ABS, Brake lights all on and Speedometer not working!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by anchster, Aug 11, 2013.

  1. anchster

    anchster New Member

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    really hoping for some help and advice please!!

    I have a 2008 prius with 41K on the clock.

    To go back to the beginnings of the problems...a while ago my ABS lights went on (the VSC, ABS and (!) lights) ... This happened after a few times braking gently the ABS seemed to kick in and the car would jolt forward as I came to a stop. When the lights came on this stopped happening. I carried on driving the car as my mechanic said it was OK to do so (not a Toyota mechanic)

    However, I gave the car in to my mechanic last week to fix the problem and the car came back to me with lights off and mechanic said he hadn't replaced anything just taken a look and couldn't see anything up, though he suspected the ABS sensor may need replaced.
    The next day I was driving on the motorway when the 3 lights came on again...a few minutes later I heard a noise and then started hearing a clicking noise in time with the rotation of the wheels and then noticed that the spedometer was sitting at 0 while I was still driving at around 50mph and that the brake light had come on too.
    The brakes were working fine and I drove home ok using a speedometer on my phone. All lights are still on and speedo still not working and I've now noticed that if I keep my foot on brake and take handbrake off with car in Drive, the car moves forward even though my foot is still on the brake.

    Anyway, I took the car into the mechanic again who looked and couldnt find anything obviously wrong, however I am taking it back into him tomorrow for him to have a proper look at. I was just hoping someone may have suggestions as to what it may be...could an ABS sensor cause all these problems?

    Any advice very very very much appreciated.
    Thanks in advance
     
  2. xpcman

    xpcman Senior Member

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    At this point you need a Prius qualified mechanic. Which might be at the Toyota dealer.
     
  3. HeavyFooted3SGTE

    HeavyFooted3SGTE Junior Member

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    I had a very similar thing happen to me last night. However, my driver side abs sensor has been bad for months now. I was driving on the highway until I hit stop and go traffic for construction. While I was putting along, I noticed several things. The speedometer was reading zero, the odometer stopped working, the cruise control could not be activated, the MPG display was not picking up mileage, and the parking brake light came on. I didn't have time to read any codes, check fuses/relays, or reset the ecu. I'm thinking it's a simple sensor, since the car drove 60 miles after the event like normal. Hopefully it's not something internal to the transmission and it's something I can easily swap out.
     
  4. CoastieChief

    CoastieChief New Member

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    Hey I have the same situation on my 2004 Prius and wasn't thinking an abs sensor, though it might be. I put a scanner into the system and came up with just one fault code, P1116, which points to a faulty coolant storage tank outlet sensor. No other codes. I can't find any fuse labeled for these inactive indications either. Does anyone have a thought on this?
     
  5. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    You don't have one of those insurance snapshot things plugged into your OBD port do you? They can cause CAN bus errors that light up your dash.
     
  6. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    If you are monitoring your speed with your phone I take it you have an ELM327 or such device plugged into your OBD port. These quite commonly cause the ABS/VSC/! lights to come on.

    John (Britprius)
     
  7. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    What did you use for the scanner? A generic brand X scanner will not read all the relevant ECU's on the Prius, usually just engine codes. You need the mini VCI, or Torque. If those lights are on, there are DTC's to be read by a Prius specific scanner.

    The P1116 is seen often enough, and relates to the coolant pump and control valve on the storage tank. It can be ignored for the most part, and is sometimes resolved through changing out the old coolant (if it is indeed old).
     
  8. CoastieChief

    CoastieChief New Member

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    It was one from local auto parts store loans out...where do I find this mini vci scanner?
     
  9. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    eBay or Amazon for starters.
     
  10. CoastieChief

    CoastieChief New Member

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    Of course...so the scanners auto parts stores uses are typically what type? These are not informative enough for the prius?
     
  11. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    No, those generic types, and there are many of them, will only connect to and retrieve standard PID's from the engine ECU and possibly the ABS. They aren't programmed to connect to the hybrid specific ECU's, which is essential to troubleshoot any of the electrical systems. Also, the mini VCI is the only way to properly bleed the brake system, as per Toyota specs.
     
    #11 nh7o, Nov 10, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2014
    Britprius likes this.
  12. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    As "nh70" says if you own a Prius and wish to do your own servicing above changing the engine and transmission lubricants the VCI is a must have piece of equipment at a truly remarkable price.

    John (Britprius)
     
  13. CoastieChief

    CoastieChief New Member

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    Ok...thank you both for your technical expertise and recommendation...better get me one of them thar mini vci's. So my brake warning lights and no speedometer / odometer / mpg/h readings are going to be an issue until I properly adjust and reset it all with the mini...knowing how my car is operating currently, I can work with the issues.
     
  14. spagirl76

    spagirl76 Junior Member

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    I'm having a similar issue. Just had the dealer replace the actuator, abs system two weeks ago. Drove it straight to mechanic as the main battery codes indicated it was dying. Had the main battery replaced and a water pump replaced.
    Car will turn on but not start. All kinds of lights and alerts come on, but no the speedometer. Any ideas?
     
  15. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Even if one knows well how to latch the orange HV battery safety lock, one can still botch it and not completely close it correctly. If so, the car won't run; 12v will power up car but that's all.