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outage of AC, orange brake warning, engine symbol, red triangle - then replaced water pump

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by pnerd, Feb 26, 2011.

  1. pnerd

    pnerd Junior Member

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    Hi all,

    I just collected my 2006 Prius from the authorized dealer-workshop today, it seems fine so far, but here's the back story....

    My 2006 Prius has had no significant problems until yesterday, when the aircon condenser seemed to stop on its own after about 15 minutes drive. Power cycle had no effect on this. Then after being parked for 2 hours, when started up again, it worked again for a few minutes before the outlet air became not-cold. (blower itself was normal)
    The next day was similar, aircon OK in the beginning of a journey, then becoming bad. But this time, some warning lights appeared... as show below (clickable for full res):
    [​IMG]

    I sent it to my Toyota authorized dealer, and showed them all the warning lights, and showed them how the aircon wasn't working.
    I also let them do the standard annual servicing, since it was time (oil + oil filter change, various checks), this is about the equivalent of 200usd in my country.
    They told me that they sent recall notification by snailmail a month ago, which I didn't get because I've changed address, no big deal, they went ahead and changed the "water pump" free of charge.

    At the end of it, they told me that they think the aircon problem was due to the bad water pump, since they couldn't reproduce it after the change.

    They told me that they found the front brake pads worn down, and that the front brake rotors were warped.
    I told them not to proceed with these changes since I thought I read that Prius brake pads were expected to last 10 years or something, due to the regenerative braking. (IS THIS TRUE? Isn't my mileage relative low? <35k miles in 4.5 years )
    Also I've never noticed vibrations on braking before.

    I have collected the car, and there were no warnings or any problems on the way home.
    If the brake light comes back on, then I'll bring it to another workshop to check.

    Now, some questions I'm wondering...

    Is it true that an ORANGE BRAKE symbol refers to regenerative braking, while a RED BRAKE symbol refers to the friction brakes?

    Is it likely that the change of water pump would have solved my AC problem?

    Could it be that the bad water pump is responsible for the ORANGE BRAKE symbol?

    And what about the VSC warning symbol?

    How many Prius owners have ever had to change their brake pads and brake rotors? (and at what mileage?)

    Thanks everyone!
     
  2. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    Prius brakes last a long time if used regularly. My 2004 at 192k miles (not km) still is using the original brakes. If they are not used regularly, rust can build up on the rotors or on the slide pins and cause uneven early wear. If you have the slide pins lubed regularly, they will not stick. Rust in the rotors is controlled by periodically getting your Prius up to 30 MPH or so, putting it in neutral (to shut off regenerative braking) and gently brake using the friction brakes to clean up the rotors. Do it more than once if the brakes make noise.

    JeffD
     
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  3. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    What happened to you was a failure of the inverter cooling pump. When this happens, the inverter cuts way back on powering non-essential functions like air conditioning and charging the 12V battery. Often times, a sagging 12V battery will trigger brake warning lights.

    You may have also drained your 12V battery way down. If you have a charger, put it on overnight at 4 amps or less and hope that it returns to a nearly full state of charge. Otherwise, it may sulfate and fail to hold a charge, causing spurious brake warnings again.

    Try braking at speed (80 km) with the car in neutral. This is an easy way to get the full effect of the front brakes. If there is no vibration, then the rotors are not warped. The brake pads and rotors last a very, very long time, and, if anything, they suffer more from disuse.
     
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  4. pnerd

    pnerd Junior Member

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    Thank you seilerts and jdenenberg,
    Even though the ODO is only at 35k miles, the car has never parked idle for more than a 2-3 day stretch. It is used almost daily.

    I gather that the ORANGE BRAKE symbol can be a warning about brake lights (and 12VDC) rather than about actual braking function, yes? (But it can also be a warning about brake functionality (both friction and regen?))

    I will try the check for the warpedness.

    How can I check for pad wear? (and videos? pics?)
    I am also not familiar with "slide pins"....
     
  5. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    See Brake service for a complete tear-down of the front brakes. The slide pins are about the only issue that you might have. If the caliper can't move freely, then the pads may not retract when the brakes are released, and you will experience a pull to one side, lower fuel economy, and premature pad/rotor wear. Also, take a look at Prius 30k Service. This has a great shot of brake pad and shoe measurements on a Prius. Also take a look at the transaxle fluid pictures. Have you had yours changed yet?

    Your usage pattern suggest a lot of 12V battery wear and tear. Numerous short trips means that the car is not in Ready long enough to replenish the charge used during the startup cycle. I strongly suggest you review http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/73400-weird-stuff-happening-mpgs-dropping-test-battery.html