A dumdum replaces the front pads

In an effort to contribute to this website, which has provided me with so much, I'd like to share my experience replacing the front pads on my 2010 III with 162k miles. It was purchased 3 years ago and has performed flawlessly, only needing oil changes. I decided to replace the front pads after noticing they were very worn and not knowing if they were originals.

I have owned and worked on several Japanese cars and motorcycles but this is my first hybrid. The pads were very easy to replace and I was done in less than an hour. Below is a pic showing the worn pads with new OEMs.


A week later while on the 405, the ABS, Brake, and Traction Control lights lit up and regenerative braking was disabled. My OBD scanner indicated C1391. As my accumulator seems cycle frequently, I was concerned this was the end of it and accepted my fate of having at least a $2000 repair bill.



After getting it back from a local hybrid specialist, he told me the accumulator is ok and that some air in the system likely set off the warning lights. I assume I introduced a small amount when I was retracting the caliper pistons, as I don't know how else it would have remained hidden for at least three years.

So that is my lesson:
1) Be careful when pushing back in the caliper piston
2) The Trio of Death lights may not mean the end of your accumulator.
3) If your Prius has a LOT of road noise, don't just assume that is normal for hybrids and ignore it for 3 years - it likely means one (or both) of your rear wheel bearing assemblies are shot.

 

Howdy again. To answer your questions, 1) Yes I disconnected the 12V anode and 2) I did not open the bleed screw. Is it a one-way check valve? I think I still have PTSD from bleeding my first Civic 20some years ago and didn't want to deal with opening the system.

Here are the steps I followed: