Looking for V8 Limited owners with Air Suspension issues.

[MacVay]

Guys,

I have an 05 V8 Limited here in Canada and I am fed up with my Air Suspension. I have had issues in the past with sensors going bad and my truck jacking itself up like the Mystery Machine with no control. The last time it happend, It cost me $300.00 for 1 sensor. Now it is at it again. We have 2 05 4Runners in the company and the other one has been in 3 times but it has the extended warranty.

I can't be the only one with this problem. I am looking for others who have battled Toyota on this issue. My truck has 84,000 KMS now so all I have left is my PowerTrain warranty and it looks like it does not cover it.

Anyone?

Cheers,

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Guys,

I have an 05 V8 Limited here in Canada and I am fed up with my Air Suspension. I have had issues in the past with sensors going bad and my truck jacking itself up like the Mystery Machine with no control. The last time it happend, It cost me $300.00 for 1 sensor. Now it is at it again. We have 2 05 4Runners in the company and the other one has been in 3 times but it has the extended warranty.

I can't be the only one with this problem. I am looking for others who have battled Toyota on this issue. My truck has 84,000 KMS now so all I have left is my PowerTrain warranty and it looks like it does not cover it.

Anyone?

Cheers,

I know very little about the install in a 4Runner. If it were mine and this problem was chronic I might consider bypassing the auto part of the setup. Figure out how to make it go up and down on ly when you command it. AirLift and Firestone rear airbag setups (when used with an onboard compressor) work like this.

 

[JosephD05]

Guys,

I have an 05 V8 Limited here in Canada and I am fed up with my Air Suspension. I have had issues in the past with sensors going bad and my truck jacking itself up like the Mystery Machine with no control. The last time it happend, It cost me $300.00 for 1 sensor. Now it is at it again. We have 2 05 4Runners in the company and the other one has been in 3 times but it has the extended warranty.

I can't be the only one with this problem. I am looking for others who have battled Toyota on this issue. My truck has 84,000 KMS now so all I have left is my PowerTrain warranty and it looks like it does not cover it.

Anyone?

Cheers,

I have an 06 with the air suspension, and it's been flawless. I will say that I purchased a platinum extended warranty, and one of the reasons why was the air suspension, along with VSC, Nav, etc.

 

[MacVay]

Re: Re: Looking for V8 Limited owners with Air Suspension issues.

I know very little about the install in a 4Runner. If it were mine and this problem was chronic I might consider bypassing the auto part of the setup. Figure out how to make it go up and down on ly when you command it. AirLift and Firestone rear airbag setups (when used with an onboard compressor) work like this.

I thought of this. The truck is a lease so I am tempted to just pull the power to the compressor when the truck is stable but I don't know what the effect would be. I would hate to have the suspension dump while on the highway.

It is sad that I have such an expensive truck with this issue. When the truck was in last they told me that it may need a new compressor as well. They wanted $800.00 for the compressor and $400 for each sensor plus labour. I fought with them and they gave the sensor for half price but with labour I still ended up with a $300 bill. They then magically told me the compressor is fine. The sensor is worth about $10 if you ask me. The compressor would retail at Pep Boys for about $50.00 if they carried it. Typical rip off.

I hope someone else has gone to battle on this board and has some advise.

Cheers,

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Re: Re: Re: Looking for V8 Limited owners with Air Suspension issues.

I thought of this. The truck is a lease so I am tempted to just pull the power to the compressor when the truck is stable but I don't know what the effect would be. I would hate to have the suspension dump while on the highway.

It is sad that I have such an expensive truck with this issue. When the truck was in last they told me that it may need a new compressor as well. They wanted $800.00 for the compressor and $400 for each sensor plus labour. I fought with them and they gave the sensor for half price but with labour I still ended up with a $300 bill. They then magically told me the compressor is fine. The sensor is worth about $10 if you ask me. The compressor would retail at Pep Boys for about $50.00 if they carried it. Typical rip off.

I hope someone else has gone to battle on this board and has some advise.

Cheers,

I don't know but I suspect the rear suspension has regular springs and airbags. If they go totally flat it'll still sit normally (unloaded) won't it? I would try pulling the fuse considering it's a lease. AND I would add: Try to figure out if it really has coils around airbags before you do that. I may be wrong.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Looking for V8 Limited owners with Air Suspension issues.

I don't know but I suspect the rear suspension has regular springs and airbags. If they go totally flat it'll still sit normally (unloaded) won't it? I would try pulling the fuse considering it's a lease. AND I would add: Try to figure out if it really has coils around airbags before you do that. I may be wrong.

I just looked at an online parts catalog. I think I was wrong. It's a bag only.

I might consult the Mickey Mouse Engineering handbook and figure out how to plumb the bags to a couple of regular shrader valves and pull the fuse. Throw a bicycle pump in the back and be done.

In Canada I might use compressed CO2 or something to avoid moisture. Frozen lines when you needed to add some air would suck.

Good Luck! :cheers:

 

[AK602]

Hello all,
I have the rear air suspension on my 04 Limeted. I have experienced problems with it and I would love to be able to have manual control.

I did pull the fuse for a few months and had no issues except the light on the dash blinking.

i decided to put the fuse back in and now the light blinks occasionally which means there is an error. I have read somewhere that the sensors are a very simple device and can be taken apart and cleaned. I am going to try that in the warmer weather. If not I will look for better alternatives.

 

[Koz]

I have had no issues at all.

I think you need to take it to someone else. It sounds like they are trying to find the problem by a process of elimination! Changing parts until it is fixed, at your expense!

Koz

 

[4x4v8]

I am having this problem too. My fender sits 1+ft from the top of my wheel. I dont know what the problem is but it is messed up. I am considering just taking the whole thing out if I can. It is becoming SUPER annoying and hard to deal with. The rear end bounces like its on hydrolics which is SUPER annoying. Anyone find a cure?

 

[Bossman]

My 03 V8 Limited has also had issues with the rear air suspension system.

Much like MacVay who started this thread, my T4R also experienced the back-end jack-up (like a hot rod at a drag strip). To my surprise, it had the nerve to do this while at the dealership for an oil/filter change.

Diagnosis was a corroded sensor (due to the road salt from our Canadian winters). Cost to replace the sensor was too high for my liking (and knowing that this would be a temporary fix at best ... the issue of the vulnerability to further corrosion of this sensor in the current location having not been addressed).

Initial repair involved bypassing the in-cabin height adjust controls and securing the air suspension at the normal height, then shutting the system off.

Since this repair, there have been two occasions where the air suspension deflated (no real explanations for this) and I was basically driving with no suspension (think horse and buggy or Model T Ford).

Most recent repair was, much like CJ3Flyr suggests, to use the existing wiring from the rear air suspension to the height adjust control switches, but remove the auto-leveling feature.

Basically, I can now power on the system, and use the in-cabin switches to add air to the rear suspension to raise it up. But I have no switch control to dump air out. That has to be done manually.

So my rear air suspension is working, although not as designed by the Toyota engineers.

Future repairs might involve installing aftermarket air suspension (Firestone as CJ3Flyr suggested) or removing the air suspension completely and installing rear coil springs.

My real world driving experience with this air suspension system has been less than satisfactory. I will avoid such a suspension option on any future vehicles I consider purchasing.

 

[paraordnance]

126k km and no issues at all with my air ride. From what I been observing so far usually people from east coast have problems with corroding sensors due to road salt used in your part of country. If I ever will have problems with corroding sensors I will rip that pos out ta there and install OME or Toytec Ultimate lift.

 

[2003Can4runner]

The self levelling rear is one of my favorite features the 4runner offers and one of the things that has turned me off of the new 4runner by not offering it. My Dad had a 2003 Limited V8 with the rear air back in 2003 (I think all Canadian Limited V8s have it) and the sensors went on it. I chalked it up as a new model issue that would have hopefully been resolved. Having a 2007, living in the Canadian prairies, and using the rear air quite frequently towing trailers I really hope I don't have expensive issues..

I had a 2005 Sport Edition and it sagged really badly while hooked up. It was one of the reasons why I switched to a Limited. So far, it's worked flawlessly and I'm loving it. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[Glenn4x4]

Possible solution to air suspension problems

I have a 2005 V8 Limited 4Runner and I had the problem described in this thread - the truck jacked up like a hot rod with a ride like a horse cart.

This thread helped me find the solution for $0. So if you have this problem try this:

1. Run the service manual diagnostics - if they report no problem then it is probably one or both of the rear level sensors.
2. Remove both of them - relatively simple - right side easy, left side requires tire removal.
3. Wash them so the dirt does not get inside the sensor when you open it up.
4. Toyota was nice enough to make these sensors servicable (unusual) so you can carefully remove the four philips screws holding the cover and carefully remove the cover.
5. Inside there are 3 gold plated springs that make the electrical contact from the sensor connector to the resistive sensing element on the cover plate. These will probably look clean - they did on my truck.
6. Carefully remove them using tweezers - underneath with be a gold plated contact - in my case this contact and the lower part of the spring had minor corrosion. This caused the sensors to fail. Clean the springs and the gold connector the spring sits on using alcohol and a Q-tip or KimWipes. Some corrosion may be crusty - a small hobby knife will remove it.
7. Replace the springs and the cover. Be careful to keep the inside of the sensor clean and keep the O-ring seal clean (VERY IMPORTANT).
8. Replace the sensor assemblies - and look forward to a few more years before doing it again.

 

[4x4v8]

I have a 2005 V8 Limited 4Runner and I had the problem described in this thread - the truck jacked up like a hot rod with a ride like a horse cart.

This thread helped me find the solution for $0. So if you have this problem try this:

1. Run the service manual diagnostics - if they report no problem then it is probably one or both of the rear level sensors.
2. Remove both of them - relatively simple - right side easy, left side requires tire removal.
3. Wash them so the dirt does not get inside the sensor when you open it up.
4. Toyota was nice enough to make these sensors servicable (unusual) so you can carefully remove the four philips screws holding the cover and carefully remove the cover.
5. Inside there are 3 gold plated springs that make the electrical contact from the sensor connector to the resistive sensing element on the cover plate. These will probably look clean - they did on my truck.
6. Carefully remove them using tweezers - underneath with be a gold plated contact - in my case this contact and the lower part of the spring had minor corrosion. This caused the sensors to fail. Clean the springs and the gold connector the spring sits on using alcohol and a Q-tip or KimWipes. Some corrosion may be crusty - a small hobby knife will remove it.
7. Replace the springs and the cover. Be careful to keep the inside of the sensor clean and keep the O-ring seal clean (VERY IMPORTANT).
8. Replace the sensor assemblies - and look forward to a few more years before doing it again.

This is correct. You can clean out the sensors. I opted to just take out the whole system. I couldn't bother with it after having 2 problems. If you are driving through brush, forests, muds, keep in mind that a branch can rip the airbag. That's what happened to me.

 

[carpentergord]

03 ltd air ride issues

Hope you find some solutions, dealing with Toyota Canada on mine now, I guess we will see about Toyota quality and reliability.

 

[jorders]

jacked up rear-end and by the dealership

i recently and currently have this same problem. i took it to the dealership and they said that it needed a right rear sensor. replaced it $600+
that didn't fix it so they told me i needed a new control module. $952
that didn't fix it. Now i am going to try what Glen4x4 suggests below and remove the sensors and clean them. it that doesn't work, i am going to remove the fuse and see what that does. does anyone know which fust this is or what is is called?

 

[TRDCal]

Yah I've had that fuse out a couple times. Its under the hood in the main fuse box. From the drivers perspective, its in the rear right corner of the fuse box second from the right. Its a larger red fuse with a clear top. Just look at the map in the top of the fuse box cover, I believe its labeled something like "air sus" or "rear air susp".

Keep in mind that the amber "OFF" light under the suspension position indicator with flash while the fuse is out.

 

[t4rfan]

I have the same issues with the rear air suspension not cooperating. I've taken the fuse out, but after reading some of the posts, I'd like to solve the problem. I tried to follow Glen 4x4's advice on cleaning the sensors, but cannot locate them. Does anyone know where to look for these? It sounds pretty straight forward after removing the sensors.

 

[Bossman]

Here is a link to a pdf that might help.

Air Suspension System - Parts Location

http://4runnerclub.com/i/4r_files/f...toyrm/07toypdf/07rmsour/4runnerr/03500210.pdf

 

[t4rfan]

Thanks for the link, Bossman! Now I can continue on this weekend's project. I'll post my findings when I dig into it.