2005 Prius Brake Job

wth, brake job on a Prius? Does your car have over 200,000 miles?

You can probably reset the codes with an android phone, torque app, and a bluetooth ELM dongle but if they come back after clearing them you'll have to pay someone to figure out what is really going on.

I wouldn't ever touch the brakes on a prius. Seriously we have people that have gone over 300,000 miles on the stock brake pads. Some replace the front pads at 200,000 as a preemptive but I don't know anyone that has ever worn through the back pads. Rear are probably good for well over 350,000 miles.

usually the only thing you need to know to do is get the car up to 40 mph, put it in neutral and hit the brakes until you stop. That scrapes the rust off and keeps things good for another few months or years depending on the humidity in your part of the world.

as much as you want to know how to clear the codes and make the car trouble free going forward I'm curious to see pics or measurements on the old pads you pulled off. I'm wondering if you pulled off perfectly good brake pads for no reason. I hope that isn't the case but I want to be honest with you so you have more information to figure out what to do going forward.

 

Did you check the condition of the caliper pins. If their lube has dried up they'll seize, cause the uneven pressure. They need to be lubed for the caliper to be free-floating. Sil-Glyde Brake Lubricant is one option.

The pads may be good for a donkey's age, but it's still worthwhile to open it up periodically, clean up and inspect the pads, relube them (anti-seize on points of contact), and check the caliper pins.

You could try disconnecting the 12 volt battery's negative cable for a minute, see if that clears the lights. When I looked at the brakes on ours I disconnected the 12 volt at the outset, and when done, pumped the brake pedal repeatedly to build up pressure, THEN reconnected the battery.

Not having the battery disconnected, you run the risk of the system trying to pressurize, while you've got the brakes opened up, ejecting a piston.

 

Do not attempt any brake work that requires 'bleeding' any brake fluid. (it does not sound like you did)

The Prius hydraulics are a specialized service item, not shade tree.

 

Sorry but it was a first post, presumably about a 2005 Prius in a Prius C forum (didn't exist before 2012 model). I keep expecting a moderator to move the thread but until they do I see that and wonder what else is out of place in this story.

I had visions of a person used to older cars thinking it's worth doing as soon as you buy a used car not knowing the longevity of Prius brake pads. You might not do it but I guarantee you someone out there has. I know plenty of service writers/mechanics have done it to unknowing customers as well.

82,000 miles and only one pad, sorry, I'm no brake expert. That's too far outside of normal Prius issues for a generalist like me to give you help.

edit: misteaks, mistakes, and missed stakes (sometimes the vampires get away)

 

So you aren't very good at breaking things, but do you know anything about brakes? Ha ha ha...

 

Hey, give him a brake...

 

Nah, dems da breaks!

 

When you push the brake pedal after having compressed the caliper pistons, it will set DTC C1214 (ABS Inlet Valve Coil RF Circuit Failure). There is no malfunction, it just needs to be cleared.

That said... You're very lucky you didn't get hurt. When working on these braking systems, you need to either perform the disable brake control procedure, or remove the negative cable from the aux. battery, and pump down the accumulator. Even with the ignition off, the brake control system activates when the pedal is pressed, the door is opened, or even when you get close to the car if it has smart entry.

 

1. The skid control ECU (and SRS ECU for that matter) will not clear their DTC by disconnecting the 12V battery.
2. A reasonable workaround is to short pins 4 and 13 of the OBD-II connector. There are several posts on that subject, make sure you have the correct pins before you do this.
3. If you are going to work more on your Prius, you need Mini VCI (Toyota Techstream clone) and access to the factory repair manual info (techinfo.toyota.com)
4. One example of a worthwhile service procedure is to disconnect the 12V battery before you work on the brake system to avoid having the brake actuator power up at an inopportune moment, and having the skid control ECU log DTC while you are removing the calipers, etc.
5. It is a good idea to press on the brake pedal a few times when you are done, to remove excess clearance between the caliper pistons and the disc pads, before you restore 12V power.
6. I agree with the concept that the caliper slide pins should be examined and lubricated with a small amount of high temp lube. It seems clear that one caliper was binding on the pins which resulted in one pad exerting all of the braking force for that wheel and wearing out prematurely.

 

Yep. Our 2005 Prius had the same issue. Grinding noise from the front brakes, the caliper cylinders were absolutely shot on the inside, so the back of the rotor was gouged and rusted solid while the outside face looked relatively smooth. Dealership did the work and a $700 bill later we were back on the road. Too bad, since it was really only slowing from 15-0 at stop signs / parking that the brakes were used at all.

 

Hi all, my abs light came on and brake light too. The brakes were not working right. Dealer says my Actuator and Ecu will need replacing which seems very costly. My rear shocks were bad so I'm not sure if this affected anything. Can anyone give me some tips on what to do? I can't afford the cost to replace the actuator and ecu. Is it possible to order the part online or is this too complicated for someone to install for me? In other words am I screwed??!!

 

No you are not screwed, you probably can find used parts on ebay from a wreck. Shocks you should buy new

 

Thanks for the reply. I think I might be able to buy the part online but most mechanics have been saying the ecu and actuator is very complicated and difficult thing to fix outside the dealer...

 

how much did the dealer quote you? which ecu is having problems?

 

The skid control ECU is located near the steering column. The Toyota repair manual indicates it is required to remove much of the instrument panel and steering column for access, but at least one member has indicated that effort is not necessary.

The brake actuator is located in the engine compartment at the firewall. Toyota Techstream or the equivalent Mini VCI is required to replace that and clear air from the brake lines.

It is true that specialized knowledge is required for this work. However a regular mechanic who is willing to learn can obtain the factory repair manual at techinfo.toyota.com

 

Wong, post: 2089197, member: 37850"]The skid control ECU is located near the steering column. The Toyota repair manual indicates it is required to remove much of the instrument panel and steering column for access, but at least one member has indicated that effort is not necessary.

The brake actuator is located in the engine compartment at the firewall. Toyota Techstream or the equivalent Mini VCI is required to replace that and clear air from the brake lines.

It is true that specialized knowledge is required for this work. However a regular mechanic who is willing to learn can obtain the factory repair manual at techinfo.toyota.com[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the I

Thanks for the info!

 

Not sure about which ecu. Its my first go around with a Prius. Im trying to decipher what all this is but its a bit over my head. The guy from dlr is saying 1300 for used parts. I have always noticed a bit of stiffness with the brakes like something not quite right when I depress it. There was no noise like grinding coming from them tho. One day the lights came on and the brakes appeared to not work properly, much harder to stop than normal, looks like the back up brakes came in - not sure what they are called, hydraulic something, I think from what I read on here. I was glad something came on brake wise cos i was on the freeway when it happened. I think im going to get a second diagnose from someone else. Any tips on how to find a non dealer prius specialist by me? Google it?

 

Avi's Advanced Automotive is perhaps the closest to you. He is good, and contributes to Prius Chat from time to time. He might have a recommendation.

What you experienced with the brake lights coming on was the car no longer using the regenerative braking, and just relying on the friction brakes. It takes quite a bit more pressure on the pedal, but the mechanical connection to the brakes is still intact and works.

I would be wary of any advice to replace both the Brake Actuator and the associated ECU. On this site there are many more posts of the actuator going bad, and many fewer of the skid control ECU going bad, but none that I can recall where it has been well documented that both go out at the same time. Some dealers are happy to swap out expensive parts on the grounds of suspicion only, so getting a second opinion is a good idea.