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front caliper replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by mookie2000, Sep 28, 2018.

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  1. mookie2000

    mookie2000 New Member

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    New gen 2 owner here, picked up a 1 owner car nicely maintained except for broken rear springs, bald tires, and original front brake pads and rotors at 200k.

    I replaced tires (new), and rear coil springs myself (OE parts from junkyard), and was doing the front breaks, got right side done no problem (have done brakes before), and had to turn left wheel to get better access to stuck caliper bolt.

    I guess the brakes actuated and pushed my caliper piston out too far, a little liquid came out and can't press it back in (frozen). So got a OE caliper for $15 used. I have read a lot of complicated stuff on here about bleeding the brakes. I called a Toyota dealership and they said it is fine to put the new caliper on and just"be sure to crimp the line before you take it off the old caliper, and then just bleed the brakes the old-fashioned or normal way. He sounded genuine, as I was even asking him how much to bring in and have them bleed the brakes.

    Could I be so lucky as to do this this easily? I hope to put it on with new rotor and pads, and use old generic instructions for bleeding the front left brake only (1 person pumping brakes while I open bleeder and look for air bubbles to stop essentially, done in multiple steps with opening closing and pumping and stopping). Am I being naive that this could work and I could be getting 45mpg so soon?

    I am a little worried it has not been driven in a few days, can this damage the battery?

    Mike
     
    #1 mookie2000, Sep 28, 2018
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Well, with Prius you have to disconnect the 12v battery because even when the car is turned off the brake system is still powered up, which is why the brake actuated on you...

    As for bleeding the breaks, I've not yet done that personally, but the dealer usually tells you that you have to use Toyota Techstream software, which you can get via knock offs in China with VCI cable on Ebay for ~$30.

    I also once read a thread on here about four years ago where a guy was able to go full on McGyver and uses a paperclip to fool the computers into allowing him to bleed the brakes without tech stream. Amazingly brilliant that dude's post was. Not sure how'd I'd find it again though?

    I'd probably not take seriously the goofball at Toyota Stealership saying you should "crimp the line before you take it off the old caliper, and then just bleed the brakes the old-fashioned or normal way." Doesn't sound right at all. Hopefully others on here who have more info than I have will chime in?
     
    #2 PriusCamper, Sep 28, 2018
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The failsafe brake operation, when there's no power to the ABS/ECB, is the master cylinder directly acting on the front (only) brakes. So, yes, you can pretty much do what the dealer said.

    Bleeding the rears can be even simpler, if you work with the power on and have a good Brake Rock.

    -Chap
     
    #3 ChapmanF, Sep 28, 2018
    PriusCamper likes this.
  4. exstudent

    exstudent Senior Member

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    Proper tool(s) make a world of difference!

    Why not just invest in mini VCI (Amazon ~$25-$35), so you can have the same diagnostic capability as the dealer b/c of the hacked Techstream software. The ability to properly and easily bleed the brakes, esp rears, makes this a worthy investment. The software is best installed on a 32bit Windows laptop (XP, Vista, 7); call friends/family/co-workers who are in IT or know someone in IT. This person will likely have obsolete 32bit Windows laptop, collecting dust somewhere, and will likely be able to give it to you for FREE!

    Bluetooth OBD2 readers are toys, and can't read ALL Prius codes, nor will they be able to bleed the brakes. Why not spend your money once on a good tool?

    Chain autoparts stores can't read all Prius codes b/c they use a generic reader.

    Getting codes read at the dealer, $100+. Spend your money ONCE, on a good tool.
     
    #4 exstudent, Sep 29, 2018
    Solman636 likes this.
  5. Usle

    Usle Active Member

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    If the junkyard has another caliper, grab it.
     
    #5 Usle, Sep 29, 2018
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