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HID Headlight Alignment Sensor: This Can't Be Good...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by TonyPSchaefer, Jul 31, 2011.

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  1. Ryanpl

    Ryanpl Active Member

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    Tony, Autobeyours.com has them for $100 a pop
     
    #21 Ryanpl, Aug 16, 2011
  2. Rokeby

    Rokeby Member

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    Holy galvanic corrosion, Batman!

    I'm wondering;

    Those heavy corrosion on those little parts look like what you'd see on
    boats where special zinc pieces are located near submerged parts you
    don't want to be corroded. The zinc readily gives up ions/electrons to
    just about every other metal in a conductive solution. Noble Metals

    IIRC, the Gen II exhaust system is stainless steel. If so, it is the most
    probable cause of the corrosion. When the 'rusted' parts are bare
    metal, and everything underneath the car is wet, there'd be no way to
    stop the corrosion. (Even in a summer shower, the rain generally
    carries a load of chemicals making it a fair electrolyte. Road salt in the
    winter only makes it worse.

    So, what to do? I'm thinking along these lines:
    * apply some heavy nonconductive coating on all surfaces of the parts
    before installation
    * isolate the parts from the frame with gasketing, including under the
    bolt heads 1/16" should do. (Some resulting very small motion of the
    parts to relative to the frame shouldn't be a problem in this case.)

    It looks like I'll be getting under my '08 this weekend for a look-see.:p
     
    #22 Rokeby, Aug 16, 2011
  3. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I can't buy from them. They are located in Scottsburg, IN, a rival of my high school.

    But if I were to swallow my pride, how do I find the part. I've searched the page but am not getting hits on anything that looks correct.
     
    #23 TonyPSchaefer, Aug 17, 2011
  4. 2009Prius

    2009Prius A Wimpy DIYer

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    What page? Just e-mail him and ask if he has the part for sale. Good luck!! :)
     
    #24 2009Prius, Aug 17, 2011
  5. cnschult

    cnschult Active Member

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    does anybody know of a good southern junkyard that can get this part? I'm not willing to replace a rusted Michigan part with a rusted Indiana part, no matter how well they clean it up, I'll pay a little extra for one from the south, it'll be worth it in the long run.
     
    #25 cnschult, Aug 26, 2011
  6. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Update:
    I just swung by Libertyville Toyota - nice peeps - and picked up a new sensor assembly. It cost $350 which is what I've heard is pretty standard at Toyota dealerships in the Chicagoland area. I tried AutoBeYours but they are sold out and in the end I didn't feel right buying a used part so I went new.

    The removal of the rusted out part took all of fifteen minutes and putting in the new one was even faster.

    It was a sight to behold: when I flipped the lights on, the beam literally rose up from nearly straight down to nearly straight ahead. As soon as I saw this I knew everything was right again.

    I took the old sensor apart and it looks perfect on the inside. A fellow PriusChatter from another Chicago suburb indicated that he is having problems and his might be the sensor rather than a rusted bracket. So for lunch and a beer, I'll give him my old sensor and replace it myself.
     
    #26 TonyPSchaefer, Aug 27, 2011
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