My 1st brake pad replacement on all four. 2014 prius v. I need instructions.

Hi Uberfast, There already is a complete thread for this. In the search bar, type in brake pad replacement for all the info. Most important thing to do is to disconnect electrical so when you are complete done, you can power it up to "re-set" computer to recognize the new settings.

 

Is this front or rear? Or both?

 

I think he wants all four, thus the title............ : )

 

wow! how many miles on her?

 

Doh!

 

I'll attach regular Prius Repair Manual instruction, hopefully enough similarity to be helpful.

A few tips:

1. Disconnect 12 volt negative cable from battery post and isolate it before starting. Also release parking brake.

2. Likely worthwhile to replace the shim plates too. Use very sparing amount of anti-seize compound at all faying surfaces.

3. Pull out the caliper pins, clean and relube. Sil Glyde works well. Also "burp" the boots when reinstalling, and put a bit of silicon di-electric compound on them.

4. When pushing in the front pistons be very carful: put a full width scrap of plywood or similar across the face; they're plastic. Use something like a large C-clamp.

5. On the rears, you need to screw the piston in, there's a tool that can make this a lot easier, I'll attach a pic.

6. On the rears, if it's like regular Prius: ensure when you screw the piston in to leave it positioned so that pin on back of inner pad falls between the piston spokes.

7. Then, after everything is re-assembled, and before 12 volt cable reconnection, and before applying parking brake: depress brake pedal multiple times. For two reasons:

a) To seat the pads, avoid the car detecting excess pedal travel, throwing codes.

b) To seat the rear pads in particular, lock the inner pad's pin between the caliper piston spokes. If this is not done, if instead the parking brake is applied first off, there's a possibility of the piston rotating, and it's spokes riding up on the pin, screwing up the rear brakes royally.

8. Reconnect 12 volt battery negative cable.

9. Before lower car, check spin on the rear wheels: they should be semi-free turning. If there's strong drag something is wrong.

10. Test drive car, park and feel all four wheels, see that none feel inordinately hot. Be cautious with the brakes for the first 100 miles or so, as much as possible.

 

nice. brake king. braking.

 

What is the thickness of the current pads - front and rear. Use measuring calipers if possible - should be able to buy decent measuring calipers for $10 to $15.

I don't know what the specs are on the Prius v but the minimum acceptable pad thickness on all the other Toyota and Lexus vehicles we have owned over the past 25 years has been one to two millimeters.

It's extraordinary for rear pads to need replacing at the same time as the fronts. The rears usually last 50% to 100% longer than the fronts on non-hybrid vehicles.

 

With friction regeneration above 12mph, brake pads wear slowly. but... are you turning the rotors, why put fresh pads on used rotors, and why not get a professional opinion before proceeding? If yer jonsen to do it, what about the rotors?

 

wow.

 

I've found the rear pads were wearing a bit faster. And I've actually replaced them now, 'cause something bad happened, related to that pin and spokes deal.

It's pretty easy to measure pad thickness, a caliper is nice but overkill. You can almost just eyeball them. By 2 mm or less, they cry out to be replaced, lol.

 

IMO, the problem is that most people cannot recognize 1 or 2 mm without a measuring tool. 1 or 2 mm is tiny. Even 3 or 4 mm looks scary to the uninformed. On our Lexus cars with electronic brake wear sensors, I have usually let the pads wear down until a warning message is displayed in the instrument cluster. At that point the pads are at about 1 mm thick and are still providing good braking.

I have sometimes recommended that people use a "disemboweled" metal coat hanger to gauge the thickness of their brake pads and then hold the coat hanger against a measuring ruler.

With or without electronic brake wear sensors, I have always checked brake pad thickness each time I rotate tires - every 5,000 miles. It takes only a few seconds for each wheel position. Knock on wood, I'm amazed that I have not lost the measuring calipers that I bought in the 1970's.

 

So you don't actually need to touch the brakes after all?

 

Brake inspections are good, regardless of remaining pad thickness. Coming from decades of Honda ownership, they always promoted this, and their Shop Manuals had a clear, step-by-step explanation of just what was entailed. Toyota's schedule gives vague descriptions of two levels of brake inspection, their Repair Manual ONLY describes a full disassemble of the brake system, with little or no clarification of what a typical inspection should entail.

I think this has lead to a culture of brake neglect in the Toyota service departments. When this is not the case, it's in spite of Toyota policy.