Brake Actuator

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by cheeba, Aug 8, 2020.

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  1. cheeba

    cheeba Junior Member

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    I just got a 2007 Prius with 140,000 miles on it. I notice that when the key is inserted there is a rattling sound that is on for 10 seconds and then turns off and back on again. It doesn't do this while the car is driving, only when the car is parked. If I turn it off and walk away it does this for a few minutes. No lights are one and the brakes work fine. I have done a bit of research and have concluded that the sound is the brake actuator. This is my first Prius so I am not sure if this is normal or if this is bad news as far as the actuator. I am aware that a repair is pretty costly. If it is indeed the actuator, how long does this problem persist before things take a turn? Is this something I should be pretty concerned about? I was planning on taking a cross country trip in this car, would that be a bad idea? Are the brakes going to stop working suddenly?
     
    #1 cheeba, Aug 8, 2020
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Yes that's the brake actuator sound you are hearing. If it comes on repeated when the car is not on (when you walk away after you turn it off), it just means it's not able to keep pressure. For a 13 year old car, this is probably normal and there is no telling when the actuator will throw a fault code. I have a 2005 Prius that has been doing that for a long time and it still didn't fail. I eventually got tired of it keep leaking pressure and replaced the unit when I found a replacement.

    As for your cross country trip, there are many things that can fail on a 13 year old Prius. The brake actuator is just one item. But the Prius is known to hold up well so if everything is in good working order, take the trip. Just bring an extra quart of oil with you, in case you need to top off the engine oil (they often burn oil at higher mileage)
     
    #2 JC91006, Aug 8, 2020
    rpp, SFO and Raytheeagle like this.
  3. PopCorkOff

    PopCorkOff Junior Member

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    My 2013 Prius 2 has a brake pump whine every 13 seconds. I first noticed this when it did it every 17 seconds. Do I need to replace the master cylinder ? I have been reading about a booster pump and an accumulator, but now you talk about an actuator. Can you tell me what is causing the pressure to bleed off ?
     
    #3 PopCorkOff, Mar 16, 2024
  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    You need to post your question in a Gen 3 forum and also only look for information there as well. These brake system parts are different and the terminology is also, therefore, different.
     
    #4 dolj, Mar 16, 2024
  5. Brian1954

    Brian1954 Senior Member

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    He did create a thread for this problem in early December 2023.
    https://priuschat.com/index.php?threads/245357/
    I do not know why he did not continue in his original thread.
     
    #5 Brian1954, Mar 17, 2024
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