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ABS light on

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by UsedPriusNewbie, Dec 23, 2012.

  1. UsedPriusNewbie

    UsedPriusNewbie New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2012
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    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    So i just bought my first car. I bought a 2003 prius from an auction. They sold it cheap because the brake light was on, and when driving it was hard to stop. There would also be a non-stop continuous whistling sound when the car was on. We took it to sears auto center, but they said that they could not fix the problem. They said that brake fluid was not going to the back brakes, so the front brakes were doing all the work. They said I should take it to a specialist. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong? Thanks.
     
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 22, 2005
    29,110
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    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    Mod note: Moved to the Gen 1 forum from the Prius v forums.
     
  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2005
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    Location:
    Huntsville AL
    Vehicle:
    2018 Tesla Model 3
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Ok, you've got a lot to learn:
    1. You'll need the NHW11 shop manuals - you can buy used on Ebay or new from TIS. I would recommend the electrical schematics too. New, you're looking at ~$200-300. Avoid the CDs that are poorly scanned version of the manuals
    2. You'll need a Prius aware scanner to read out the codes - AutoEnginuity makes a nice one for about $500 but you'll need to have a windows laptop. Alternatively, you can rent TechStream-Lite but this is not something I've done.
    Buying a car at an auction means you've bought something a dealer probably thought was too expensive to repair. You've got a puzzle on your hands . . . good luck!

    Bob Wilson
     
  4. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2005
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    Location:
    SF Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    OP, where are you located?