$279 to bleed the freakin brakes?

I suggest that you call around to the various Toyota dealers within driving distance. However, that seems like a reasonable price considering that you have no alternative to Toyota dealer service for this activity, in most cities.

 

might as well buy the scan tool?

 

As to bleeding the Prius' brakes, here's a must read.

In short, both Patrick and Bisco are right:
* Patrick -- it would be best to leave this to a qualified tech -- dealer
* Bisco -- to DIY, you'd need a $Multi-K toyota specific tool/scanner

 

Get the Autoenginuity, it has the commands to do it yourself, it will cost $400. I have one, but have not bled my breaks yet. See:
Screen Capture

 

I haven't had the brakes bled on my '06 w/ 100K miles, and I'm wondering how much benefit I would get if I just drained the old brake fluid out of the master cylinder reservoir (using a turkey baster or a siphon tube) and then refilled it with fresh fluid. I know all of the old fluid would still be in the pumps and lines and calipers etc, but would the new fluid be mixed into the old, or will the new just sit 'on top' in the master cylinder reservoir?
Thanks!

 

I think this would mostly be a cosmetic change. The brake fluid in the reservoir will look like new, but the fluid in the brake actuator, the hydraulic lines and the wheel cylinders will remain the old, deteriorated fluid.

 

I'm wondering how long Toyota says to leave the factory fluid in? There is nothing in my manual saying to flush/bleed the brake fluid? I used to do it on my GM cars cause it was easy to do, but even they didn't say i needed to change it.

 

Hobbit talks about brake fluid at his website. I think his general conclusion is that brake fluid in a Prius leads a sedentary life and likely lasts much longer than regular ICE cars. He also mentions one company that sells a test strip.

Personally, I'm thinking of a flush when rotors or pads require replacement.

 

I paid $125.00 to local dealer.

 

125 to bleed brakes is a bargain. Got it. What used to cost me a can of brake fluid. Summary -- huge mistake buying a Prius in the first place. Seriously, they should tar and feather any Toyota engineer who still uses drum brakes. Drum brakes are a Rube Goldberg design that is now (on most well designed cars) replaced with simple disk brakes.

 

I wouldn't get all bent out of shape over drum brakes on the rear wheels. ON the Prius, regenerative braking is applied first. Then friction brakes. The front disk brakes do most of the heavy duty stoping. By the time you have enough braking going on to use the friction brakes, the nose is starting to dive, and the rear lift, so even less rear braking is needed. The rear brakes don't do much, and using drum brakes simplifies the parking brake design. If this as a sports car, I would be more concerned, but it really has minimal effect. That is why you never see drum brakes on the front axle.

 

Was it Elk Grove Toyota?

 

Sure, dump the whole idea as it complicates one formerly DIY job, which the dealer may have to do as often as every two years, or as rarely as never, depending on local humidity.

The cars I have driven that claim 4 wheel disc brakes, still have drum brakes on the rears as parking brakes, which is about all the rears on a Prius are for.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8dDsCu5iko&feature=related]Subaru Forester Brakes - YouTube[/ame]