I was told my IR sensor is bad. Can it be replaced?

My 770 roomba (now affectionately called ‘that destructive little S**t” caught itself under a cabinet door and completely ripped off the top docking ir sensor! It ripped it’s eyeball out! I have since viewed the above video and it is the only one I could find showing how to disassemble my roomba with the exception of that sensor! It appears to plug into the motherboard. Simple (except for having to completely take this thing apart).

Since irobot does not sell the sensor, I bought one through eBay and went through the painstaking process of taking it apart. It turns out at the final moments that the plastic ‘plug’ on the original has a single guide at the bottom used to plug the sensor in is different than the replacement. The replacement has two guides and will not simply plug in.

I called support with Irobot and they will not send a sensor and wants $110 to send it in for them to replace it. I have yet to find the sensor with the proper guide. I tried to force this one in and it does not sense anything, obviously not making the proper connection.

Irobot support tried to tell me that the sensor is connected to the front bumper but it has three wires that are distinctly attached only to the plug. The sensor ‘eye’ slides into the impression on the bumper.

The sensor came with the email address of a troubleshooting tech. I will reach out to him and if I find a solution, I will return with it. Obviously from all the sensors being sold, others are having issues as well.