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Brake Accumulator Replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by corystal, Mar 6, 2024.

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  1. corystal

    corystal Junior Member

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    CORRECTION: Brake Booster Replacement

    Hey gang! I just the dreaded all-dash-light-warning with the "Check PCS" message... and have determined that my Brake Booster is indeed leaking, verified by the pump coming on incessantly and a hissing sound heard though a stethoscope. I've read a bunch on here and found several Youtube's detailing the repair so I'm gonna give it a go, but just wanted to run a few questions past y'all....

    (note: its a 2012 plug-in with 106Kmi)

    1. There's a lot of people replacing both the the booster AND the pump, and the dealer said they only sell them together but is this really necessary? They arent attached, and pump seems fine.

    2. I also see people using USED part, but why would you get one that may be about to die too? It seems like a way to save a quick buck but you'll probably end up in the same boat sooner than later, right? ... or is there a good reason to do this?

    3. EDIT- Apparently this is just on 2010s -- I caught wind of there being two versions of the booster... the original one that Toyota has acknowledged is prone to failure, and a post-acknowledgment version that remedies the issue. Can anybody verify this, or even know the different part numbers?

    4. What's a good source for the part? I'm awaiting a call from Toyota Resolution Dept. and hoping to make a case that they should really be offering the (updated?) part at COST (otherwise why wouldnt car makers just design parts to fail so they could sell more for repair?)... but I'm not holding my breath on that. The dealer wants about $700 (each, so $1400 since they say they must be bought together)... any trusted eBay sellers... refurbished

    Thanks for any insight!

    P.S. I attached my current codes
     

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    #1 corystal, Mar 6, 2024
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2024
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I'm not sure what the C1464 and C1465 codes are ... the 2010 manual I'm looking in doesn't have those.

    Toyota had a very early batch of accumulators—maybe only in 2010s—that got recalled for a factory flaw. The metal bellows inside was a smidgen too small, so it bonked around inside the can when driven over bumps, and developed cracks way earlier than you'd expect. But I don't think any of those were installed in 2012s.

    What were all the spots you touched with the stethoscope, and where did it hiss the loudest?

    It often happens that the leak is in the booster assembly (master cylinder, upper thing), just because it's the more complicated one with more places to leak. The pump/accumulator (lower thing) is a lot simpler in comparison, not as much to go worngg there. (But also not impossible.)

    [​IMG]
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Mar 6, 2024
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  3. corystal

    corystal Junior Member

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    Ok, so I had it backwards... I want to just replace the booster, that's where I hear the leak (I've updated the post , thanks)

    I was touching the booster assembly and heard what could definitely be hissing, and it would start to die off a little and then the pump would run for a few seconds and it would be back up.
     
    #3 corystal, Mar 6, 2024
  4. Eddie25

    Eddie25 Active Member

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    You don't necessarily have to replace both. The theory is that if your booster assembly is bad then your pump has probably been overworked, so it makes sense that whoever fixes it would want to replace both. Still, it's odd they won't SELL them separately. I'm pretty sure you can get either/or from an online dealer.

    I'm also curious about question 3. I was under the impression that all gen3 were prone to booster assembly failure and that Toyota has acknowledged that, which made me assume they updated it.
     
    #4 Eddie25, Mar 7, 2024
  5. corystal

    corystal Junior Member

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    Are the Pumps prone to failure too? The car is barely over 100K mi so I would think that the pump has plenty of life in it, even with the extra pumping its been doing lately.

    BTW @ChapmanF C1464 and C1465 are the L/R front wheel sensors
     
    #5 corystal, Mar 7, 2024
  6. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The OP did some editing, having apparently swapped the terms 'booster' and 'accumulator' in the first version of post #1.

    In the edited post #1, question 3 is (at the time I write this) about the booster. But at the time I wrote post #2 and answered question 3, that question 3 was about the accumulator.

    As far as I know, the only known accumulator factory defect was the one about the undersized bellows in some 2010s, the subject of recall D0H.

    As for the booster, the customer support program ZJB covered only 2010s at first, and later got extended to the rest of gen 3.

    (A dealer doing the work under ZJB is going to replace both assemblies, but the 'background' in the letter refers to "certain internal malfunctions of the brake booster assemblies".)
     
    #6 ChapmanF, Mar 7, 2024
  7. Eddie25

    Eddie25 Active Member

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    Thanks, yeah my question is the same as what I think OP's original question was intended to be: Has the brake booster assembly ever been updated? I just assumed they fixed whatever made them failure prone, but maybe that's wishful thinking.
     
    #7 Eddie25, Mar 7, 2024
  8. corystal

    corystal Junior Member

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    I went ahead and bought both. For reference in case anybody comes across this, the part numbers are
    47050-47210 Booster | 2012-2015 Plug-in
    47070-47060 Pump | 2010-2018

    And I found the best price for new parts at parts.nucartoyotanorthattleboro.com

    Now I just choose which day I'll spend swapping these out :cry: Thanks for the info @ChapmanF !
     
    #8 corystal, Mar 8, 2024
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