Strange brAKE pulse when driving in heavy snow

It is probably the car keeping you from going into a slide.

Vsc, traction control, etc...
Nothing to worry about.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

You mean like in the video in this posting? Who's driven 4th gen in the snow? | Page 2 | PriusChat

It is traction control.

 

Traction control will detect wheelslip/spin and apply braking action to that wheel, which will be the pulsing you feel in the brake system. Each wheel has a speed sensor so the ECU knows when a wheel loses traction in braking (ABS), or driving (traction control) situations, and reacts accordingly.

 

You may be right, but jetlash1000's video was in just a couple of inches of snow, not the deeper stuff. That said, if SSD's car had detected a pre-collision situation it would have flashed up the red BRAKE flag on the top left mini screen and beeped rapidly at him. (Did it to me today as I overtook a parked panel van closer than the radar liked this afternoon).

 

Did any dashboard lights flash? If so, did you get a name, or even just a color?

 

Trust me on this, if it flashes - you won't miss it!
The entire left mini screen goes red with the word Brake across it.

 

Perhaps it is the right screen here. You steer from the passenger seat.

 

I'm also looking for a TC or a VSC flash, which may be smaller and of other colors.

 

Not strictly true, ole buddy. My wife does that!

But on a more serious note, from what I've seen of left hand drive Prii videos, it would still be the left hand of the twin screens that would turn entirely red except for the word Brake, (can't remember if it was all in capital letters or not).

 

That light (which is yellow) will flash if stability control, traction control, or ABS are intervening.

Quick brake pulses while driving (not braking) will be stability control preventing a skid, or possibly traction control preventing wheelspin.

 

That's true, but OP was asking about the collision sensors and that really does set the entire left mini screen red.

 

The left screen here shows the current speed. You mean the background goes red?
OK, I found this PC video.

Apparently, the screen beside the speedometer goes red.

 

To be perfectly honest, in glad you found that clip, because when it happened to me I was passing a commercial van parked with its nearside wheels on the pavement ( sidewalk ). I was unconcerned until the car shrieked at me and a screen turned red. Well! I really woke up, but was so startled I'm uncertain of the exact screen which went red. By the way there was no risk of an accident to the car, so it cancelled the alarm as i was passing the van. However, I nearly had an accident of my own!

 

This morning, as I just got up to speed with DRCC, a car in the other lane braked heavily & DRCC almost set my car on its nose even though the lane ahead was clear. I cancelled that in a hurry!
Fortunately there was nobody close behind me.

 

I fix it for you

 

Also accurate.

Even when you turn VSC "off" by holding the TRAC OFF button for three seconds.

 

I don't believe the Two model has any collision sensors. Does it? Not even an option on the Two when I was looking at them.

 

2016 Two does not. (You have to get Three with ATP, Four with ATP, Three Touring, or Four Touring to get them on a 2016. All 2017s have them, though.)