How to Solve Lexus LS 460 Suspension Issues? (+3 Top Issues)
By
Vroomouk
In this brief article we are going to discuss the Lexus LS 460 suspension issues, what the causes are, and Pro-Tips to effectively deal with these issues.
Top 3 Air Suspension Problems in the Lexus LS 460
The 3 most common Air Suspension Problems in the Lexus LS 460 are:
- Vehicle Leaning to one side when parked
- Suspension of the car fully Lowered
- Ride-height stuck at one level
What suspension does the Lexus LS 460 have?
The third Generation of Lexus LS 460 has front double wishbone and the Rear suspension is a Five-link set-up. The Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) air suspension is fitted on all 4 corners.
What are the common problems with the GX 460 Suspension?
Vehicle leaning to one side
- When viewing your car from the front it would seem like either the left or right side sits a bit taller than the other side. You may verify it visually from the rear as well. Again, verify by measuring the fender bottom from the ground
Suspension of the car fully lowered at 4 corners
- No noise from the compressor
- When changing ride height, the Air suspension height indicator light moves from N to H, but is no change in the actual suspension height
- Poor ride quality
Ride-Height Stuck at one level
- Ride height is not adjustable and stays at one level
- When trying to change height, indicator does not move, nor does the suspension
Pro-Tips on How to Deal with GX 460 Air Suspension Issues
Vehicle leaning to one side
- This is a DIY fix since there is only one bolt at each corner that needs to be adjusted.
- The Height Sensor Bracket has a Calibration adjustment on the Control Arm pivot. It is basically a Nut and Bolt on a vertical Slotted Hole, joining the arm and the bracket.
Suspension of the car fully lowered
- Plug-in the OBD II scanner and check for the fault codes
- If the Fault-codes point to the Compressor motor, then it could be either the “relay” or “compressor”
- To verify if it was really the compressor at fault, first RESET the codes (by disconnecting the Battery terminals for 15-30mins and then reconnecting)
- If the compressor was earlier disabled by the system as a protection, when the fault codes were shown, the compressor will not be able to run again until the system goes back to self-protect mode.
- So now, if it wasn’t the compressor, then there is almost always a leakage in either the Air Springs or somewhere in the air lines.
- You can check for leakages using a soap bubble test all along the system
Ride-Height Stuck at one level
- The most obvious suspect would be the Air Suspension ride-height sensor. If even one of the sensors has gone bad, the whole system will malfunction.
- Inspect all suspension corner sensors either by jacking and removing the wheels or under a ramp
- Disconnect the “Control Link” ball-joint and then try to move each sensor manually, you will be able to make out whether its mechanism has seized or not by the freedom of movement
- If a sensor mechanism has seized, it’s very likely that the chassis mounting bracket would have either cracked or fully broken. Observe for signs of this failure.
- If there were no cracks found, it is possible to try and repair the sensor by dismantling and cleaning the carbon tracks that signal the suspension height position
Other articles about Lexus you may be interested in
Lexus RX 350 Suspension Issues Explained
Conclusion
In this brief article we have discussed the Lexus LS 460 suspension issues, what the causes are, and Pro-Tips to effectively deal with these issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How do you diagnose air suspension problems?
Air suspension problems can be identified by looking out for the following symptoms:
- Vehicle riding lower than normal
Visually, if the vehicle sits at a lower ride height, it could be that the compressor is worn or is having a problem. Because of this, the compressor may be unable to adequately pressurize the air springs. Due to lower than normal pressure, the vehicle sits and rides lower.
- Abnormal noises during operation
While the vehicle runs, if there are any unusual sounds, like loud clicking, whine, or grinding, then it could be an indication of an issue with the air suspension compressor.
- The compressor does not start/ No compressor working sound
While normal driving, if you never hear any sound of the compressor, that you would have normally heard, it could be that the compressor has an issue, or the software has disabled the compressor due to a detected leakage.
What happens when air suspension fails?
When the air suspension fails one or more of the following could happen:
- Drastic difference in Ride Quality. It will feel as if there is no suspension, or that the axle bump stops are contacting almost all the time
- Since the bump stops contact most of the time, there could be Severe impact damage to the body at the bump stop location and damage to the shock absorbers
- Feeling of lack of vehicle stability or control whilst normal driving. Since the Air suspension failed, it means that the system would have lost all pressure, which means that there is effectively no spring to maintain tire-to-road contact, especially while going over a rough patch of road
- Suspension warning lights go on. Most air suspension systems will have a diagnostic warning when the air pressure has gone below a certain range
Does Lexus LS 460 have air suspension?
In the 2021 model year. The LS 460 ‘F Sport’ variant comes with Air suspension which is height-adjustable.
How long should struts last on a Lexus?
The average life of the Lexus LS 460 shock absorbers would be 40k to 50k kms.
