OEM headlight leveling sensor replaced with good used OEM sensor

Well, after two prior repair attempts I gave in and spent $50 for a used Lexus IS300 sensor from Ebay. I was fortunate to find one in good condition from a yard in Florida. The harness for the sensor was included. It was a little difficult to release the harness from the sensor because sand had found its way into the connector. After cleaning out the sand, the sensor and harness looked brand new, not a speck of rust on anything.

I needed a replacement for the original harness connector because one of the terminal blades was seized in the harness due to rust and the blade snapped when I first disconnected the harness in March of this year. My two earlier attempts at maintaining continuity at the broken blade were ultimately fruitless since the repairs lasted only two months each time. And - there was no way I was ever going to be able to repair the harness connector - it was rusted solid where it snapped. Amazing since the two other blades released from the harness without trouble.

Yesterday. I swapped out the old for the new. I joined the wires together with 18-22 gauge butt crimp connectors instead of soldering them - I never mastered that art. It's unlikely Yoda will ever need another sensor while I own it.

After removing the sensor from the backing plate I found that the original sensor was about to fail from the outside in at the pivot the leveling arm rotates on. It was really close to being rusted solid just like another poster discovered recently. It looked like water and road salt entered the pivot joint at the outer seal area. Dirt had managed to get between the plastic housing and the rubber seal somehow.

My Prius spent the first five years of its life in NW Indiana where snow falls daily from December to March mainly from lake effect snow. Consequently the salt trucks are out and doing their best to clear the road of snow and ice and inadvertently rusting poorly protected or unprotected components under cars.

So, in hope of making this sensor last, I used some clear GE silicone II waterproof caulk and applied it everywhere water and salt usually get into the sensor. The silicone II is supposed to remain flexible even when temperatures are below 0°F. I also enclosed the crimped wires inside a piece of inner tube from a Razor riding scooter - the inner tube was large enough to fit the harness connector. A few strategically placed zip ties and I was back to having properly aimed headlights that illuminate the road ahead oh so much better.

 

Just a simple swap out. The headlight's level is corrected by the ECMs automatically
after reconnecting the harness.