Rear bumper sensor faded to white

I realize this is fairly unimportant, but my truck is still 'mint' and I'd love to prolong that as long as possible. I'm a visual kind of person and seeing this irks me a little .

I'm guessing a black Sharpie type marker wouldn't hinder the sensor's functionality? Or, maybe it would? Has anybody tinkered with this?

 

curious what guys say – mine have done the same

 

Ultrasonic sensors use sound waves to tell the distance between 2 objects.

I doubt coloring it with a Sharpie would interfere.

 

Before using the sharpie, confirm the threshold for the alarm to trigger when backing toward something, and then apply a small round piece of black tape and repeat the test to see if it was affected. You could also try a very thin piece of clear tape and use the Sharpie to fill it in. This will allow you cleanly reverse everything if it affects the sensor.

 

I personally wouldn't use tape or paint or anything that has thickness to it, as that may block the frequency or give inaccurate readings.

 

The internet has aftermarket replacement sensors for pretty cheap. No experience with them, but worth looking into if you want to keep things clean, else stocks are ~$100/ea :/

I would imagine adding some black vinyl or a thin coat of paint over top wouldn't affect it much, but definitely worth testing with to see. Painted sensors aren't uncommon.

 

Aftermarket sensors are $12.99. OEM is a lot more expensive.

$15 A-Premium Reverse Backup Parking Aid Assist Sensor Compatible with Select Toyota Models - RAV4 2014-2018, Tacoma 2015-2022, Tundra 2014-2021, Replace# 89341-0C010, 89341-0C020

https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Reve...ocphy=9032883&hvtargid=pla-2283222588405&th=1

My sensors are still black after 9 years. Does your rear bumper get hit with lots of direct sunlight?

 

We paint the sensors on collision jobs when they come primed. One or two coats of base and one of clear is just fine. If you put too much, Toyota/Lexus systems will give you a message saying the sensor is dirty.
A sharpie shouldn’t hurt it.

 

I wasn't sure on the paint part.

My 2016 doesn't have them but I use ultrasonic sensors at work for measuring distances of 0.024" and less. At those ranges a layer of dust can throw it off.

 

https://youtu.be/9HZ_tx8aWuA?si=jpKm-xsqux1N3TsA

 

I appreciate the link! And, yes, it does get hit with direct sunlight — probably about 60% of its life.

 

This is helpful to know, thank you!

 

That is what I was thinking. My Tacoma is generally in my garage. Before I retired in my work parking space the front of my Tacoma always faced to the west.

 

Just wanted to report almost a month later: I used basic Sharpie brand permanent markers. It looks fantastic and nothing has changed with regard to the back-up sensor's functionality.

 

I can also confirm the sharpie method - have done it for a couple years before trading my 2017

 

I like the white.

 

A small sticker that fits and looks like an eyeball staring back at you would be a good fix for a faded sensor...

(...especially if it had a tiny LED mounted just above it.)

 

Dry erase marker

 

I like the eye ball, it would give folks behind ya the creeps.