I've had my prius for a week now, it is a 07 #2 with about 400 miles. I have a mixed feelings relationship with the car and don't want to see my VW Jetta go (seriously considering keeping it for weekend jaunts) What noises are to be expected? Occasionally while braking or leaving a stop sign there is a weird noise coming from the driver side front of the car. It sounds almost identical to when a ABS wheel speed sensor went out on the VW. It is not the whirring noise I have found upon a search, but more of a rapid clicking (similar to a card clothespinned by a bike tire). If I can duplicate the sound and be able to capture the sound on my Zen, I will post it up; as I know it is nearly impossible to know if it is normal or not otherwise.
turn the car off and then step on the brake pedal about 4 times, hard, is that the sound? brake accumulator pump.
It's there because the Prius can't use the engine to drive the power brakes. Instead it has a little pump, which rapidly clicks once in a while, mostly when you press the brake. Tom
Yep, the noise happens when I press the brakes hard straightaway! So this is a normal noise, I guess it will take me awhile to adjust to this new creature!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vdubstress @ May 15 2007, 10:17 PM) [snapback]443089[/snapback]</div> there is an Ultra Capacitor pack in the hatch that powers the pump if you have a power failure while the car is moving to allow you to have emergency braking. Perfectly normal along with the coolant recirculating pump that can cycle up to 3 hours after you shut the car off. In the 3 years we've had the G2 Prius I've only heard that once. Part of the self test that the car does to ensure that all is normal. All I can say is just drive it. It's what most of us have been doing for years now.
