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ABS ECU Malfunction-Dealer wants 3300.00 to replace??

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by pkwhisker, Jun 13, 2015.

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  1. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    I love that close up picture of the doggie face, so CUTE!:p

    Thanks for tip JC I'll see if i can find an old crappy one on craigslist or ebay! spose it won't matter the brand as long as it has XP or 7 with the correct 32 byte is what i'm reading
     
    #21 pkwhisker, Jun 16, 2015
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    yeah any of the netbooks will do. I believe if you get a netbook, it would have a starter version of windows7. Which is a no frills bottom end OS for netbook use only. And that most likely will only be the lower end 32bit
     
    #22 JC91006, Jun 16, 2015
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is what I bought. You need a laptop running Windows XP or Windows 7, 32 bit OS.
     
    #23 Patrick Wong, Jun 16, 2015
  4. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Okay got it ordered and found a cheap laptop on craigslist with XP. I picked up my car from the dealership and with the new valve part and labor (and coolant for the inverter) it was about $450 to get out of the shop. They left the ABS and VSC lights on for the left front wheel sensor as they said 'we couldn't get a reading on it anymore' so I stopped at the Autozone and easily got it. I think they wanted to get rid of me by then but a friend that I bought the car from said 'I can't believe they let a customer walk out of their shop with lights still on, and didn't it occur to them to just replace the stupid sensor?'

    Anyway thanks and Patrick and JC and I just had friend ask me 'why do you really want that mini VCI when you can so easily just get your codes from your local Autozone'? so my reply should be?? (autozone can't clear them right?)
     
    #24 pkwhisker, Jun 17, 2015
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  5. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    1. The generic OBD-II code reader that AutoZone has will not retrieve all DTC that potentially could be logged by the many ECUs in your car. It probably can clear codes but if the underlying problem remains then of course the code will come back.

    2. When you get Mini VCI you will be astounded at the various operating parameters that each ECU reports and tracks. This may be useful if your car has a future problem.
     
    #25 Patrick Wong, Jun 17, 2015
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  6. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Thanks Patrick, this is a great explaination at the differences! I shall share with my friend so they understand it too, and I can't wait to get it!
     
    #26 pkwhisker, Jun 18, 2015
  7. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Ordered a NEW RF Wheel Speed Sensor and just had it put on. Drive it for a bit and the lights all came back on Brake, ABS, Red Triangle. Checked codes and same ones: C0205 and C1236, and now a new one C1234-Malfunction in YAW Rate Sensor.

    I give up, what in the world could it be after replacing the sensor?
     
    #27 pkwhisker, Jun 20, 2015
  8. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    The failure was in the left front sensor. Did you replace the left front, or the right front sensor?

    Clear the DTC now. Then if the warning lights come back on, there may be a problem with the wiring harness leading to that sensor. I hope the Prius was not in an accident which impacted that corner of the car?

    If C1234 comes back on then the yaw rate sensor (which senses deceleration) needs to be reinitialized using Mini VCI. If that doesn't work then the sensor would need to be replaced. We'll talk about how to reinitialize the sensor if you get to that point.
     
    #28 Patrick Wong, Jun 20, 2015
  9. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Yes Patrick replaced that left one, and certainly hope the online place sent the right one, I ordered the left one and the shop tech put it on in like 15 mins I could see thru the window. How do I clear the DTC? Seems the shop did that, and do I need the mini VCI to clear it? I think I should get it Monday from Amazon.

    Prius was NEVER in an accident. It was my friend's mother's car and she only drove it rarely and not at all in the last two years, hence my reason for scooping up a Pristine perfect 2004 Prius with only 56K miles. So that can't be it.. I'm hoping it will clear .. I have read about about the wiring harness.. could that code arise if the shop didn't install it correctly?
     
    #29 pkwhisker, Jun 20, 2015
  10. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes, since the DTC is logged by the skid control ECU you either need to short pins 4 and 13 of the OBD-II socket or else use Mini VCI. There are several posts about how to do the short, but if you can wait until you get Mini VCI that might be better. If the wrong pins in the OBD-II socket are shorted, that could cause a big problem.

    It isn't very hard to install the sensor and to plug in the wiring harness connector. So I hope that was done correctly.
     
    #30 Patrick Wong, Jun 20, 2015
  11. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Oh Patrick I think I'm gonna wait till Monday when I get my software I think I would feel little bit safer doing it through the software than trying to do something else as it's getting a little bit scary to me and I want to at least learn to do this the correct way

    I just can't thank you enough for all your help IOU so much

    well at least I feel I have some other options now so I'm just going to keep continuing down this troubleshooting road

    patrick!! the mini VCI was in the post so I do have it!! I just installed it, and it is version 10, hopefully I can easily see how to clear DTC codes. going to give it a try!
     
    #31 pkwhisker, Jun 21, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2015
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    It's interesting that the shop will work with you, allow you to make parts purchase, then put it in for you. Good to know. Are they a dealership?
     
    #32 Mendel Leisk, Jun 21, 2015
  13. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    The stealership didn't put the part in for me, it was a small shop by me that installed that wheel sensor. I just now this monring got my miniVCI installed on laptop, ran the healthcheck, saw the 3 codes to do with YAW and RF wheel sensor and was able to CLEAR the DTC codes, as Patrick said, and the codes are off! Now going to take for a spin and see if they stay off.

    Patrick, should I be doing a calibration?

    Oh Mendel I bought that wheel sensor new part from Parts Geek online, a 'beckly' something OEM Prius sensor. $116 bucks
     
    #33 pkwhisker, Jun 21, 2015
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  14. uart

    uart Senior Member

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    Hi pkwhisker. I've only read this entire thread just now, so sorry about being late with this info. But just to let you know what probably happened in the original instance with the "Christmas tree lights" and the bogus multi-thousand dollar repair bill. The car tinting place accidentally drained your car's small 12V battery, and this sometimes causes bogus warnings. TBH this sort of thing is reported here all the time, so I'm surprised no one mentioned it already.

    Anyway it's not necessarily the shops fault, as the small 12V battery is ridiculously easy to drain if you aren't very familiar with the Prius, especially when they get a few years old. Sometimes though they make matters worse if they need to jump start it (before you picked it up) and then all sorts of weird stuff can happen with the electronic if they do something wrong.

    Not sure if yours was just a simple drained battery or that and a bad jump start as well, but given the timing (and how often that type of thing gets reported here) I think it's likely one or the other. You'll probably never be able to prove anything though. :(

    Anyway, it wouldn't be a bad time to get the health of your 12V battery checked out. There are tons of posts on this forum of how to do that.
     
    #34 uart, Jun 21, 2015
  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Always turn your cabin roof light off when delivering vehicle to someone working on interior. Helps a bit, there's lots of unswitchable lights. :(

    An on-the-ball shop would put clamps on the door switches, spoof a closed door.
     
    #35 Mendel Leisk, Jun 21, 2015
  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Glad to hear you were able to successfully install Mini VCI on your laptop - some posters have had difficulty with that process.

    Worry about a zero point calibration, only if DTC C1234 returns.

    According to the OP, the warning lights did not appear until the end of her drive from the shop to her home.

    I would say that any time is a good time to verify the condition of the Prius 12V battery. It is certainly possible, even likely, that the shop drained the 12V battery. However I would have expected that the skid control ECU, if it was going to be affected by that, would show warning lights when the car was first started up at the shop.
     
    #36 Patrick Wong, Jun 21, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 24, 2015
  17. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    Uart, Mendel, and Patrick, what EXCELLENT feedback I'm receiving from everyone. First that does kinda make sense that they drained that 12v because they did the window tinting, and they most likely did drain the battery, have to do a jump start, and then I get the crazy christmas tree lights going off.. and never could get that sensor light to go off, and just as Patrick said it came on after leaving shop (they couldn't clear codes as their cable/machine for that was down) so since I just happen to check the post and got the mini VCI and was easily able to run healthcheck, saw the codes, then went to the ABS module and checked 'clear all DTC codes' boom cleared, OFF, and I drove the car for about 30 mins easily 30-40 miles and no codes came back on). So now it all is all making since, that battery got drained (I have checked it now and it's at a good charge level). I just hope and pray those codes stay off for good now as that just about ate my lunch the last two weeks!! I have found this forum to have SAVED my arse in more ways than one, keeping me focused on what to do next, and staying on course. Could not have done it without Patrick's direction and others on here like you all.

    I am so lucky and so happy to have found this forum! Hey I did accidentally order 2 of those Mini VCI's and the seller has a weird return policy can any of you use it? I would be happy to give it to any of you that helped me as I don't need two of them.
     
    #37 pkwhisker, Jun 21, 2015
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  18. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    That is a very kind offer. Another possibility is to give the extra unit to one of your relatives or friends who own a Toyota.
     
    #38 Patrick Wong, Jun 21, 2015
  19. pkwhisker

    pkwhisker Member

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    I'll man tonight driving back home all those codes came back on loss breaks here we go again :cry:
     
    #39 pkwhisker, Jun 22, 2015
  20. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If you want to continue DIY, then it is now time for you to subscribe to techinfo.toyota.com so that you can see how to use Mini VCI to evaluate the signals coming from the speed sensors and decide whether the fault is with the sensor, rotor teeth, associated wiring - or the skid control ECU needs to be replaced. You can also see what is required to remove that ECU if you get to that point (hint, it won't be easy - much of the instrument panel and the steering column have to be removed for access.)
     
    #40 Patrick Wong, Jun 22, 2015
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