Unfortunately, yesterday the brakes on my 2014 Prius abruptly changed at the same time the ABS, Traction Control, and Parking Brake lights came on. Now that I am home, I hear the sound of a pump engaging for about 1 second every 4-5 seconds. Using techstream, I am able to see the C1391 trouble code. Given that the extended warranty period has ended (>10 years), I am somewhat terrified of what this bill is going to be. I am relatively handy and am willing to attempt a DIY (or at least some further diagnostic tests to localize the problem). Does anyone have suggestions regarding this? Given the frequency of the pump activating, I am going to try to listen for a leak as I have seen that mentioned previously. Any advice would be greatly appreciated; I'm a medical student and really, really do not have $3500 to spare if there is something I could do myself.
You will need to use a mechanics stethoscope to listen for an internal leak in the brake actuator. You will probably not hear anything with just your ears. A DIY brake actuator replacement is not a very easy thing to do. The best thing is to try to find someone who has already done the job .
OK, so if you hear it leaking - then what????? A better path is to check your brake fluid level and make sure the issue isn't a burst brake line or caliper leak. If it is the booster/actuator assembly - you can replace it with a used one; but your gambling since that could be at it's end of life too. Good Luck......
