01 Prius ABS Brake Chime looking for community help

How about resetting the car by unhooking the neg cable on the 12V battery for a minute or two and see if the light comes back on. It sounds to me like a wheel speed sensor got jarred.

 

Search for user "Chapman" and "code flash". Alternatively, search for "OBD scanner" and see what makes sense. The computer will tell you what is going on if you have a Prius-aware scanner."

Bob Wilson

 

I'll chime in here just so there is a post with those key words that you can find.

All this is in the service manual volume 1, but just quickly:

Find the diagnostic (DLC3) connector under the dash (near the driver's left knee). With the car OFF, use a bit of wire, bent paper clip, etc., to connect pins 13 and 4 (TC and CG) together. (To be sure how the pins are numbered, you can ask Mr. Google for DLC3 pinout.) Then turn the key ON (not all the way to READY, just ON).

Lots of things on the dash will start flashing, and the multifunction display will pop up a diagnostic screen in Japanese. The different flashing lights are diagnostic codes from different computers in the car. You're watching for blinks of the ABS light. Steady half-second blinks mean no code to report. Otherwise, you get two-digit codes like "blink blink (pause) blink blink blink (longer pause) blink blink (pause) blink blink blink blink" which would mean you have codes 23 and 24. If you miss writing one down, just wait, the sequence keeps repeating. Turn the key back off and remove your wire or paper clip.

You can post the numbers back here and somebody can look them up. Volume 1 of the manual gives the translations between the two-digit blink codes and the usual OBD-II diagnostic codes. For some of the computers the translation is direct (e.g. blink code xy corresponds to OBD code C12xy) and for others it's funky and has to be looked up. (At the moment, I forget which way the ABS codes go - haven't got the manual in front of me.)

Of course you'll want to do this before disconnecting the battery or doing anything else to clear codes, or you won't have the codes to read.

Just reference for anybody else reading this: you can't get blink codes for the HV or traction-battery computers, a Prius-aware OBD-II scanner is the only way to talk to those. You can get blink codes from the steering computer but only by connecting your own light to blink, because there isn't one on the dash for it.

-Chap

 

Here are the translations, from pages DI-358, DI-359:

33 C0210 right rear speed sensor malfunction (see page DI-366)
52 C1252 booster pump motor ON time abnormally long (see page DI-409)
53 C1253 malfunction in hydro motor relay circuit (see page DI-416)
54 C1254 malfunction in pressure switch (see page DI-421)
56 C1256 malfunction of accumulator low pressure (see page DI-424)
64 C1214 malfunction in hydraulic system (see page DI-386)

The referenced pages are where the troubleshooting steps start for each of the codes. As I posted earlier, it might be possible you induced some of these codes while checking things before, so maybe you'll want to clear codes and then focus on troubleshooting just the ones that come back.

Maybe the pothole knocked loose a wiring harness connector to either the booster pump or the pressure switches? I could imagine more than one of these codes in response to something like that.

-Chap

 

Sorry to post on such an old thread, but I just did the jumper wire method to pull ABS codes and got a 15. If anyone can translate that, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm new to the forum and a fairly new 1st gen Prius owner.

 

C1215/15 is Low positive voltage of linear solenoid (DI–397). Trouble area is Battery, Charging system, and Power source circuit. While I am not familiar with this code, I would check the battery and grounding first. FSM also mentioned that the code is set in the following conditions.
When any of the following 1. or 2. is detected: 1. When the ignition switch is ON, the condition that the voltage of the terminal +BS in brake ECU is 2.5 V or less continues for 0.5 sec. or more. 2. While a vehicle is driven at a speed of 3 km/h (5 mph) or more, the condition that the voltage of the terminal +BS in brake ECU is 9 V or less continues for 10 sec. or more. One really needs the FSM and a Prius aware scanner to work on the car.

 

This sounds like a low/weak 12V battery issue to me.

 

Background:
2003 Prius, I replaced my 12v battery, everything seems to work fine.
However the dash ABS and BRAKE lights are On.

I followed instructions to get the ABS light blinking.
It blinks 1 then 5 (and repeats).

Help:
What does this mean?
I have downloaded the 2003-2006 Service and Repair manual.
What section (or page) contains the relevant information?

 

The Toyota manuals are for specific years, not ranges, and in particular you wouldn't expect one to cover "2003-2006" because that would cut across different Prius generations. I'd be concerned that if you have downloaded a "2003-2006" Prius repair manual, it must be from some other source, and the answer to "where is the relevant information" in it might be "nowhere".

If your car is a 2003, it is best to look in the 2003 Toyota repair manual, but you can sometimes get by with 2002 or 2001 if that's what you find, because they are the same generation at least.

In my 2001 manual, the blink code 15 is equivalent to DTC C1215, and means one of two things. Either: you turned the key ON and for at least half a second, the voltage at the +BS terminal of the brake ECU failed to rise above 2.5. Or: while you were driving (3 mph or above), the voltage at that same terminal was below 9 volts, for 10 seconds or more.

Such a problem could be low output from the aux battery itself, or (if you aren't noticing widespread symptoms of such a low battery) problems in the connections or wiring leading to +BS on the brake ECU. The five pages of workup to pin down what the cause is are pages DI-387 to DI-391 in my 2001 book (page numbers are probably different for 2003). The table where you can first look up the codes is pages DI-358 and 359.

 

It's great to get a rapid response; thanks ChapmanF.
Thanks for the recommendation. Now, I've downloaded the 2003 Repair Manual.
Here's the link I found:
Toyota Prius 2003 Repair Manual
(Notes: First, I scrolled down and clicked "Show Full PDF", then scrolled up and clicked "Download PDF"
I donated $0.00 since I didn't know yet what I would get. I received an email link and downloaded the manual.
If it's useful, I'll consider donating.)

I appreciate the detailed response. It allowed me to figure out how to get started.
The blink code 15 is apparently associated with a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC).
So, I needed to search for "Diagnostic" or "Trouble". (I suppose I could have guessed that.)
Anyway, I found useful information in the Introduction about Troubleshooting and terminology
like "Diagnostic Trouble Code". (Recommendation: see page IN-30 for flow chart.)

Thanks to information from ChapmanF, I also searched directly for "DTC C1215" in the manual
and found the DTC Chart and a link to the troubleshooting procedure pages (in 2003 manual,
page 496 and pages 522-526).

Onward...

 

Update:
I looked in the manual to find the information provided by ChapmanF.
I turned the key to ON and, sure enough, the ABS light came on.
So, condition #1 was True.


I didn't actually measure the voltage since I had turned off the ignition switch (following the safety procedure). I just checked the fuse and it was open. Ok, so I learned that there is more than one place to look for fuses! This one was in a box in the upper left of the engine compartment.


Since it was 10 amp, I borrowed a good 10 amp fuse (from HORN) and inserted it. I turned the ignition to ON again and the ABS and BRAKE dash indicators stayed OFF. Of course, I don't know why the fuse blew in the first place. I drove around a bit and used the brakes. Everything seems ok (for the moment).

Now, I'm going to find all of the fuse boxes, check all of the fuses (duh) and buy a set of assorted (ATM) fuses.

 

Good application of evidence.

 

Make sure to buy a good set of named brand from a reputable brick and mortar store. You will, of course. pay more but you will get quality fuses that do what they say on the label, unlike the cheap sets on "the internet".

 

Oops, I already purchased some Chinese ones that (thanks to dolj's warning) I researched and learned are quite poor quality.
However, I found Bussman fuses on the internet (Amazon) that are appropriate ATM (Automotive Type Mini) and I believe are
good quality. So, I purchased the Bussman fuses as well. Lesson learned.