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Brake fluid change question

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Noahdoge, Oct 13, 2021.

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  1. Noahdoge

    Noahdoge Active Member

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    Hello,

    I have never had my brake fluid replaced and I’m at 145k miles now. I’ve always gone based on the color but now I know that is not accurate at all.
    My main question is what should I ask for at the dealership? Like a full brake fluid flush or just a drain and fill. I don’t want them to do the most expensive thing but I also don’t want them to think I just want my master cylinder fluid replaced either.
     
    #1 Noahdoge, Oct 13, 2021
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Brake fluid flush. That does the most good especially on your highly complex master cylinder which allows regen in a hybrid. Should not be much more than $125.
     
    #2 rjparker, Oct 13, 2021
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Attached is an excerpt from the Toyota Canada 2014 Prius "Owner's Manual Supplement", which summarizes the maintenance schedule up here. The call it (sensibly) "Brake Fluid Replacement".

    Noteworthy: while Toyota USA says nothing about brake fluid replacement, Toyota Canada recommends to replace it tri-yearly or 48K kms (30K miles), whichever comes first (see attachment).

    I'll also attach Techstream and non-Techstream Repair Manual instructions, in case you're interested in the technical side.

    I've DIY'd the non-Techstream method twice. For a dealership with all the right tools, this should not take more than an hour. I used 2 pints of Toyota DOT3 fluid, which runs around $7~8 CDN apiece up through parts dept.
     

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    #3 Mendel Leisk, Oct 13, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 13, 2021
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  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Here's a good video

     
    #4 JC91006, Oct 13, 2021
  5. kamrul

    kamrul Junior Member

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    What's your take on using DOT 4 or 5.1 instead especially for places with a hot and humid climate since both have a higher dry and wet boiling points than DOT 3?
     
    #5 kamrul, Apr 18, 2023
  6. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    No clue. Just to avoid possible issues I’d stick with DOT3.
     
    #6 Mendel Leisk, Apr 18, 2023
  7. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    DOT 4 and 5.1 have a higher boiling point than 3. All are compatible with each other. 5.0 is silicone based, and is NOT compatible. I would use what Toyota recommends. The Prius does not put a lot of stress on the brakes.
     
    #7 MikeDee, Apr 19, 2023
  8. kamrul

    kamrul Junior Member

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    Well, the Prius might be designed well enough not to put a lot of stress on the brakes but for countries with really slow and heavy traffic, you need to press on the brake pedals quite literally A LOT. I am hearing a significant number of ABS issues, Brake Pump and Booster failures etc. where I live.
     
    #8 kamrul, Apr 19, 2023
  9. MikeDee

    MikeDee Senior Member

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    Deleted
     
    #9 MikeDee, Apr 19, 2023
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2023
  10. OptimusPriustus

    OptimusPriustus Active Member

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    Brake fluid absorb moisture. It’s really worth replacing at least few times during car lifecycle regardless of how the brakes are used
     
    #10 OptimusPriustus, May 1, 2023
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