ABS Actuator was bad, now seems good - still replace it?

I've had my 2006 Prius for about six weeks now, driving it sparingly because it came with a bad ABS actuator. I got the car for (what I think) is a good price - $1500. It's got 157,000 miles (250,000 kms) and was a one owner, dealer maintained car. Traction battery still seems really good. But, the previous owner sold it because the ABS actuator went bad. The ABS, brake and traction control lights were on (but no triangle of death). A Toyota dealer diagnosed it as needing an ABS actuator. The brake pedal felt soft and spongy. There were clicking noises near the firewall upon starting the car (putting in "Ready" mode" as well as for a while after turning off the car.

However... a couple of weeks ago all of the warning lights went out and the brake pedal feels a bit firmer (but still makes clicking noises, unless it's from something else). Just before that happened, online I found a brand new genuine Toyota ABS actuator for $800 from a private seller (most dealers wanted at least several hundred dollars more). I verified that's it's the right part based on my VIN and date of manufacture. But now I'm wondering if I even need to replace it since the brake pedal feels firmer and the warning lights have gone out. But the clicking is still there (is that normal, or a sign of a bad ABS actuator)?

I'm not very handy or a DIY kind of guy, so I booked an appointment at a Toyota dealer to have it installed. One dealer would not install the part because they did not sell it, but I found another one that will. My appointment is in two weeks - they're pretty busy right now. I asked them what they think if I still need to replace the ABS actuator. Of course they said yes, but they're a bit biased because they're making money on the labor. I'm considering taking this car on a cross country trip in early November - about 5600 miles (9000 kms) return trip. Should I trust the Prius for this long trip (with or without the new ABS actuator)? It's a new-to-me $1500 car which actually seems really solid and reliable otherwise. Or should I take my trusty V6 Sienna and pay about twice as much for gas? (but have more room and comfort).

But the real question is... should I still bother replacing the ABS actuator, is it probably still bad? Or should I wait and keep it for when the warning lights come back on? Or just sell the ABS actuator and hope I don't need it? If I replace it, Realistically I'm hoping to get another 50,000 to 100,000 miles out of the car, or more if possible. If I have to replace the traction battery, I'll probably get a refurbished one and try to keep the car a bit longer to get my money's worth out of it. Still comes out cheaper than buying a newer Prius, though next time maybe that's what I'll do, lol! I'm loving the great fuel economy though!

 

A savings of $334.95 is still decent - pays half my labor to get it installed. But, I see your point, if I were to do it again, maybe I would just buy from a dealer to be safe. But, I've got this one now, and I doubt the person I bought it from would take it back. On the bright side, it does look absolutely brand spanking new, not refurbished or anything. There are good and bad people out there, I'm hoping I got this from one of the good people. Maybe they bought this part for their Prius but wrecked the car before they had a chance to install it? Oh well, I guess I'll find out when I take it in to the dealer in a couple of weeks to get it installed.

Yes, since a Toyota dealer scanned it and diagnosed it as a bad ABS actuator, that's probably what it is. Considering the mileage, and the diagnosis, I should probably change it, even if it appears to be working ok at the moment. That said, maybe I should leave the Prius at home and take the Sienna for my 5600 mile road trip in a few weeks, as the Prius is still new to me, and although it seems otherwise really good, anything could go wrong. It's still an unknown car to me. At least the Sienna has more comfort, space, satellite radio, navigation, bluetooth, etc. It's really nice for long road trips.

On the Prius, the clicking noise does not happen when braking, but just upon start-up, or after turning off the car.

Thanks for the feedback!

 

Yes, it's definitely not for the faint of heart! It's a big job. A friend of mine who is mechanically inclined was going to install it for me, he looked at the first minute of a YouTube video on it where they took off the windshield cowl and said "pft, yeah its EASY! I can do it." Then I found that was the easy part - there's a lot more to it. And you need the Toyota techstream software to bleed the brakes. I decided to either find a Prius specialty shop, or go to a dealer. I'm going to a dealer and getting a brand new (not used) part put in. I don't want to pay labor twice or more. Looks like there's also a brake resister that came in the box.

The noise is kind of like a buzzing or humming noise, so I guess that's normal. I wasn't sure, I only got the car after the ABS actuator was bad, and the seller said the noises were because of it. It also makes some clicking noises, maybe that's related to the defective part?

Yeah, Penticton! I'm driving to Montreal and back (and probably a stop in Calgary and Peterborough) but not sure if I'll go through Canada or the US. And if I go through the US, I could go through Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and cut across that way, or a bit more south through South Dakota but that puts me going through Chicago, which I'd rather avoid if possible, the traffic there always seems horrendous, and there's so many tolls. Part of it will depend if there's snow, and if so, how far south it reaches. Often times, the Canada/US border seems to be the cut-off point. I've done that trip in the Sienna before (and several other vehicles). I might just take the Sienna again, more space, comfort and better stereo, plus I can take a mattress and sleep in the back at night to save on hotels along the way. Long ago I had to do it out of necessity, now I do it because I hate paying $100 or more to stay at a hotel for 6 hours of sleep. Showers are available at truck stops for about $12. I could offset the higher cost of fuel by seeing if I can ride share and get a few people to go part way - whatever distance I can cover in a day (say Penticton or Kelowna to Calgary, or Missoula to Rapid City).

Sounds like your Prius, with even higher miles, did quite well on a similar trip. In all likelihood, my Prius probably would too. But I'll be getting the ABS actuator changed just a few days before leaving. If anything does break along the way, I don't want to be delayed or have to get repairs done, which I could possibly get done cheaper if I were at home and could shop around. In my younger days, I used to take long road trips in $500 cars all the time. Sometimes they made it, sometimes they needed a repair along the way. Fortunately nothing major, but I'm not up for that kind of excitement these days.

So, even though my Prius "seems" to be in really good shape (aside from the soon to be replaced ABS actuator), and it's a fun car to drive, maybe I should not take it on this trip and wait until I get back and drive it locally a bit first, around town or at most an hour or two trip out of town until I know I can trust it. I've really only driven it about 500 or 600 miles so far and seems to be in excellent condition. Maybe until I've used it for a few months I'll stick to using it for commuting, running errands, etc since it's smaller and easier to park than the Sienna and much better on gas, especially in city driving.

 

Yeah! I know, the Prius is an awesome vehicle for road trips and sleeping in. In fact, that was one of the reasons I wanted a Prius - that and for the better fuel economy and to have a smaller vehicle for city driving and short trips. I already bought Weathertech window defectors and a techshade to cover the front windshield when parked. Next would be to get the windows tinted very dark.

For a while now, I've been reading blogs and watching YouTube videos on people taking long road trips in a Prius, and sleeping in it. And some people even LIVE in a Prius! For anyone who didn't know, and is curious, just Google "Prius camping" or search on YouTube. LOTS of people doing it. I don't want to live in my Prius, but I thought it would be a more economical and stealthy vehicle take long road trips in, which I do a lot of, though not as much now as I used to. The Sienna is great, very spacious, roomy and comfortable, though not as fuel efficient as a Prius (uses about twice as much gas). I put a twin size mattress in the back (a double mattress would also fit) and I have 5% limo tint over the factory tint, Weathertech window deflectors. I have a Compustar alarm/remote starter, so if it's really cold, I can just use the remote to start the engine and run the heat. But, as you said, the Prius is better, since you just leave it in "Ready" mode and it will run the heat or A/C on battery power, and start the engine when needed. And it's like it's got a built in power inverter to plug in electrical gadgets.

But, for this trip, I better play it safe and take the Sienna. The more I think about it, the safer it would be. It's a proven, reliable vehicle with lower miles (but getting up there at 109,000 miles), and arguably more comfortable and roomy than the Prius. If I had already driven the Prius 5,000 or 10,000 miles and had the ABS actuator replaced, and was satisfied that the car was in top shape and reliable, I'd take it. But, since it's new to me, and is 12 years old with 157,000 miles, there's a chance something could go wrong. And not just anything, it could be a very expensive repair that would leave me stranded. The Prius is full of technology and expensive parts, more so than many other vehicles. For now, I'll relegate the Prius to local driving, or no more than an hour or two out of town until I've racked up a few thousand miles (and replaced the ABS actuator, and get the traction battery tested). Then when I'm satisfied it's ok, I'll be really excited to take it on a nice road trip, maybe to southern California or Arizona. So, I think it will be the Sienna this time, much as I really wanted to take the Prius. It's a fun car to drive and I'd save a bunch of money on gas. Oh well, next time!

 

You have good taste in cars!

I went to the Badlands of South Dakota a few years ago - really cool place. Looked like I was on the moon!

For this trip, with the price of gas today, and taking into a account at least a few fill ups in Canada where gas is about 25% more expensive, and depending on how much driving I do in each of the cities I visit, I figure it would cost about $300 to $400 more to take the Sienna. No comparison with comfort, Sienna wins, especially when considering I can put a real mattress in the back and have more headroom, that is definitely a good thing. Plus, better stereo and I know it's reliable. The Prius could get the job done, with a bit less comfort and space, but using only about half as much fuel. And of course, it's still a new-to-me car, and hasn't proven its reliability yet, though it seems really good so far. But yeah, looks like the Sienna is the vehicle I'm taking for this trip.

Yes, that's right, I remember the speed limit being 80 mph in South Dakota, forgot about it being 80 in Wyoming. A few years ago, I got pulled over for apparently going 82 mph in an 80 zone in South Dakota driving my mother's Corolla (even though I had the cruise control set at exactly 80). But the real reason was because I had out-of-state plates/tags and the cop thought I was running drugs (I wasn't). He let me off with a "warning." As you found with the Prius, I found the Corolla didn't feel as stable as a larger vehicle, like a Sienna at 80+ mph. But, as long as the road conditions were good, I still drove at 80, because like you said, most people are doing 85 to 90 and I didn't want to be passed like I was standing still.

Even in the Corolla, I noticed a significant drop in fuel economy (and feeling of stability) vs driving at 65. Or better yet, at 55, much better fuel economy and the car felt much more stable. Besides California, I can't even remember where I've seen the speed limit as low as 55 mph. I know in Cali it's 55 for ANY vehicle towing, and maybe on some secondary highways elsewhere, but lately I've been sticking to the Interstates. I can see the Prius behaving in a similar way to the Corolla, just not as well suited to 80+ mph driving, better at 65 or below. The Sienna can handle the higher speeds, but it will just suck back more gas. Depending on road conditions, I might take it between 80 and 85.

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Incidentally, yesterday my red and yellow brake warning lights and ABS warning light came back on, although the brake pedal still feels firm. About three weeks ago, the warning lights went out and the brake pedal went from feeling a bit soft and mushy to a bit firmer. I thought maybe the problem wasn't so bad. No idea why the warning lights went out and the brake pedal got firmer, but now it's back to the way it was before. So, one more reason to replace the ABS actuator. For a while I was thinking it was a waste of money having bought a new ABS actuator, but looks like I really do need it after all. My appointment to get it installed is in about a week and a half, unless I can find someone competent to do it sooner.