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HELP! ABS ECU Issue + all the lights (with codes)

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by JJUDS, May 20, 2021.

  1. JJUDS

    JJUDS New Member

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    I drive a 2005 Prius. Car is old but new to me. Purchased from a friend who was the only owner, no accidents and had 45,000 miles on it. Lived in a garage most of its life. Hybrid battery replaced in 2017/18.

    A month ago had the red triangle warning light come on. My mechanic read code
    UO129- lost communication to brake module. I got the light to clear by fussing with some wires under the hood. Was fine for a month. Just under two weeks ago I was entering the highway when I heard a loud buzzing and saw multiple lights- yellow brake, yellow abs and vsc. Brakes felt funny under foot, like a cloud was under them. Brake did not work properly. Had the car towed to a Toyota dealership. They read 3 codes but don't tell me what they are. They tell me I need to replace the 12v battery (this didn't seem shocking as my friend had the car sitting for months at a time so I knew it would need to be replaced eventually). I pickup the car Tuesday morning. Tuesday at 4pm the exact same thing happens. This time i turn the car off and then on. Lights and sound stop so I drive it to the same dealership 5 minutes away. This time they tell me they got code c1300- abs ecu malfunction- internal failure of the absd ecu. Recommendation is to replace the ABS actuator. This is a very costly fix. Combined, these two adjustments are almost exactly what i paid to buy the car.

    I pickup the car today at closing time. Drive to the grocery store and grab dinner. As I am heading home (maybe 50 minutes after pickup), completely unprovoked with my foot on the gas the same thing happens (photos attached of lights and symbols that turned on. Also present was the buzzing sound and the word PROBLEM across the screen). The difference now is the warning light and little car symbol on the screen will not turn off. I drive home but have to stop 3 times in 20 minutes because it keeps happening.

    The car is now at my home and the dealership opens at 7am tomorrow but I am truly at a loss of what to do here and now I wonder if they even have a hybrid mechanic there or if they are just guessing at this point. I would appreciate any insight you all have. Thanks J
     

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  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    As these cars age, I know they will need the following replaced

    1. brake actuator
    2. hybrid battery
    3. combination meter
    4. inverter pump

    So if buying a car, you have to include the costs of all those items that will be needed. Basically a $2000 car with $5000 worth of repairs.

    In your case, your dealer mechanics are not very good at their job. You keep paying them and they'll allow you to do it without really fixing your car. I would just find a hybrid specialist to address your issues or go to another dealer.
     
    SFO likes this.
  3. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!!
    Curious which wires you were fussing with?

    FYI : your posts are being moderated until you've posted a total of five times.
     
  4. JJUDS

    JJUDS New Member

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    Should re-phrase. Was more like making sure all the caps were closed and nothing out of place. This seemed to turn the light off.
     
  5. JJUDS

    JJUDS New Member

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    Than
    Thanks for this. I did just call a hybrid mechanic. He said I would need to take it back to Toyota as it sounds like a reprogramming issues and only dealerships can do it. He also said it could be that both computers are bad, not just the ABS ECU one.
     
  6. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Did you pay the dealership for this diagnostic, is so then there should be a receipt with the codes (DTCs) and the corresponding repairs.
    To clarify, you payed the dealership to swap out the brake actuator and now you're having issues with their recommended repair(s)?

    Try talking to the dealership manager before you escalate this up to Toyota Corporate to see what they have to say.

    Toyota USA
    Phone: 800-331-4331
    Fax: 310-468-7814

    Mon-Fri: 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
    Sat: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET
    Brake actuators don't require programming/reprogramming. Maybe this hybrid mechanic could scan your vehicle for OBD2 codes (DTCs) ?
     
  7. JJUDS

    JJUDS New Member

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    I have paid the dealership to replace the 12 volt battery (which they said would fix it). When that didn't fix it, I paid for the ABS ECU computer to be replaced. That also didn't work. The dealership called this morning to let me know that the car is still showing code c1300 and the mechanic does not know why (isn't that fun!?). She said he was "taking the car apart" to figure it out. Sounds like a total shit show over there. I spoke with the manager of the service dept yesterday and she didn't say anything except I could have a loaner car for the weekend since my car would be there. Not sure what the next move is here. Call Corporate?
     
  8. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    I hope they reinstated your ABS ECU and removed the charge for the part.
     
    SFO likes this.
  9. JJUDS

    JJUDS New Member

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    I am waiting to hear from them tomorrow. They have done nothing in regards to reinstating parts, but I have told them I will not pay them for any more repairs moving forward.
     
  10. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    You should be more specific in that you should make it clear you will not pay for parts that do not fix the car. Any monkey can swap parts, but you are paying for their skill and expertise to get it done once and done right.