Help diagnosing brake issues.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by GradysBafflement, Dec 11, 2024.

  1. GradysBafflement

    GradysBafflement New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2024
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    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Hi. I bought my niece a 2008 Prius base model with 155k miles a couple months ago. It was a carmax trade-in/auction. We bought new tires for it and the tpms light stays on. Horn switch is always on and previous owners removed the fuse. Otherwise, it looked and ran great.
    Last night she skidded 2ce in the rain. Since the 2nd skid, it has been reeeaaaly hard to brake/stop. (E-brake works fine, brake fluid is/was full and clean).
    Now the brake light and warning buzzer are always on. Check engine, master warning light, VSC, ABS, brake system warning light (ECB) ((!)), and the 'skidding car light' (idk what it's called) are all on.
    Actuator does not make noise when i hold the brake pedal down. The 12v battery voltage on my little multimeter reads 12.2.
    I retrieved the flash codes: ECB: 46, 61, 63; ABS: 42; VCS: 54; TPMS: 79, 22, 23. Research here showed the ABS and VCS refers to the ECB codes. Those are C1246/46, C1342/63, C1364/61.
    What should I do next? I've worked on older gas cars but this is my 1st hybrid. I'm stuck and would appreciate any advice.

    Ps. As someone that has been to a lot of vehicle forums, this one is hands down the best.
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Nov 29, 2020
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    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    You're basically looking at your break actuator It's behind the inverter The inverter comes out to get the bracket and the brake actuator out generally that's what's going on here. I guess the hard breaking in the skidding whatever goes wrong in these things just triggered the business to go wrong and yours and it's around that time and around that duration this would happen so there you go The horn always staying on maybe the clock spring I should be something fairly simple if you were to take the horn pad off you might figure out why for all I know the wire that's supposed to be stuck on the frame of the horn button maybe just loosen laying next to something metal Just needs to be plugged back onto its spade but that would be too easy I think the clock spring or something along those lines. When you push the horn button you feel the horn button or the pad moving against the spring pushing against your hand? So it looks like a break actuators in your future or you might be getting out of the car The beeping is beeping at you because the accumulator has dangerously low pressure and you're breaking distance is greatly increased like you're driving an old $66 Dodge truck. It'll stop but it's unnerving especially if you forget but I guess you can't with that constant beep which is why it's there.
     
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  3. GradysBafflement

    GradysBafflement New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2024
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    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    LE
    Thanks. That makes sense. I will look up some more actuator diagnostic threads.