2013 v pump/electrical noise every 10 seconds

Sounds like the brake booster and/or brake booster pump failing. Someone will be along soon with the right names and better explanation, but basically, the two coconut-sized bits on the firewall controlling the brakes. There are warranty extensions, think they require a code displayed, and there are mile/months limits. might be explained in the attached.

If outside of the warranty limits, I think you're looking at $2500~3500, having it done professionally.

FWIW, "every ten seconds" ought to throw a code soon...

 

It takes several minutes or a complete fail to throw a pump code. The customer service program for a 2013 expires at ten years or 150,000 miles. If it fails you have dramatically extended stopping distances and no power assist.

 

Ok, how empty is basically empty? Down to L? Below L? Don't see any fluid at all?

Have you checked the thickness of all your brake pads?

If the fluid level is well below L, it could be that some air got drawn into the system. There is an extra-special Techstream bleed procedure for getting that air out, and having air in there can produce the rapid cycling you report. So it could be worthwhile to get that fluid level back up where it should be and the air bled and see what happens, before you conclude the $$$ parts need replacement.

 

^^ Yeah, and best find out where the missing fluid has gone, too.

 

The fluid level naturally goes down as the brake pads wear. It doesn't have to have leaked out of the system, just more of it is staying down in the calipers. That's why if the level is quite low, it's not a bad idea to check all your pad thicknesses.

 

It will through a code but could be a long time...... might run like that a year or go out at anytime...... could even strand you....
I put a used setup on my car and it lasted a year.....then it went out... luckily it was covered under recall but that has expired...
I think the accumulator is the usual culpret...... but I changed both...... and you have to have parts out of a v not the hatchback....
very dangerous when it goes out...very hard to stop especially if you had a emergence stop and it whet out then.....
dealership always changes both parts...

 

How many miles?

 

The names are tricky. When you say "brake booster as well as the brake actuator" you've really just said the same thing twice. That's the top thing in this picture. It goes by all these names: brake booster, actuator, master cylinder, skid ECU.

The bottom thing also goes by multiple names: brake booster pump, accumulator.

And yes, the booster and the booster pump are two different things. I agree it's confusing, but there's not much to be done about it, other than working extra hard at getting the names right.



As to which one is causing the problem, it can be either. The problem is often leakage through a valve that isn't sealing completely, and there are a lot more valves in the top thing than the bottom thing, if you like to play the odds. Or you can use a mechanics' stethoscope and listen to them both.

Or you can start by changing the top thing just because it's less of a knucklebusting job than the bottom thing, and see what happens, and go from there.

 

Is it typically one or the other, or both, that fail? Could the failure “cascade” from one to the other?

 

As I said, it often starts with a valve, and if you like to play the odds, there are a lot more of those in the top thing than the bottom thing.

As for cascading failure, just consider wear on the pump. In a tight, shipshape system, it may run every few times you use the brake, and every several hours otherwise.

As a leak develops, people often seem to let it go to running every several seconds on its own before asking if there might be some problem there. If I'm doing my arithmetic right, that may put every day of driving around that way roughly on par with several years in the normal life of the pump and accumulator.

 

It's typically the Actuator only. The Accumulator can be replaced at the same time, but not entirely necessary unless there's a code or indications it should be. Most people looking for the safe, easy and inexpensive fix will opt for just the Actuator which is primarily your main issue. Toyota will replace both just to be thourough, and why not? Corporate is paying for it if under warranty.

 

Not sure. This video is pretty good, worth a watch, might answer your question:

IIRC he ends up replacing both, but worth a watch.

 

Whatever you buy I recommend they are NEW from the dealer based on your VIN #. If you have 15'' wheels for instance and you buy one from a junk yard that originally came out of a 17'' wheel car you will have issues, lots of them and vice versa. Always buy new, don't mess around with your brakes.

 

Yeah, it's kind of inconvenient that the nnnnn-nnnnn format is what Toyota uses both for part numbers of parts you can buy (which often do not appear anywhere on the part) and for other numbers that do appear on parts but are not the part numbers of anything you can buy. But that's the way it is. When I had a Ford it was the same way with their numbers.