Damping force variable shock absorber

A damping force variable shock absorber comprising:

• a damping force variable mechanism including:
• a damping force generation unit;
• a damping force variable actuator;
• and
• a damping force control unit configured to control an operation of the damping force variable actuator;
• and
• a vehicle height control mechanism including:
• a self-pumping mechanism configured to, using a vibration caused by traveling of a vehicle provided with the damping force variable mechanism as a driving force, pressurize a hydraulic oil and push a spring;
• a vehicle height variable actuator configured to switch a flow path of the hydraulic oil pressurized by self-pumping;
• and
• a vehicle height control unit configured to control an operation of the vehicle height variable actuator,
• wherein the damping force control unit performs, when the spring is fully compressed, a process-by-process damping force variable control in which a damping force in a pushing process of the spring during a period in which a vehicle height is increasing by the vehicle height control mechanism is set to be weaker than a damping force in the pushing process of the spring during a period in which the vehicle height is not increasing.