TIS Loses Communication When Trying To Bleed Brakes? Help

I'm not sure what TIS is: Techstream? If you're using Techstream, maybe you reset any warning lights, and start fresh:

It is possible to bleed the brakes without Techstream; it involves putting the car into "invalid" mode. There's an instruction for this in the Repair Manual (attached), and @NutzAboutBolts did a brake bleed more-or-less following this method, pinned in the 3rd gen maintenance sub-forum.

My wife and I did the brake bleed about a year back, using the invalid mode method, without mishap. More-or-less followed the video, except went in the order suggested in the Repair Manual (Front/Right, Front/Left, Rear/Left, Rear/Right).

Also, in the video they have a vacuum source, but you'll be ok without it. The only time you really need suction is just to baste most of the fluid out of the reservoir, at the outset. For the rest stepping on the brake pedal either provides mechanical pressure (front brakes), or activates a pump (rear brakes).

Watch the video a few times, and you'll get the hang of it. I purchased two pint bottles of Toyota DOT3 fluid, and that worked out fine. I tried to be strategic, in how much I pumped out at each corner, aiming to end up with the level in the reservoir approximately the same as at the beginning, and with a little bit left over, just in case.

 

I've no Techstream experience, but it's gotta be doable. Unless there's something ongoing that's immediately causing the codes to come back. Think good thoughts.

Found this, the codes seem to point to "clock spring", in the steering wheel?

Prius codes. C1203, C1231 and C1345 | PriusChat

In other words: the brake bleed might have been a wild-goose-chase? Good idea though, say tri-yearly.

 

This sounds a bit like the problem @ChapmanF encountered while trying to bleed the brakes on his 2010, which turned out to be a problem with the Vehicle Interface Module (VIM) or its software. Which VIM are you using? Can it do a complete Health Check?

TIS is the Toyota Technical Information System website, available at techinfo.toyota.com. The Toyota Techstream diagnostic software is included with a Professional Diagnostic subscription to that website.

 

Ahh, C1451, the evil Motor Drive Permission Malfunction code. Yes, that's a lockout until you successfully complete a brake bleed. Nothing else clears it. (In my case, I knew I had not opened any lines, so I just faked my way through the Techstream bleed procedure without bleeding anything; each time it stopped and told me what bleed valve to open, I'd just say "sure, yeah, just did that" and click Next. Of course if you've done work on the system where there could be air in it, you would go through the procedure for real.)

I suspect the "lost communication with vehicle" problems I was having during that bleed were the fault of the VIM that I was using, but I cannot give you proof. That VIM also used to say "lost communication with vehicle" whenever I would ask for the engine data list, and the one I am using now does not have that problem. So whenever I have cause to try a brake bleed with it, then I'll know whether the old VIM was really the problem there too. But so far, I have no desire to reopen that can of worms until I actually have to.

-Chap

 

Glad to hear it! But, umm, what worked?

At first it seemed like you were asking about a "loses communication when trying to bleed" problem, and then you also had a C1451. Completing a bleed is definitely what makes the C1451 go away, but what got you past the first problem? Or did you just keep trying until one try got all the way through?

-Chap

 

Might be the last time buying anything for this car, based on your new thread.

Good luck with your sale .

 

Would this be applicable to the Gen II as well?? I just changed the ABS module in it and I have a bunch of communication codes coming up. So bleeding the brakes will make this go away?

 

If it didn't matter what the codes were, they could only have one code, call it X0000, and it would mean "You have a code."

What the codes are turns out to matter. C1451 is a code that means "I'm not going away until you bleed the brakes."

If you have that code, that's what it means.

 

Which interface were you using with TIS? Ever since I switched to an approved interface (Drewtech Cardaq Plus 2 or the Mongoose Pro cable) I have not had any communication issues.

Also, these procedures are somewhat sensitive to the battery soc. Use a battery maintainer to maintain the voltage at a constant 12.6v (or higher) during this process.

 

TIS is the web-based online Technical Information Service (manuals and other documents, etc.).

The Windows software that talks to your car is Techstream.

 

This thread got linked in a later thread about this issue, so I should add the followup I never got around to adding:

I did, eventually, have a chance to do brake bleeding again, using a different VIM (a Tactrix Openport 2.0 instead of the Mini VCI that I was using before), and the brake bleeding went smoothly without a hitch that time.

 

It's pretty old thread, but there might be someone like me who is still facing this issue. Had similar problem with my mom-in-law 2010 Prius. She got C1391 error (Looks like ABS Actuator went bad). I bought chippo Mini VCI cable from amazon, installed multiple versions of Techstream (On Win10 laptop and Win XP VM etc., all configurations) but the result was the same - as soon as I hit "Bleed brake" (whether it is routine regular bleeding procedure or "bleeding after ABS actuator replacement") after couple of menu tabs it throws "lost communications with the vehicle" error and starts from beginning. The solution I found was to clear the code that was stored. After that it let me though to next steps without losing communication.

 

Hi. I have such a big problem. Loss of connection. Which code exactly did you reset? In which window? Or do you mean resetting DTS errors. Thanks in advance for the information

 

I have a 2011 Prius. Tactrix with Techstream v12. At the same time, the connection with the old actuator is working. But he's got a pressure leak.