Automatic head light leveling system warning light

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mike.in.sudbury @ Aug 6 2007, 08:43 PM) [snapback]491631[/snapback]</div>

I think the auto-levelling sensors on the rear suspension are going bad.
You just have to bring it to the dealer when the warning shows up.
Or simply tell them to check specifically the levelling sensors.

 

Hi Mike.in.Sudbury,

Welcome. Glad to see another New Englander here. Lots of good info and helpful people. Check out the local New England thread and come to the next local gathering.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mike.in.sudbury @ Aug 6 2007, 06:43 PM) [snapback]491631[/snapback]</div>

Is this a newsworthy event that warrants being posted in the "Prius and Hybrid News" forum ???

Keith

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tech_Guy @ Aug 9 2007, 12:04 AM) [snapback]492832[/snapback]</div>

Keith,




I think a simple
















OFF TOPIC










would have sufficed.


Yeah I noticed the moderators are a little slow in here at catching OT/wrong category threads.

 

I have been experiencing this same thing with my Prius. The headlights seem to be working fine, and I just want to know how to reset the warning light. We don't want to take it to the dealer if it is working fine!

Another odd thing is that the tank will not fill up. Although the gastank is 11.9 gallons, I can only fill it with around 8 with the low fuel light lit. During the first year we owned the car I could fill it up but something happened and I cannot put in more than 8.5 gallons now. Anyone else experienced this?

 

A restart of the car 3-5 time might reset the code.

I would print out this document http://priuschat.com/forums/attachm...us_headlight_height_control_sensor_repair.pdf and take it to your dealer. After reading the document they should replace it. Thats How I how mine fixed.

The gas take is a bladder and will shrink in the winter so thats normal.

 

Our 05 had the same warning. Dealer replaced the headlight sensor for 422.78 out of our prepaid service agreement (extended warranty ) Still don't see how Toyota lacks so little skill that they can't make longer lasting sensors or protect the ones that are installed from corrosion.

 

I declined to have mine replaced as it was out of warranty. its really not that big of a deal, just manually adjust the headlights with a large phillips head screw driver. I don't have excessive loads in the back of my vehicle so I don't worry too much about blinding anyone. $400+ is not worth it IMHO.

 

http://priuschat.com/forums/knowled...04-broken-auto-leveling-headlights-fixed.html

 

Does anyone know where the Automatic head light leveling Sensor(s) are located? It is possible only the pins or socket are corroded and be cleaned with the proper tools.

 

Its located behind the driver rear wheel. When I opened mine, it had 3 small copper springs (like that you'd find in a push pen) that were all corroded. I tried replacing them but it didn't work because the plastic "dog bone" piece was missing from the apparatus when I bought my prius.

The sensor looks like similar in shape to a digital stopwatch, only twice the size.

 

If I have a spare "dog bone", do you want it?

 

Really? Well at first I was peeved about the headlights but now that I manually adjusted them, they are on point. I rarely carry a heavy load in my hatch so I don't know if I would really need it. Plus, I'm not sure if I am missing other pieces besides the dogbone or if changing the springs will work either. Do you know what other parts might be required and if changing the springs works? If its rather seamless, I would be interested in taking you up on that offer.

Thank you for the help!

 

You might want to review this thread. My experience is towards the end. I swapped mine out becaue I didn't trust the old one. It turns out that the mechanical parts were fine, just the sensor was bad. I went down in the basement just now and found it. I have the slightly "J" or "L" shaped bracket that holds the sensor, the straight arm that comes off the back of the sensor, and the "dogbone" that attaches to the straight arm. The sensor is attached to the bracket with three phillips head screws, it looks like an easy swap if you have a good sensor.

 

I'm having the same problem. Note that if it is not fixed the headlight levelling system eventually seems to default to the lowest position leaving one with an unsafe level of lighting on the low beams. I am going to try the fix noted in the link above. $500 is ridiculous--no more HID lights for me (am glad I did not get them on my RAV).

 

It is quite easy. Just make sure you get ALL the corroded bits out of the holes the springs sit in. I thought I had, then put a little bit of fine steel wool in the holes and twisted it with a very small Phillips screwdriver to make sure the contacts were clean. A full circle of the old spring came out. I was amazed that there was 1 'like new' spring and 2 'totally corroded and gone' springs in my unit. They sit in holes only 1/16" apart - the width of the plastic that separates them. You would think that if two were totally corroded, the third would be hit pretty hard as well.

If anyone DOES need the whole unit, get it cheaper (about $270 I think I found) by not going to the Toyota dealer ($390 uninstalled). Install it yourself, you only need to take out 2 bolts to remove the upper bracket from the car and 1 nut on the articulating piece that connects the plastic dogleg to the lower bracket on the rear axle. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes unless the bolts or nut are seized. I was concerned mine would be given I live in snow and salt country. They were somewhat rusty but I sprayed a little WD-40 on them first and they came right out.

 

I'm a disabled vet in St. Louis with an '05 displaying this red warning light all the time. At night it's a real distraction, and the headlights seem low. I've read all the posts, but I wonder, Is there any get-around fix I can pay my local garage to do without shelling out $500 to my Toyota dealer, just to get the lights up where they should be and disable that warning triangle? I'm not very mechanical, but is there some way I can just disable the darn thing and have the garage manually adjust the lights?

Feel free to e-mail me if you wish. Many thanks for any help.