving I am bounced all over the place. I have spoken to a Lexus dealer, who tells me it will take four weeks before they can look at it. Does any one have any ideas on what the problem could be?
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does the car have 'air suspension'

[quote name='wheels-inmotion.co.uk' date='Jul 11 2005, 07:04 PM'][quote name='dt0001' date='Jul 11 2005, 11:02 AM']I have just purchased a second hand Lexus LS430. On the first day of driving all was ok, but on the second day the suspension seems to have locked solid, and now when driving I am bounced all over the place. I have spoken to a Lexus dealer, who tells me it will take four weeks before they can look at it. Does any one have any ideas on what the problem could be?
[right][snapback]262400[/snapback][/right][/quote]
does the car have 'air suspension'
[right][snapback]262508[/snapback][/right]
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Yes it does. I have now discovered that after approx 24hrs the suspension goes back to its normal mode. The problem occurs when the height control is place in the high position, and will not revert back when switched to the normal mode.

Sounds unpleasant.

Mine decided to drop at the rear just as I was entering the drive, dragging the exhaust along the ground. After returning from a 300 mile run....LUCKY!!

Aparently Mercs have had the same problem, I guess Air Suspension has its vulnerabilities.

[quote name='Pyrex' date='Jul 21 2005, 06:52 PM']Sounds unpleasant.

Mine decided to drop at the rear just as I was entering the drive, dragging the exhaust along the ground. After returning from a 300 mile run....LUCKY!!

Aparently Mercs have had the same problem, I guess Air Suspension has its vulnerabilities.
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If only they'd licenced Citroen's system; well proved over FIFTY years!!
As I'm contemplating buying a 430.....hope I get a good one!

the rear height control sensors can fail on these due to water ingress, this usually makes the rear ride height high and give an unpleasant ride........like sea sickness!!!!!! surely some lexus dealer could sort it out sooner than 4 weeks.....this isn't the customer service lexus pride themselves on..

Please see next post.

This is a simple matter and is corrected by resetting the sensors or if needed replacing one or more.
It is a rather hard ride when the body goes way up from the wheels.

4 weeks to look at the car is a joke and not a very funny one.

Check with another dealer.

[quote name='glacken' date='Nov 15 2005, 06:55 PM']This is a simple matter and is corrected by resetting the sensors or if needed replacing one or more.
It is a rather hard ride when the body goes way up from the wheels.

4 weeks to look at the car is a joke and not a very funny one.

Check with another dealer.
[right][snapback]305765[/snapback][/right][/quote]


Well having had the suspension collaps at the back, now I have had the full height option as well...

I thought my head was going to bounce through the roof. My head felt as if my brains were going to be turned to mush.

My dealer says 2 days to get the part, and now it is at 63000 in less than 2 years they will pay for the part but not the labour....

[quote name='Pyrex' date='Nov 21 2005, 04:57 PM'][quote name='glacken' date='Nov 15 2005, 06:55 PM']This is a simple matter and is corrected by resetting the sensors or if needed replacing one or more.
It is a rather hard ride when the body goes way up from the wheels.

4 weeks to look at the car is a joke and not a very funny one.

Check with another dealer.
[right][snapback]305765[/snapback][/right][/quote]


Well having had the suspension collaps at the back, now I have had the full height option as well...

I thought my head was going to bounce through the roof. My head felt as if my brains were going to be turned to mush.

My dealer says 2 days to get the part, and now it is at 63000 in less than 2 years they will pay for the part but not the labour....
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It was done within a couple of hours of entering the dealership, and as stated Lexus paid for the part, but would not come across for the Labour.

In a way I can understand this, as that is what your extended warranty is for, however, as this seems to be a part failure probably due to a design defect, and it seems to not be a rare occurence, I would have hoped for a better response from Lexus Customer Services.

I did give them a call independantly of the dealership, and all I got was the " I understand your concerns, but the policy is....."

They have already done a recall for a Gearbox issue, which was replaced..although I had not experienced any problems with mine, also it had a recall because they decided the fuel pump would be adversly affected by the new fuel to be used soon.

This seems to be a fault of similar proportions, I would have hoped for a total freeby, or am I just pushing it too far...?

This is my 4th LS, this is the first one to have recalls, and apart from a jammed arial on one which is understandable with all the crud that can go down inside it, this is the only one to have broken down. Have I been lucky thus far, or is Lexus building in defects due to over engineering.

....and people used to think Citroen's wonderful suspension was fallible. (It rarely was!)
It's usually the switches (small bits) that go wrong. Relays and stuff probably aren't loked at quite as much as they should be, or located in wet areas.....
Making me think, as I was considering an LS430 next....and wondering if the much-increased complication would mean extra costs years down the line when you had to replace all those sensors/motors etc....the more to go wrong, the more that WILL go wrong?

[quote name='Chris Skelton' date='Nov 30 2005, 08:38 AM']the more to go wrong, the more that WILL go wrong?
[right][snapback]309877[/snapback][/right][/quote]
why? cars are more reliable now than they used to be.

The problem is when something does go wrong the replacement parts are very expensive.

When you think about it the amount of technology these cars have is incredible and they are brilliantly engineered! Take the 430 engine, I don't think a Lexus dealer in the country has stripped one of these engines as they are bullet proof. We had a customer come in with an engine knock and Lexus sent engineers from Japan to have a look at it as they have not had a problem. In the end Lexus sent out an entire new engine and we had to send the old one back without even draining the oil because they want to check it out.

Now take BWW a few years ago when they had a recall on all 4 pot engines because they werent cast properly!!!!!!!!!!!

Lexus can put all this technology on their cars and you can be confident that 99% of the cars will be fine, but when a car does go wrong they get it sorted.

I'll shut up now

[quote name='ColinBarber' date='Nov 30 2005, 08:43 AM'][quote name='Chris Skelton' date='Nov 30 2005, 08:38 AM']the more to go wrong, the more that WILL go wrong?
[right][snapback]309877[/snapback][/right][/quote]
why? cars are more reliable now than they used to be.

The problem is when something does go wrong the replacement parts are very expensive.
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Yes, I think that was really what I meant (thanks Colin!) If you keep a car for a few years...or buy an old one, the expence will be worse with the proliferation of gizmos

[quote name='dt0001' post='262400' date='Jul 11 2005, 12:02 PM']I have just purchased a second hand Lexus LS430. On the first day of driving all was ok, but on the second day the suspension seems to have locked solid, and now when driving I am bounced all over the place. I have spoken to a Lexus dealer, who tells me it will take four weeks before they can look at it. Does any one have any ideas on what the problem could be?[/quote]

Hi, how did the problem get resolved? I've had my LS430 for about 6 months and had a few problems, the latest one sounds similar; I accidently pushed the 'High' button whilst tidying the coins etc from the ashtray, but the car wouldn't return to normal and the ride went very bouncy! After a few miles I drove through some roadworks where the surface was broken and hey presto, back to the magic carpet ride. I'm planning to take it in to Lexus Plymouth next week, no doubt 'Never heard that one' will be their response! I've bought a CD workshop manual (from US ebay) and it sounds like your previous responses were on the right lines to suspect the sensors.
Cheers,
Peter

[quote name='LexasPete' post='349339' date='Apr 26 2006, 07:23 PM'][quote name='dt0001' post='262400' date='Jul 11 2005, 12:02 PM']
I have just purchased a second hand Lexus LS430. On the first day of driving all was ok, but on the second day the suspension seems to have locked solid, and now when driving I am bounced all over the place. I have spoken to a Lexus dealer, who tells me it will take four weeks before they can look at it. Does any one have any ideas on what the problem could be?[/quote]

Hi, how did the problem get resolved? I've had my LS430 for about 6 months and had a few problems, the latest one sounds similar; I accidently pushed the 'High' button whilst tidying the coins etc from the ashtray, but the car wouldn't return to normal and the ride went very bouncy! After a few miles I drove through some roadworks where the surface was broken and hey presto, back to the magic carpet ride. I'm planning to take it in to Lexus Plymouth next week, no doubt 'Never heard that one' will be their response! I've bought a CD workshop manual (from US ebay) and it sounds like your previous responses were on the right lines to suspect the sensors.
Cheers,
Peter
[/quote]

The ongoing saga of my Suspension...

As stated before in this thread, I have had the rear sensors go, so, dropped once, jacked up to the top once.

Now I can add N/S/F damper fail... a slow degrading process, where initially it rumbled on uneaven roads, ending up after about a further 10,000 miles with a distinct shudder when one went over a pot hole.

Interestingly during the "diagnosis" of the damper - I did tell them what it was, but hey ho - they decided that the n/s//f height sensor had gone. After it was road tested they realised they were wrong.... however they did say.... and were prepared to show me .... that the sensor was rusty inside, and was deemed ready to fail in 2 or 3 months.... so would I like to leave it in situe Sir?. This certainly seems to be an unpleasant failing with this model.

Total including damper sensor and labour about £950 quid...Thank you Sir.

Hi,

I also recently bought a second hand LS430 with 27000 miles on the clock. I too have had a very hard ride and the four suspension sensors were replaced under warranty.
The ride is still very firm . What exactly are the N/S/F dampers ? Could this be my problem ?

[quote name='Jacko99' post='364279' date='Jul 6 2006, 12:08 PM']Hi,

I also recently bought a second hand LS430 with 27000 miles on the clock. I too have had a very hard ride and the four suspension sensors were replaced under warranty.
The ride is still very firm . What exactly are the N/S/F dampers ? Could this be my problem ?[/quote]

You should find Lexus will replace the height sensors under warranty - Lexus GB told me they'd extended the warranty to 5 years on these parts. Lexus Plymouth replaced my sensors under warranty, but 2 months down the line both rear shocks have failed, and as I've done 60990miles Lexus will only pay for the parts. Anyone else had shocks fail soon after the height sensors, seems to much of a coincidence to be unrelated. And any joy out of Lexus over labour for 'just-out-of-warranty' stuff?
Cheers
Peter

[quote name='LexasPete' post='371142' date='Aug 2 2006, 07:05 PM'][quote name='Jacko99' post='364279' date='Jul 6 2006, 12:08 PM']
Hi,

I also recently bought a second hand LS430 with 27000 miles on the clock. I too have had a very hard ride and the four suspension sensors were replaced under warranty.
The ride is still very firm . What exactly are the N/S/F dampers ? Could this be my problem ?[/quote]

You should find Lexus will replace the height sensors under warranty - Lexus GB told me they'd extended the warranty to 5 years on these parts. Lexus Plymouth replaced my sensors under warranty, but 2 months down the line both rear shocks have failed, and as I've done 60990miles Lexus will only pay for the parts. Anyone else had shocks fail soon after the height sensors, seems to much of a coincidence to be unrelated. And any joy out of Lexus over labour for 'just-out-of-warranty' stuff?
Cheers
Peter
[/quote]


As I said previously one of my rear sensors was just out of warrantee, so they just charged for the labour, but after seeing this extended warrantee comment from 3 years to 5 maybe I should tackle em again....

Also when the NEAR SIDE FRONT N/S/F shock absorber went to Lexus heaven, they first blamed and replaced the n/s/f ride height sensor, so maybe theres a chance to get back a few squids from that as well.

HI everyone new here i just had this problem with the rear suspension i have an 06 ls 430 and i guess like you guys said the sensor went out cause i feel like i driving a low rider. does the car have to be reset after you change the sensor or can you just buy one and change it yourself.
or is there something else it might be thanks for the help

[quote name='screentoo' post='585821' date='Sep 23 2008, 06:42 PM']HI everyone new here i just had this problem with the rear suspension i have an 06 ls 430 and i guess like you guys said the sensor went out cause i feel like i driving a low rider. does the car have to be reset after you change the sensor or can you just buy one and change it yourself.
or is there something else it might be thanks for the help[/quote]

Hi

Have all four wheels gone low, as if they have it maybe something else, if just the back then:

There are two rear height sensors, you will have to find out which sensor it is, you can disconnect them one at a time and try moving them to there fullest travel either way, turning the engine on and waiting a few mins to see if the car rises or falls. Then replace the faulty one....

See this picture for details. The sensor is just to the right of where it says "HI" in the picture, you can see the electrical plug in the top, ignore the writing it was from a thread on lowering the 430. The picture is of the passenger side as seen from directly behind the car, look under the rear bumper and you will see what I mean.

Good Luck

Pete

[img]http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh32/arativ/rearls430.jpg[/img]

Hi Lexus owners. I have just last week bought a 2005 LS430 in black, looks nice (when clean) . I noticed and commented on the hard ride of this car to the sales person who took me out on the first test drive. I asked if it could be tyres or the bigger wheels to my previous LS cars. She said it may be! But having driven it for a week and feeling every bump I’m not so sure. My other LS s have been smooth on the road and took rough roads in its stride. So after reading your comments on the air suspension I think it might need a bit more investigation. Has anyone else noticed the difference in ride in the pre 2004 and the upgrade after 2004. I would expect a better ride not worse. Thanks for any help

I think you need one or more new air shocks. Let you dealer make a suspension test and you'll be more clever aferwards.

BTW, my rear right shock died after a hub beering swap. Take a look at the picture below(sorry for the bad quality) where you can see the RR shock working at just 5%

[quote name='Brio' timestamp='1292512050' post='740967']
I think you need one or more new air shocks. Let you dealer make a suspension test and you'll be more clever aferwards.

BTW, my rear right shock died after a hub beering swap. Take a look at the picture below(sorry for the bad quality) where you can see the RR shock working at just 5%
[/quote]



Thanks for your help Brio after seeing your test results, I will request a test.