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Brake, Abs, (!), VSC Lights Help

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by ChrisDIYer, May 26, 2017.

  1. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    Hi. 2006 Gen II, 177k.
    I am now in a warmer weather climate (TN) but this car has been in in Wisconsin until last October,
    12V Battery is reading fine, based on Prius signal check display.

    The lights came on a few months ago, but there is no decrease in the non-ABS braking power, so we have still been driving it.

    Here's what I've got.

    I noticed the height position sensor on the rear axle had snapped, so I replaced it. I was able to reset the lights, but they came back on a few days later.

    I had had replacement work done on the driver-side hub assembly, a few days before these lights came on, so I suspected the speed sensor and recently replaced it because it appeared to be in bad shape.

    Tried to reset lights after the replacement and it wouldn't reset.

    Blink codes are:
    ABS 34
    VSC 43
    ! 36

    I read in one forum that the VSC code was likely electrical. I checked all ABS fuses under the hood and nothing was visually wrong. I replaced the two relays (with used parts). I also replaced the 12V ABS battery back up with another used part.

    The lights will still not reset using the "13-4 pin jumping and hit the brake 8 times" procedure.

    Can anyone tell me more specifically what the blink codes mean, why it won't reset, and what I should consider doing next? Thank you.
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome!
    how many miles on her?
     
  3. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    Thanks. I've been reading these forums for a while, first time actually posting. Just looked, little higher than the 177k I thought, its: 179,103.
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    did you reset by disconnecting the 12v?
     
  5. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    I have tried disconnecting the negative cable on the 12 v and doing the pin reset.
     
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    It takes $15 to look them up on techinfo.toyota.com (that's the price for a 2-day subscription) unless you're lucky enough to know somebody who has currently paid up access and is willing to look them up for you. You could be in luck, as there was a recent post tonight from somebody who had just purchased two days' access and was looking for people to help out. (I would avoid just asking for that person's login info, which would put them crosswise with the terms of service they agreed to, but maybe they'd be willing to look up your three codes and what to do about them.)

    If, after looking there, it's still puzzling, the PriusChat hivemind can really get to work if you post both your codes and what you found the manual said about them.

    -Chap
     
    ChrisDIYer likes this.
  7. jm98

    jm98 Member

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  8. johnjohnchu

    johnjohnchu Active Member

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    There might be an electric discontinuity in the wire itself to the speed sensor due to mechanic stress / trauma. One can not tell by just looking at the wire exterior.
     
  9. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    Had the same lights and blink codes. It was a bad rear wheel bearing hub. The speed sensor gets eaten when the bearing starts to go.
    (!) ABS VSC and brake lights | PriusChat
     
  10. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    Thank you! I will order the hub assemblies and make the fix next weekend.
     
  11. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    So, I did the bearing hub (with built in speed sensor) replacement, which took a lot longer than it should have, due to a build up of rust. I ended up prying the brake plate off the axle first with a slide hammer, so then I had to completely take apart the brake assembly to bang the old hub off the brake backing plate. The bearing hub was about $35 on ebay.

    I did so much banging around early in the process, I managed to hit the speed sensor wire harness connector with a hammer, so I'll have to wait until next weekend to get that part in the mail and hopefully be done with this repair. Luckily, I found that on ebay for $20.
     
  12. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    Alright, so here is the update...I replaced the rear right hub bearing and speed sensor (new from ebay). To do so, due to rust, I had to take the brake apart. I misaligned the brake wheel cylinder, tore a hole in the rubber boot, causing a brake fluid leak. So, I had to replace it, the cylinder ($12 Auto Zone and the 12 in line going to it ($6 auto zone) lost some more fluid in the process. Refilled the fluid (DOT 3) and then did a bleed of both back wheels while the vehicle was in diagnostic mode. Brake fluid reservoir is full. I also replaced the rear right speed senor wiring harness (ebay salvage part). Everything is put back together physically better or good as new. I now have codes 33 (rear left) and 34 (rear right), which won't clear using the "4-13 pin, brake 8 times" method. Any ideas what I did wrong or how to clear these codes?
     
  13. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    Chris, you can't bleed prius like a regular car. The computer gets confused. To do it right you need Techstream. Someone posted a way to do it without techstream. Not sure this will work for you as the computer is already confused. Search the forums and also try YouTube.
     
  14. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    When you look those up in the manual, what does it say about the actual triggering condition on the first page of each code description? There'll be a little box with text like "set when signal blah measures <= blah for at least blah seconds when driving conditions are blah". If my techinfo subscription were active right now I'd go in and look, but I like to sort of store up questions until I have $15 worth to go get the answers.

    But that info would probably go a long way toward explaining whatever your issue is.

    -Chap
     
  15. ChrisDIYer

    ChrisDIYer New Member

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    I did follow the portion of the "without Techstream" directions applicable to the rear brakes, which is basically to do it in diagnostic mode (pins 4-13 tripped) and tap the brakes twice to activate the actuator....except that eventually my kid just went a little nuts hitting the brakes for me, because hitting it twice, as instructed, wasn't bleeding anything.

    Also read that if I had just confused the system, the re-set after the job should have cleared it.

    I'm so confused.
     
  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If the ABS light blinked out those codes, this means that the skid control ECU thinks the right rear and left rear speed sensors have a problem.
     
  17. eman08

    eman08 Active Member

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    I gotten those lights on before when I had one of those cheap Chinese Bluetooth OBDII playing around with Torque. I cleared the codes with my TechStream. Some times things can easily trip these code's.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.