ABS Actuator Replacement Questions (or not prepared to piss my gas savings down the drain)

yes, those names are all the same part. have you tried calling toyota and asking for goodwill assistance?

 

No, not really. All three of those things are functionally distinct. The "ABS actuator" is a hydraulic manifold with about a dozen electrically-operated valves and sensors controlling the hydraulic pressure applied to the brakes at the separate wheels. The "brake booster pump" is an electric pump that pumps the brake fluid up to high pressure, so the actuator can then distribute it to the brakes. The "master cylinder" is a cylinder containing a piston connected to the brake pedal, so that you create pressure on the fluid when pressing the pedal.

Where it gets more complicated is Toyota can combine these distinct functional parts into one or more assemblies, and the way they are combined has changed across the Prius generations. For example, in my Gen 3 liftback, the actuator and master cylinder are combined in one replaceable assembly (which also includes the brake computer, and gosh-a-mickel is that thing pricey), but the pump is in a separate assembly. That's not how it was in Gen 2, and Gen 1 was different from both.

I did put together a post last October showing the different ways the parts are grouped into assemblies for Gen 1, 2, 3, and 4 liftbacks (it's here). But you'll see I didn't include the Prius c or Prius v in that chart (I just didn't have the information). Maybe it's similar to the Gen 3 liftback, being introduced around the same time, but that's just a guess. It's just a matter of studying the parts catalog diagrams pretty closely to make sure you've grasped the way the system is laid out in your model. The diagrams in the New Car Features manual can be very helpful for that, too.

-Chap

p.s. I don't get why bisco has said those names are all the same part. I thought bisco was driving a 2012, where the "booster pump" is most definitely not the same part as the master cylinder or the ABS actuator....

 

I just took my 12 with 99,990 miles to my local dealership, as I was getting the whirring noise every 10 seconds until all my brake lights popped on at the same time. Limped into service bay, was told that all work was covered under an extended warranty by Toyota, including rental. You just need an honest dealer.

 

that's an understatement

congrats and welcome!

 

So I was just told the same , that I needed a brake booster replacement. When I asked about the warranty due to defective part he said that was for a completely different part, but in the Prius v, 2012 do I understand it’s all 1? Basically 4800.00. Total. Insane. I dont know what to do with this POS. 80k gentle miles.

 

Mine was replaced for free.....but that ran out 12.31.2021.
I put a used system in first and it lasted less than a year.
I think you can purchase new for under $1300 and do it yourself.
These cars are a nightmare when things go wrong and you have plenty more things to go wrong....
All of the gas saving goes down the drain.....,, I DO NOT RECOMEND purchasing one.......

 

Do you happen to know what month the car was first put in use?

The service campaign that (I will guess) applies to your situation is 20TE07. When you read the details, you will see the "primary coverage" lapsed last December, but the "secondary coverage" continues until 150,000 miles or ten years from first use of the car, whichever comes first.

At 80,000 miles you are waay under the mileage cutoff, so unless the first use was before April 2012, the campaign still covers you.

There are two assemblies in this car that are easy to mix up:



Notice that the top one is called the "booster" and the bottom one is the "booster pump". That mixes people up all the time. The top one is also known as the "actuator", and people also mix that up with "accumulator", which is the bottom one. (The left fielder's name is Why.)

Anyway, under the 20TE07 coverage, both of those get replaced.

 

The dealer replaces both parts when they do it. A v wagon is setup the same as a hatchback, however part numbers are different even in the same year because the v wagon has a feature called pitch and bounce control and the standard wheels are 16" rather than 15". The final drive ratio is also a difference. Both a hatchback and a v wagon also had a 17" wheel option, so there at least four Prius brake booster combinations in a single year.

As stated above, the unlimited mile free program expired in Dec for the v wagon. But if you are under 150,000 miles AND have less than ten years from date of first use AND have not already messed with it by installing used parts, then Toyota pays. Assuming you have the right codes. They won't replace the parts simply because the pump is cycling frequently. You can pay full price and have it replaced without codes.

I think trying used parts is a big gamble as many have tried and failed for various reasons. The used parts are cheap but each install is around six hours of labor. The most frequent reason is they get the wrong part because used sellers don't know the difference. If you go used you need to check the part number recommended for the vin of the donor car against yours. There are superceded parts as well.

Finally it requires a high end scan tool, typically Techstream to calibrate and bleed the replaced system. I might trust a high volume independent hybrid mechanic as long as he sourced the parts (used or new) and guaranteed his work for a year. The shop near me makes his house and boat payments thanks to gen2 and gen3 brake boosters.

Not necessarily your part numbers but for a v:

 

Great info!

 

What a business…

“The shop near me makes his house and boat payments thanks to gen2 and gen3 brake boosters.”

 

I just brought my 2017 Prius in for repair on 10/30/2023 to my local dealer. The ABS warning light came on warning me not to drive the car and to contact my dealer. When I heard back from the dealer, they said the repair would be $3,000+ and that the part would not arrive until 11/15. They claimed the brake booster pump and the actuator needed to be replaced. I took out a rental and waited. The part(s) arrived early and when they brought the car into the shop after sitting in their lot for over 2 weeks, the warning lights were gone and the brakes acted perfectly fine. They inspected the car thoroughly. They could find no reason to replace any parts. They did not charge me. All I was out was the $740 of the 2 week rental.

Is this common? System fail warnings that affect components and then reset? Do computers monitoring/managing these systems get glitches? The car has under 50K miles and it was an extremely hot summer in the Crescent City. I am a telecommuter so the car does sit in my driveway a lot.

 

It might have sat in their lot for over two weeks and drained the battery, forgetting the codes from before. If so, the codes may come back the next time it notices whatever it noticed when it set them the first time.

If the lights come back, you can get the trouble codes yourself, rather than depending on the dealer to do it, and post them here, and we can squabble over what they mean. If you don't have a scan tool, you can still get the brake system codes, like this:

Blink (a/k/a Flash) Codes – How to. | PriusChat