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No worries. I believe it is. I found the part number and verified it on a few different threads here. I am concerned because the picture is not close to just the sensor. It appears it comes with the bracket and the adjustment arm that is factory set. Which would explain the picture.
I installed the new stroke sensor and the AFS is working properly again. The part is not just the sensor it is the entire assembly. I didn't seal the sensor yet but I will this weekend. I am just going to put a thin layer of clear silicone all around the opening. That should help to prevent water from entering.
I don't know if that is worth paying more for. I live in RI so I need a battery that can handle the cold.
Cold is actually the easiest thing in the world on batteries. Years of those Sears Die Hard commercials and snow kind of brainwashed everyone.
Try taking a battery in a black car to Nevada, the hot parts of Texas ... heat slaughters those things. Assuming your car was built & spec'd properly you've got it made in the cold and mild summers.
Now if you're running 20/50w is some old 1970's Toyota engine on a 15+ year old aftermarket starter and it's -10F outside, yeah, having a weak battery might just suck a little.
I have never heard nor experienced that, and I live in the hot part of Texas. Any proof to those claims? Cold will impact electricity much easier than hot on the human scale.
I have never heard nor experienced that, and I live in the hot part of Texas. Any proof to those claims? Cold will impact electricity much easier than hot on the human scale.
Well I couldn't really answer "listening to years of CarTalk, reading forums, battery manufacturers info, and talking to mechanics" so I googled a little. None of this is to say that a crappy old battery that barely starts a car in Minnesota in January won't easily start a car in Texas in July. But it is to say, that same crappy on it's last leg battery from Minnesota would have probably died 6-12 months ago if it lived it's life in HotLand. I've been aware of it so long I just kind of thought of it as common knowledge.
" ... In 2010, BCI reported an average age of 55 months for starter batteries, with the cooler North attaining 59 months and the warmer South 47 months. ..."
Interesting. I'm curious the physical/chemical reason behind that. I also wonder if they have managed to isolate the battery from the rest of the car. A warm engine will start much more easily than a very cold one. Given that starting is 100% on the battery, perhaps the extra load of a cold engine is what really causes the issue versus the old idea of a weakened battery?
Read the first two links. The first explains how heat diminishes the life of a battery quicker than the cold. However, the second explains how it affects the real world application.
"True, there are more road service calls in cold weather for dead batteries that cause starting failure. That's when a battery's output is diminished because of sluggish electro-chemical action that gives the battery its power. Also, colder temperatures increase thickness of the engine oil, making the engine harder to turn over. These factors lead to harder starting."
So while heat will kill your battery faster, it will make the starting process easier. On an opposite manner, cold will keep a battery alive longer, but it's starting capabilities are diminished. Taking the system as a whole, they both have negative effects.
Well it lasted for a few months but the AFS light is back on. I took the switch apart and it is contaminated worse now than it was a few months ago. I could tell the oring that seals it was too flat to seal it properly. I should have used silicone all around the opening to seal it. Well I didn't then and it appears to be too late now. One of the gold screws was so rusted it snapped in half. I found a spring from a pen that fit and I cleaned up the rust using contact cleaner but the light is still on. Looks like I'll be buying a new stroke sensor. I hate paying almost $200 for such a simple sensor. I guess I could do the .02 fix listed here but I assume that limits the AFS working up and down when going up and down hills or when the car is loaded with weight. I would like it to work properly.
Where is this stroke sensor located? is it the same place in an 09? I'd like to find it and wrap it up.
Originally Posted by stevieray
Interstate MT-24 battery fits perfectly. 750 cranking amps, 600 CCA it does the job beautifully.
I think you're right. This seems to be a good option. What did you pay for this?
I had an interesting (potentially) find that I wanted to ask the group about. I randomly stumbled on a you-tube video about a Toyota Prius headlight leveling sensor issue that is a dead-ringer for the issues with the RL headlight leveling sensor. Same problem with corrosion, rebuilding, error, etc. The part looks almost (if not totally) identical to the part for the RL, right down to the backing, connector, bolts, etc. There is a version on Amazon that is a 3rd party module that states it is improved upon the original to not leak. If the connector was the same, and the resistance is the same, this much cheaper and more readily available part may work. In the YouTube video, the internals of the part look IDENTICAL. Might be worth a try. What do you think? The following two links show the Amazon part and the YouTube video:
I wonder if this is a common supplier part and that multiple manufacturer's list it with their own part number. Being able to get these for under $60 from Amazon with free shipping and a potentially improved design would be a good and more affordable repair (not as affordable as the brilliant $.02 fix, but much better than the $280 quote I got from the dealership for just the part!).
If you can get your hands on one to compare the internals on, that would be a great start! I don't know if the electronics are a direct drop fit though.
If the other part I sourced doesn't come through (before finding this), I will definitely give it a try. Might try it anyways, especially if it is an improved design. From everything I could see, I would be really surprised if the internals were different at all (looks like a dead-ringer)...It must be from the same supplier or under the same patent. The retaining/guide plastic pieces for the plug look identical, the back looks identical, and the bottom has 3 mounting points that look generally the same. And even more suspiciously, it sounds like the original part in the prius has exactly the same corrosion/sealing problem as ours. I suppose the circuit paths on the top for the current to pass through could have different resistances.
If I don't try it (if my salvage part comes through), hopefully somebody else who needs one might be brave enough to give it a try.
I wanted to provide a quick update to this thread...I did eventually end up buying this Prius leveling sensor, and it worked 100%! The part was actually significantly heavier/sturdier than the OEM one, and from the description (and what I could tell), it addresses many of the issues that caused the originals to fail. It is better sealed and has heavier-duty internals. Other than the color of the plastic, it appears to be 100% the same. The connector snaps right on without any modification, and the bolts for mounting it align perfectly and use the same thread as the original. No errors or codes after installing it. Hopefully this will help others to have a MUCH cheaper and brand new (and potentially better built) alternative for 1/4 to 1/5th the price of the OEM unit.
I wanted to provide a quick update to this thread...I did eventually end up buying this Prius leveling sensor, and it worked 100%! The part was actually significantly heavier/sturdier than the OEM one, and from the description (and what I could tell), it addresses many of the issues that caused the originals to fail. It is better sealed and has heavier-duty internals. Other than the color of the plastic, it appears to be 100% the same. The connector snaps right on without any modification, and the bolts for mounting it align perfectly and use the same thread as the original. No errors or codes after installing it. Hopefully this will help others to have a MUCH cheaper and brand new (and potentially better built) alternative for 1/4 to 1/5th the price of the OEM unit.
Thats awesome! Thanks for experimenting and thanks for the update, many people will benefit from this!! Do you happen to have the Prius sensor part #? That would be the cherry on top of this
Always happy to help! Everybody here has helped me out so much, that I am always happy to help in any small way I can. After holding the new part, I would honestly install it over the OEM part even if they were the same price, as the new part seems to have addressed all of the issues that caused the failures of the OEM part. Costing under $60 instead of $280 is "icing on the cake".
Also, I forgot to mention that this aftermarket part also has a LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY! Something the OEM part definitely doesn't have.
From everywhere I looked, this part was cheapest on Amazon, especially with free shipping. Other sites sold this part for $100+ not including shipping.
I have attached several additional side-by-side pictures, including a few of the installed part just in case these are helpful
Always happy to help! Everybody here has helped me out so much, that I am always happy to help in any small way I can. After holding the new part, I would honestly install it over the OEM part even if they were the same price, as the new part seems to have addressed all of the issues that caused the failures of the OEM part. Costing under $60 instead of $280 is "icing on the cake".
Also, I forgot to mention that this aftermarket part also has a LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY! Something the OEM part definitely doesn't have.
From everywhere I looked, this part was cheapest on Amazon, especially with free shipping. Other sites sold this part for $100+ not including shipping.
I have attached several additional side-by-side pictures, including a few of the installed part just in case these are helpful
I just ordered this part off ebay, $23.90 free shipping, and it did fix my flashing afs light. Def better than the $200 dealer sensor.
My problem was my mechanic put the stroke sensor leveler arm on incorrectly, the dial needed to be spun 180° for the arm to seat correctly. It has a squared end and the other end is curved, like the shape of the front of a mailbox. I didn't realize that until I fully disassembled the unit to install the new $20 sensor, so just installed the new unit to confirm, and it works. Just going to leave that in. Not going to go through the hassle of a return. Now I have 2 extra working stroke sensors, if anyone ever needs them.
I know this thread is a couple of years old, however, I was wondering if that aftermarket Sensor (Part #924755) is still holding up? Also, does it allow the headlight to swivel or does it just remove the message on the dash?
Thank you cdroadwarrior. Your effort and posts enabled me to find a replacement stroke sensor for our 2005 Acura RL on EBay for under $20. And, as you said, it's the exact same part. I took it apart to compare. Also, I added dielectric grease in o'ring channel and to internal metal parts to retard future corrosion.
I had an interesting (potentially) find that I wanted to ask the group about. I randomly stumbled on a you-tube video about a Toyota Prius headlight leveling sensor issue that is a dead-ringer for the issues with the RL headlight leveling sensor. Same problem with corrosion, rebuilding, error, etc. The part looks almost (if not totally) identical to the part for the RL, right down to the backing, connector, bolts, etc. There is a version on Amazon that is a 3rd party module that states it is improved upon the original to not leak. If the connector was the same, and the resistance is the same, this much cheaper and more readily available part may work. In the YouTube video, the internals of the part look IDENTICAL. Might be worth a try. What do you think? The following two links show the Amazon part and the YouTube video:
02-19-2016, 10:09 PM
Warranty and a few more pictures
