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Red Brake Light and (!) ABS Light On

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by UnnecessaryBees, May 28, 2017.

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  1. UnnecessaryBees

    UnnecessaryBees New Member

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    I have a 2006 Prius and in the last couple of weeks I found that when I would brake, as I reached lower speeds I would head a loud creaking sound. I thought that my brake pads may have been bad, so I went to replace them but discovered that they looked identical to the brand new pair I bought. When I went to remove the bolts from the tire, my car made the same creaking sound (albeit less so than when I was braking), and it also did this when I lowered the jack.

    I had done some reading on the forums about changing the brakes, so before I even attempted to remove anything I disconnected the 12V battery and removed the ABS fuses (according to my owner's manual, there were 4 fuses that control the ABS and I removed them all). After checking the brakes and re-connecting the battery and fuses in their proper places, I found a couple of posts on the forums saying that the noise could be from rust and that it can be removed by braking in neutral. I decided to try this and drove around a bit, braking in neutral. It was still creaking, but no lights were on. I did one hard brake in Drive to make sure my brakes were still working properly. Shortly after, I noticed the red BRAKE light and (!) ABS lights on and they are still on. The car still feels like it is braking perfectly fine, but I'm not hearing the creaking anymore. I would appreciate any insight and whether or not my car is still safe to drive. Thank you!
     
    #1 UnnecessaryBees, May 28, 2017
    Last edited: May 28, 2017
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Any time those lights come on, your brake computer has Diagnostic Trouble Codes that can be read out, giving information on the condition of your brake system. That's important information to have, so it would be best if you could post the actual codes read from your car.

    Note that, in experimenting with the battery and fuses, you will have cleared the original codes, making it trickier to pinpoint the problem. But as long as the lights have come on again since then, you should now be able to read at least some codes again.

    If you do not have a proper code reader for a Prius, or access to somebody who has one, codes from the brake computer can also be read using a light-blink procedure that doesn't require any tools. By searching the forum you can find threads on how that's done.

    -Chap
     
    #2 ChapmanF, May 28, 2017
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  3. UnnecessaryBees

    UnnecessaryBees New Member

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    Thank you for the help. I figured out how to get the blink codes and, assuming I read them correctly, I got:

    (!): 65
    ABS: 42

    What can I do from here?
     
    #3 UnnecessaryBees, May 28, 2017
  4. UnnecessaryBees

    UnnecessaryBees New Member

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    Update: I was testing out the brakes and they suddenly stopped working (luckily as I was parking). I checked the brake fluid reservoir and all the brake fluid is gone (it was more than half full less than an hour ago). Around the read driver sider tire on the inside body appears to be fluid and some on the ground, so I'm assuming it's leaking from here.
     
    #4 UnnecessaryBees, May 28, 2017
  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Good catch. Once you get the leak fixed, because the reservoir ran dry and the actuator has probably sucked air, the "more comprehensive" bleed procedure in Techstream is what will be recommended to get all that air out of all the places it got into. I'm not aware of any non-Techstream alternative for that procedure.

    The two codes you read can be looked up in the repair manual on techinfo. (I'm guessing one or both of them have to do with leakage/low fluid/failure to maintain pressure. Anyway, you've found you have a leak, so you don't need to look up the codes before fixing that....
    -Chap
     
    #5 ChapmanF, May 28, 2017
  6. UnnecessaryBees

    UnnecessaryBees New Member

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    So it seems like there is still a little bit of brake fluid left in the reservoir. Is there a chance that air may have not gotten into the system because of this?
     
    #6 UnnecessaryBees, May 28, 2017
  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Maybe ... hard to say from here.
     
    #7 ChapmanF, May 28, 2017
  8. UnnecessaryBees

    UnnecessaryBees New Member

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    So I took my Prius to a shop and it turns out that the rear passenger side brake had some damage likely from the previous owner that was exacerbated from braking hard, causing something to brake in the drum and leak the fluid. They did the repairs but now the BRAKE, (!), and ABS lights are stuck on. They said the tool was unable to reset the codes, and I was unable to reset them with the jumper method. Before the repair, I was able to reset the lights using the jumper method for a little while, but braking hard would make them come back on. However, now when I try to do it and pump the brakes to reset it, they turn off briefly but then go back to flashing the same codes as before. Braking feels a little different now, and I've been telling myself that it's probably because these brakes are new and the others have been damaged and it will get better with time, but it's been almost two weeks and it still feels weird. The shop told me that they were going to bleed the brakes, and I've read that you need to use a special tool to do that on the Prius. Is it possible that they bled an improper way to make my brakes feel strange and cause these lights to stay on permanently? I'd appreciate any help. Thank you.
     
    #8 UnnecessaryBees, Jun 11, 2017
  9. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Yes you need Techstream software to control the abs relays to do it right but if you know what your doing you can do it without it. But if you make a mistake you'll be towing it to the dealer..Buy a mini vci on Amazon it comes with a knock off Techstream that will run on an XP laptop.

    Because of health issues I cant work on my brakes right now so I inquired at the dealer how much to replace the pads and lube the caliper pins and flush the brake fluid. The service writer says they do a ton of Prius repairs. This is a huge Autoway dealer where I bought my 07 new from. Service writer says they no longer flush the brakes on a Prius as they and other dealers in there network are seeing a High rate of failure of the ABS unit when attempting a brake fluid flush on a G2. They will not flush the brakes on a G2. He said its really not necessary anyway as the G2 is very easy on the brake fluid and I agree.Talked to this guy for quite a while and he knew alot about a G2 Prius and its OBD codes.

    So i thought I would throw that ABS tidbit out there for what its worth.

    Prius is very very popular in my area they are everywhere. That and Hyundai Sonata's and Elantra's. Everywhere.

    Btw they do alot of G2 trans fluid replacment. $125.
     
    #9 edthefox5, Jun 11, 2017
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  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Very interesting.
     
    #10 Patrick Wong, Jun 11, 2017
  11. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    That is interesting about the flush. You'd think there would be concern after several years of moisture creeping in if the pads wear and you have to add fluid.

    +1 on the abundance of Prii and the Hyundais here. Someone must be giving away the Sonatas.
     
    #11 jerrymildred, Jun 11, 2017
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  12. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Did your 2007 fail after a brake fluid flush?
     
    #12 JC91006, Jun 11, 2017
  13. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    No. I actually have not paid for, or performed a brake fluid flush on any of my Prius.
     
    #13 Patrick Wong, Jun 11, 2017
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  14. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I have noticed (in G3) that the Techstream flush procedure includes six complete depressurize/repressurize cycles on the accumulator. (Only, if you're using a flaky cable that keeps saying "lost communication with vehicle" on the fourth or fifth rep and starting over, it can end up being more like twenty or thirty.)

    Probably more flexing of that bellows than it ever sees in years of normal use. And G2 did integrate the accumulator into the ABS actuator, rather than having it separate as it is in G1 and G3, making it one salty all-in-one part if you have to replace it on a G2.

    -Chap
     
    #14 ChapmanF, Jun 11, 2017
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  15. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Good one chap. Maybe the tsb abs replacement addresses those issues.
     
    #15 edthefox5, Jun 11, 2017
  16. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The dealership shouldn't be using the crappy cables though.
     
    #16 JC91006, Jun 11, 2017
  17. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Ok, so only six full depressurize/pressurizes in a row then. I don't know how that compares to normal use, when it gets a little bit used in braking and immediately topped back up by the pump.

    ... and all I know is what the Gen 3 bleed procedure does, I've never done a Gen 2.

    -Chap
     
    #17 ChapmanF, Jun 11, 2017
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