2005 Prius ABS, VSC, BRAKE lights on despite new 12v

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by IAN NC, Jan 11, 2013.

  1. IAN NC

    IAN NC New Member

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    Hello PriusChat,

    Longtime reader, first time poster.

    I am the second owner of an '05 Prius with 157k miles. Owned it for the last 3 1/2 years driving in temperate weather in the mountains of North Carolina without any mechanical issues. Fantastic car.

    Last week the dreaded ABS/VSC/Brake lights and nausea-inducing warning buzzer popped up while driving in reverse in a parking lot. This is the second time I've seen them...about 6 months ago they came one and I managed to get them to go away after a few rounds of turning the ignition on and off.

    This time no such luck, so the car went to the dealership. This is what they found:

    C1300 ABS ECU
    C1256 Accumulator Pressure Low

    They recommended replacing the Skid Control ECU for $1886.00, warning that there was a chance the ABS Actuator would need replacing too for an additional $2440.00.

    Based on what I found on PriusChat, I asked them to do the following:

    Check ABS Pump and connections
    Replace the original 12v Battery
    Clear DTC codes


    I now have a new battery, but the dealership reports those 2 codes are still appearing.

    Does anyone have other suggestions before I bite the bullet and replace these parts, or possibly look at a trade-in?
     
    #1 IAN NC, Jan 11, 2013
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I think your dealer recommendations are reasonable. You might look into the possibility of obtaining used parts from a salvage vehicle to substantially reduce your parts cost.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Jan 11, 2013
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  3. IAN NC

    IAN NC New Member

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    Patrick, thank you so much for your reply. I have a ton of respect for your opinions and all the help you've offered on this forum.

    A few last details about my case, on the off-chance they are relevant:

    Earlier the same day that these lights popped up the car was in the dealership's "Express Service" shop and received the following:

    Oil Change + engine additive
    Tire Rotation
    Washer fluid top-up
    Replaced one skid plate clip [not exactly sure if that's the right term...it cost $18]


    The dealership assures me their Express Service couldn't have led to these error codes, and this problem is a coincidence. I have no reason not to trust them, but it is awfully coincidental. Just thought it might be worth mentioning.


    Thanks again for the help.
     
    #3 IAN NC, Jan 11, 2013
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    If you have a friend with a Prius who trusts you maybe you could swap some of their ECU's in order to isolate the part that's bad in your vehicle? Of course you'll have to dig around on here to figure out how easy it is to change these components out, it might be too much of a hassle.
     
    #4 PriusCamper, Jan 11, 2013
  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I agree with your service advisor.

    The skid control ECU failed on my 2007 and was replaced under warranty. I previously posted on that. Although it is a reasonably reliable part, there have been a few reported failures.
     
    #5 Patrick Wong, Jan 11, 2013
    PriusCamper and [email protected] like this.
  6. gwormser

    gwormser New Member

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    patric i have the dreaded vsc/brake/chk engine lights on thing i reviously read something u wrote about a jumper trick to clear this problem "i just did few cll replacements on my 05 prius and she is charging and runnin fine but thee lights persist thanks for d help
     
    #6 gwormser, Jan 13, 2013
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