May have to replace rear pads,, wife drove about a mile (she says,, they were smelling 1 hr later) she got caught in a storm that blew a tree on the road at night in a heavy rain and hit the tree and i dropped the Prius off for her to get home. i apparently put the e brake on and she left (cell service was in and out) before i did.. (she didnt kn how to release the e brake until finally getting me on the cell) Anyway, rear pads got hot, they still hold but seem weak. QUESTION; does the prius pressure test the brake system after it shuts down OR is it safe to pull the caliper anytime.? thanks
There is a fuse you should pull (or disconnect the 12v battery) before playing with the calipers. JeffD
I don't think it ever pressure tests the brakes, it just pre-charges the accumulator. But to be on the safe side I would do what Jeff suggests and disconnect the 12V battery or pull the fuse. As I recall when you disconnect the 12V battery about all you have to do is reset the Audio preselects and maybe reset some things in the nav system such as the speeds, you won't lose any of the addresses or destinations though. BTW I think TireRack now has brake pads for the Gen3 Prius.
Typically, the parking brake pads are shoes, not disks. They are separate from the disks and the hydraulic brake system. The center of the brake rotor contains the emergency brake drum. I haven't worked on my Prius' brakes, but that's usually how it's done.
^ that is what I was thinking too Rebound but I pulled up the parts listing for the rear axle and didn't see the drum mechanisms, so I didn't post anything. Anyone know for sure?
like TW said,, rear looks like a typical set up for disk with cable for e brake,,most parts stores now carry prius pads
After disconnecting the battery, you will also need to reprogram the backup beep and seatbelt warning if you have these disabled.
Is the parking brake still within specifications? (This is listed in your owner's manual: http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM47668U/pdf/sec_06-01.pdf ) The parking brake should be fully engaged, and not allow the car the move, between 8 and 11 clicks. If it's not within this range, the brake cable can be tightened. It wouldn't hurt to check your brake fluid reservoir, either. Alternately, the pads could be worn, or, less likely, the brake disc (rotor). I don't think that unplugging the battery will do anything to your brake system electronic memory.
I didn't have to after disconnecting the battery when I installed my amp and new stereo. Got the hybrid warning screen, but that went away and all previous programming stayed. REV
I disconnected my 12V once, and didn't lose those settings. I did get a Hybrid System Warning, which went away after three power-on/power-offs.
