Brake Accumulator Cost

Doug,
I replaced a brake actuator unit a couple weeks ago for a customer and the used part from a 2008 cost $140. I learned that salvage yards have no idea what your talking about if you ask for a brake actuator assembly for a Prius. Once I called it an ABS pump assembly it was all good.

Matt

 

What codes you got?

You could check this post here just to get an idea how much your brake computer may be able to tell you about where the problem is in your accumulator, relays, etc.

-Chap

 

Pump running every few seconds does suggest a leak (though perhaps other possibilities too, like being intermittently shut off for excess current draw). If it's a leak, you should be able to decide between external or internal leak ... external, you'd be seeing brake fluid somewhere ... internal, it would be escaping the accumulator within one of the normal pathways and probably just recirculating to the reservoir.

In my Gen 1 (caution: could be different!) C1256 is an accumulator low pressure fault. The description gives five distinct sequences of events that will cause the code. C1391 isn't a brake code for my year at all. I'll strongly recommend you look both up in the 2005 volume 1 repair manual to be sure you have the best information applying directly to your car.

I'm looking at the hydraulic diagram in the 2004 New Car Features Manual (if you're following along, it's on page CH-50) and it looks as if any likely internal leakage paths would be within the actuator itself. You might be able to pin down a particular fault and perhaps even resolve it, but I don't think I've ever seen a post where somebody tried to dismantle the Gen 2 actuator. I don't think any of its parts are sold separately. I've certainly repaired other "non-field-serviceable" assemblies over the years ... all kind of depends on whether you manage to get it open without damage, the problem turns out to be something fixable (like grot in a valve) and it doesn't leak when reassembled with old gaskets. But it seems like a long shot.

-Chap

 

I would certainly check more before pulling the trigger, at least looking up your codes in your proper manual instead of mine, to identify what your other code (that isn't in my Gen 1 manual) is telling you, and be sure you've ruled out other possible causes once you know the exact inputs that are used to trigger those codes.

After all, the way you tell the leak is internal rather than external is by not noticing any fluid escape, but that's also how you would tell you had some other problem than a leak.

metrotoyotapartsnow.com or villagetoyotaparts.com tend to be my go-to sites for part numbers. (Then I do also make a point of now and then buying parts from them, since a good part lookup service is valuable to me.)

-Chap