‘06 rear air issues...

[blue2006]

Another post about failing ras in a 4thgen
I’ve read thru the other posts, and I have a question to anyone who knows how the air lines are routed for the ras
I noticed the other day a funny exhaust note, not sure what it was but I assumed it was a rusted pipe etc. on Sunday I was in traffic and for some dumb reason hit the button to lower the rear..just bored I guess. Problem is it never came back up and is now riding on no air.
Up until now the System has never shown a single issue or hiccup. Last night I took a quick peek underneath and I found the exhaust issue so I’m wondering if the two are related. The pipe that comes out of the muffler and goes to the resonator dislodged itself from the muffler and is hanging...could that pipe have melted or disconnected an air line when I lowered it the car? I checked all the fuses and I can hear the solenoids clicking when I try to raise it, but I don’t hear the compressor...

 

[Bossman]

I'm thinking that the two situations are coincidental.

The separation of the exhaust pipe from the back of the muffler is a common corrosion problem (I had that, too!).

I suspect that your RAS compressor has likely failed, and will need replacement if you intend to keep the system oem.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/158692-question-does-ras-wear-break.html

 

[blue2006]

Thanks,,,,i was hoping it would be simpler, but maybe not. Car is going in for timing belt work so will have to address this.
I don't tow anything, so all i really need right now is if the mechanic can manually inflate the bags to normal ride height...hopefully that will work for now. I cant keep up with things breaking on this car, im really sick of it. 90k miles. XREAS failed, hub bearings went, 2 calipers, now the exhaust, and the Rear air...on top of the 1000+ to do the timing belt...
uy

 

[Bossman]

Based on my experience, and your indication that the sensors seem to be working, then my diagnosis would lead to the compressor.

My previous mechanic was able to use the failing compressor to fill up my air bags a couple of times before it failed completely.

One it failed, he cleverly installed a manual fill valve - so I could still empty/fill the air bags, only using a compressor unit located outside of the vehicle. Just like you would to fill up your tires.

 

[blue2006]

thanks for the info, is there anyway you could send me a picture of what your mechanic did so i can show mine?

 

[Bossman]

Wish I could, but I didn't think to take pics of what he had done ... and my 03 Limited was traded in 2 years ago.

He did buy some sort of air lines, fittings, and valve kit to install. He bypassed the failed compressor, and removed the oem air lines that went from the bags to the compressor.

My recollection was that the modification had to allow the bags to fill simultaneously (and not the left before the right side for example).

He installed the fill valve on the lowest portion of the rear driver's side fender flare. All that you would see by looking closely is a valve that looked exactly like a tire valve.

 

[Bossman]

In my case, the sensors went first (corrosion issues due to their vulnerable placement on the 4Runner - road salt!).

My mechanic bypassed the sensors, and the height control was fixed at a set point. I could no longer control ride height using the switches inside the cabin.

Then the compressor went. Way too expensive for me to replace. So manual fill was my mechanic's idea.

Here is a link to a Canadian dealer with the oem parts - check out the price of the compressor!

https://parts.scarboroughtoyota.ca/...5956031/AUTO-LEVELING-COMPONENTS/8416520.html

 

[blue2006]

some more info on the symptoms my truck shows, maybe it will help diagnose where the issue could be, i still find it hard to digest that the compressor just STOPPEd, with no prior sign of issues....could it be the sensors?

when its dark out, i can see the OFF light on the button for the auto leveling in the center console, whether i turn the system off or not, the button is lit OFF. if i hit it once, i see OFF in the lights tree on the dashboard, but on the button, nothing changes. When i hit it a 2nd time, the OFF light on the dash goes away, but the light on the button remains OFF.

The air bags are clearly dead low, but the dash lights show it in the Neutral position. If i hit the UP button, i hear a click, and the light goes to the upper level and flashes for a bit then goes solid. if i try to go all the way to the low setting the light flashes but never stops, and eventually ends up back in the N setting.

W the muffler messed up i cant hear if the compressor is actually coming on or not, i only hear the click of the solenoid.

 

[Bossman]

It certainly could be the sensors - I wouldn't rule them out just yet based on your new information.

This thread might help:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/100136-issue-auto-ride-height.html

I would suggest contacting fellow forum member [MENTION=44866]ARK_SWAMP_RIDER[/MENTION] for his thoughts on your issue - he is more knowledgeable than me on this RAS system.

 

[MSRP.]

Before I converted my RAS to coils:

I squeezed out another year of sporatic driving by initiating the compressor through the big relay/fuse under the hood. (not the usual fuse box, but one of the big relays in a separate solo box.

I would:
Plug in the relay, start the car, and measure out how high I want the rear to sit (I recall 5.5-6" of wheel gap)
I would then shut the car off as soon as I hit 6"
With the car off, I would unplug the relay and drive normally.

My system held air for a few start/stop cycles before eventually bleeding all air out.
If I kept the relay in while car was on, it would fire up the compressor and keep the rear jacked way high.

My compressor was also semi-seized, and if I plugged in the relay and it would not fire:
I would shut the car off, (gently) beat the compressor (left of spare tire, driver-rear-ish location) with the end of a breaker bar, and it would "free up" and work until the next time it decided to fail.


Maybe there is something there to help you buy a few more months of use...