Replaced brakes and warnings after

Discussion in 'Prime Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Joe Wall, Mar 7, 2026 at 8:05 PM.

  1. Joe Wall

    Joe Wall Member

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    I changed the brakes with my dad. We had to waste some fluid.

    Then I got a bunch of errors afterwards. The brakes were pumped.

    What brake fluid is recommended for a 2017 toyota prius prime? Also what do you recommend? Guessing i just need to reset them.
     

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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    What specifically got changed, and how/when was fluid wasted?
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    It's important to look at the trouble codes to understand what has gone wrong and what needs fixing.

    I would concentrate on the brake system trouble codes first, as that's where the work was done, and at least some of those other systems would conceivably report problems if they knew the brake system was impaired, and they might be happy again once the brakes work.

    I don't know if this method to get brake system codes will still work in your Prius generation: Blink (a/k/a Flash) Codes – How to. | PriusChat

    If it doesn't, then a suitable scan tool is the only way to get the codes.
     
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  4. Joe Wall

    Joe Wall Member

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    Just thr brake pads. And fluid squeezed out into bin
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    You opened the brake fluid bleed screws, front and backs? In conjunction with retracting the pistons?
     
  6. Joe Wall

    Joe Wall Member

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    In the bqck brakes
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk MMX GEN III

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    When replacing brake pads over the decades, I’ve never opened the bleed bolts, say during the caliper piston push/screw back.

    With Prius brakes, there’s a brake fluid replacement method described in the repair manual, involves having the car “on” (2 pushes of start button without foot on brake), and in “invalid mode” (more info in brake fluid replacement link in my signature*).

    also when doing our 3rd gen Prius brakes, I used a few DIY strategies that seem to work: having 12 volt battery disconnected, and ensuring brake travel slop is removed after pad replacement (more info in rear brake drag link in my signature*).

    * on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Mar 11, 2026 at 8:16 AM
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2026 at 8:23 AM
  8. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    Sorry; cracking the bleed screw is NOT the proper procedure for replacing brake pads. I've seen amateurs that don't know what they're doing do that. Troublesome on old hydraulic only systems, lets air into a modern electronic pump driven system. I'm assuming you didn't disconnect the battery, before starting the brake job.
    Your going to need a shop with a tech-stream equivalent scan tool to do a proper system bleed. The car needs to be towed, since the braking system is unreliable and that shop needs to double check your "work".

    Good Luck.......
     
    #8 BiomedO1, Mar 11, 2026 at 9:05 AM
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2026 at 9:21 AM
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    It is quite a good procedure for replacing brake pads, particularly in modern electronic-valve-driven systems where the alternative is forcing a bunch of old brake fluid backwards through a $1000 box of tiny electronic valves.

    However, there are some practical details to attend to. A hose attached to the bleed screw first, making a loop upward before going to a bottle, and with a couple inches of brake fluid already in the hose, assures that if there is any inward flow into the system when you open the screw, what goes in is fluid, not air. (Generally, there won't be much inward flow: you're going to be pushing the piston, not pulling it. Close the bleed screw before loosening your pushing tool.)

    Unless the OP was very unlucky, even the amount of air that might have inadvertently entered by the bleed screw isn't sure to be the cause of the OP's trouble codes (which the OP hasn't posted yet).

    Neither the OP nor the rest of us can say for sure what's wrong before seeing those codes.
     
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  10. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    He may have inadvertently run the brake booster pump with the caliper removed.
     
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  11. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

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    I usually use that vapor lock trick as added security when flushing out my braking systems, if I can't find my vacuum pump.

    I've asked this guy for error codes before; he's never posted any.:(