My 2012 Prius C has been saying "Maintenance Required Soon" on the dash the last few days. I change my own oil and filter and did that last Sept. I also flushed the radiator and inverter coolant last Sept. But I never reset anything. Do I need to reset something when I do my own service? Lately when I back it out of the garage the front rotors seem to stick to the discs and it makes a noise when I move the car, and I don't think I set the emergency brake. I was wondering if the brakes are the reason why I'm getting that notice on the dash but probably not. Maybe clips that stick. Can anyone shed some light on this? TIA
Yes, you need to manually reset the service reminder, which is really just a hidden trip odometer. Check your Owner's Manual (available online if you don't have a copy, I didn't pull it up to find the 'c' reset method). It has no connection to the brakes.
no, the service reminder is just computer generated every 4500 miles or so. the brake rotors are rusting in the garage from condensation or putting away wet. very common on prius because the discs are applied so infrequently. get up to 30mph or so on a back road, throw it in neutral, and gently apply the brakes until the sound goes away. that takes the rust off, it is superficial.
But it only makes a click noise when the car moves back out of the garage, and then there is no more noise. It seems like the rotor was stuck to the disc for some reason. Should I still try to clean the disc as you described? It's been a very rainy Winter here in East TN.
Pads stick to rotors and or calipers with disuse. They self-moderate properly with ordinary brake use over a few miles. The reminder you're seeing is strictly odometer driven, no actual sensors involved.
If the pad sticks to the disc, you should be able to see the pad outline on the disc immediately after. Yes, you can clean it the same way. But if that outline is the only rust that shows, then any cleaning effort may be unneeded. Some friction braking is applied every time you stop (regeneration disengages below about 7 mph), and this may be enough to erase that outline.
Maybe if I just use the brakes more, I can remedy it myself. I tend to downshift a lot with the B drive mode. Perhaps regular braking will stop the noise I hear when I first move the car after it's sat in the garage over night or longer.
Took the car out today and the brakes made that noise upon moving the car again. I didn't use the B mode at all, and I braked several times while in neutral. The brakes seem to work better now.
You'll probably get better gas mileage now, too. B mode is for engine braking on big big hills to save wear on the brakes and give the energy a place to go besides the battery. In normal use, the battery is precisely where you want that braking energy to go.
I braked in N mode several times yesterday and today my brakes didn't make that noise when I backed her out of the garage. It put a smile on my face. I'd say my mission was accomplished.
Good job! Normal braking should eliminate that. But you'll still get it initially when you first get going, especially after rain. As mentioned before, the pads engage under normal braking when you get below about 7 mph, so it'll take a few stops to clear them off. If it bugs you too much, using neutral once or twice gets it done quicker. But it shouldn't be necessary. I never do it.
It's interesting how you guys had an simple remedy for this situation. My Prius C continues to amaze me as one of the best made cars I've ever had. I was in the habit of swapping cars about once a year -- until I got this car. Now I'll probably run this car for 5-10 years.
