bad brake actuator

Here are two sources for salvage Prius parts:
Welcome to Adopt A Part
Salvage Prius Cars & Parts

Have only used the second, and their prices and service was first rate. :rockon:

IIRC, working on the brake system may require a Toyota-specific code
reader.

I'm confident that folks with more experience with the brake system will
post up soon. Meanwhile, here's a related thread to read: (The search tool
is your friend.)

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...rake-actuator-solenoid-failed-2009-prius.html

 

They should be commonplace. Any place that has a Prius wreck should have this part intact in the car. The main problem is getting it out. If you have a spirit of adventure, you can try XVipers, they are not too far away, near St. Louis. But they are best dealt with in person.

Whoever does the removal and installation really should have access to the factory service manual and Techstream or other full-Toyota-capable scan tool. It is not as simple as replacing a master cylinder, for example.

 

Just out of curiousity: What was the quote for a new one?

 

If you pay MSRP ($1625) for the part and full book time (6 hours) for the repair, it is well north of $2K.

Used actuators are $100-$200.

 

I had a red "warning" light on my 2007 Prius navigation screen while I hit the brakes. I took to dealership and was told I needed a brake actuator and new battery (because of service codes). $2600+ dollars later, I get into car and drive off yet light immediately comes back on!? Take it back to dealership. They reexamine and state that all is ok. But we noticed that car was a little low on oil and added oil. The warning light did not come on afternoon was added. I was told to bring car in routinely to check oil levels ( I can do this). My car is a commuter car and has high mileage,just over 160,000 miles. I was getting oilchanged every 5000 miles, but is logical to switch to every 3000 miles as car now high moleage, which i did. I looked on Prius chat and find that the light was specific to low oil. It also seems logical that when a vehicle is braking that the oil is shifting as result of the stopping and could therefore set off the warning (low oil) light. I had no signs or symptoms of a brake actuator problem or battery problem ( just the codes).The problem (red warning light on Navagation screen, not check engine screen) could have been fixed with a quart of oil, and eventually was; without any admission of mistake. It appears that I paid $2600+ for a quart of oil as there is no way I can prove that the brake actuator wasn't needed! Or is there? Any thoughts?

 

What DTC were logged by your car?

Did you take a photo of the warning icon that appeared on the MFD? If not, can you describe what it looked like?

I am not aware of a warning icon that is specific to engine low oil. Other posters have complained that the master warning red triangle light (which is part of the combination meter, not the MFD) will come on, with no further explanation as to why. Eventually they may figure out that the engine oil is low. However the red triangle warning light can come on for other reasons besides low engine oil.

 

Saw a vehicle once with a bad brake actuator error. Tried clearing it with techstream and it wouldn't go away. The customer was quoted about $1700 by the toyota dealer.
Customer mentioned that the light came on after he changed the HID bulb on the driver side. That didn't make sense so I started to remove,tap and push back in all brake relays. The error went away!! He was so happy I had saved him $1700!!! Im thinking the customer must of moved a relay while he struggle getting the light replaced.

 

One of the last services that I had done was replace the HID bulbs. I believe I overheard one of the guys say that the brake actuator code had previous gone off or was old. There was nothing wrong with my brakes and blindly assumed they would fix the problem I described. I was wrong.

After the $2649.89 and still having the warning light, this is what the invoice stated:

164638 overlapping conditions/low oil level
1 hr diagnostic testing---vehicle came in with compliant. Found no codes in system. Test drove vehicle and found HV warning light (Big ReD Triangle) would come on intermittently under breaking, sometimes turning while breaking. Observed data list and no codes ever set and could see nothing abnormal in data list. (TA) case TA131050167 started. Sent tool snapshot to tech line. Found oil level too low causing "problem" warning on display to come on intermittently. Tipped off oil and road tested. Operating as designed. Recommend oil consumption test.


Now tell me this. I brought car in for the warning light, paid $2649.89 to fix the problem as described. Was told it was the brake actuator and battery, which was supposedly changed ( how do I really know?) Paid bill, got in car and before I left the dealership the light came back on!!

The second diagnosis reveals low oil, which was added and light did not come on. My vehicle was almost due for a 5000 mile oil change. Looking back at old oil change records, my car was getting low on oil at time of change (used Jiffy Lube mostly), but I was never told or recommended to switch to every 3000 miles, which I do now. But this looks like a straightforward answer to me. So as I previously stated, my brakes were never bad or had any signs or symptoms of a bad actuator. I needlessly paid $2649.89 and the problem was a quart of oil. I in effect paid the dealership $2649.89 for a quart of oil!

 

The first invoice-

A customer states warning light indicator lights are coming on when braking
400 replace brake actuator and aux battery

164632 overlapping conditions --B1421, C1391, C 2318, P0420


I clearly stated in was on the Navagation screen, which they call the multidisplay screen. Yet the problem was not fixed after a $2649.89 bill!

 

Sounds like they just treat/fix the codes and hope that corrects the problem the customer complained about.
I was told that I needed a new catalytic converter at around $3000 and then the warning light would no longer come on. They were focusing on the check engine light and I was complaining about the red warning light on the multifunction display screen. I was told my 2007 Prius 4 was worth about $1200! Why would I invest another $3000 in a vehicle that is supposedly worth less than half that? I'd put that as a down payment on something that doesn't have 160,000+ miles. I know that I was "take to the cleaners" and it's obvious and on the invoices! Why won't the dealership just admit they made a mistake, own up to it, and in turn keep a customer?

"We stand by our work!". Yes, you may have treated the codes that were triggered at some point, BUT YOU DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM THAT I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE FIRST TIME. The second invoice says low oil, oil placed, working as design. But the people talking state that the problem was the brake actuator, the battery, and still the catalytic converter? I can't believe these people.

Put oil in and the light goes off. That was the problem!

 

This is exactly what happened. They eventually found out that it was a low oil problem. But after I had spent $2649.89 on unneeded repairs. Codes were actually old, back to Sept. 2012. I was told that I needed a Catalytic converter but not a brake actuator. Now that I came in with a warning light that appeared associated with braking, I was pressured into having the part (brake actuator) changed. I wanted to get a second opinion but was told " I would not drive that vehicle. The brake actuator controls the braking and the brakes could fail. I just found out that the codes were old. The brakes had not failed since Sept 2012. And now I find out that changing the HID bulbs could have triggered that sensor, which I had done before Sept. 2012.

 

I know this is an old thread, but I have a 2007 Prius with 150,000 miles. I was due for an oil change and the car was making an odd scraping noise -- not terribly noticeable. I mentioned it to the dealer, who then said I need a new brake actuator for $2500. I never had *any* warning lights. In fact, the noise was gone by the time I got to the dealership, but I wanted them to look at it anyway. I told them I would research it and drove away. I'm now thinking that the actuator is not the problem. If there even is a problem.

 

It would be hard to place a blame on the brake actuator, without having any DTC to read, or being able to hear the noise first hand. If the brakes are working well, and you can hear the brake actuator run and stop as it normally does, then ignore the diagnosis and wait for something more definite to point at.