Hello all, I just got back from a trip to the snowy mountains near Lake Almanor/ Chester (not sure if this has anything to do with it) but I am now sensing some problems with the braking in my 2006 Toyota Prius touring. On my way home back down the mountains I left the Prius in B mode (about a 1.5 hr drive) as the roads were covered with snow and I wanted to be able to take it slow with out having to apply the brakes. However, now that I am back home and driving around town it still feels like I am driving in B mode even though I have checked several times that I am in D. As soon as I let off the gas the brakes kick in very aggressively, more aggressive than just the normal coast/deceleration of just the regenerative brakes. As well it also seems much harder to get up to normal driving speeds as well as maintain those speeds as I begin decelerating very quickly as soon as I let off the gas. Also, I've noticed that there is no longer an even distribution of braking anymore. Rather, when I first begin pushing down the brake pedal however once it is about halfway depressed the brakes then kick in and stop the car very violently. The car got new front breaks and rotors about a month ago and drove fine prior to the mountain trip. Any advice?
jack her up and see if the wheels spin freely. maybe one is rubbing, or e brake is stuck. another way, after a decent drive, feel all the wheels to see if one is hotter than the others
Does that come with the bladder? We don't have the bladder, don't have the thermos and don't have rear drums afaik. I would suspect a stuck brake. Obviously also check the hand-(foot-)brake. New brakes could be installed wrong, with some play in the wrong places. Just because something is new doesn't mean it is foolproof... (I think on my Volvo people manage to put the pads the wrong way round, even though they really don't fit that way, causing somewhat similar issues iirc).
I would start with having the brakes inspected. So close to recent brake and rotor replacement maybe something has failed. IMO "B" mode is NOT equivalent to a low gear in a regular vehicle. Repeatedly people use "B" mode improperly for what they "think" it is designed to be used. 90 minutes in "B" mode in snowy conditions. may of been a very bad idea. I think Toyota even states "B" mode is not for long term usage. It's for down hills/mountains inclines. Using it like a permanent low gear in snowy conditions is IMO not a good idea.
Well, it won't maximize your fuel economy under most conditions, but it isn't going to hurt anything. Have you done a quick drive around some and then check rotor temperatures test?
