Thank you for all your Prius videos, I've just finished the 2-yearly service replacing coolants, oil and brake fluid. I used the Techstream tool to bleed the brakes, I'd like to share a few notes on that: First, make sure your auxiliary 12V battery is fully charged. Even better, connect a second 12V battery or DC power supply in parallel to it (plus on plus, minus on minus), since it might take a while until you're finished, and during that time, the Prius is ignition-on, ready-off. My 12V was stone dead after the procedure (down to 6V). The sequence of bleeding with Techstream is RR, RL, FL, FR. So you can jack up one axle after the other, no need to go diagonally. The Techstream app tells you exactly what to do, the app can be found in the ABS/ESP/VDC menu under utilities-Air bleeding. The connector for the reservoir level is right next to the reservoir. Its status can be checked in the data section of the ABS/ESP/VSC menu. The rear brakes bleed by themselves, having pushed down the brake pedal (I used a stick between front seat and pedal) just by opening the bleeder valve. The front brakes require pumping of the brake pedal (needs an assistant). I suggest you use a small glass jar to collect the fluid in small quantities, to check the colour until it comes out clean. Check the reservoir level after every brake bled. Have a decent supply of brake fluid at hand. Close the brake bleeding screws when the liquid comes out. Use a brake line or ring spanner for the bleeding valves, since these are quite small and might slip if stuck. My brakes are now crisp and sharp like never before!
good point about connecting a 12v power supply. Completely killed my battery this time (last time was 3y ago) and freaked out when I got an ABS error code (which I cleared) and the car would not go into D mode and dashboard would sometime not come on... I thought the reset tool I used killed the car until I realized the dome lights were very dim and was likely a battery drain issue. Jump started the car back to life! drove it around for a few days and had battery tested, it was down to 160CCA (half) and something like 11.8v so time to change that 8.3y old original battery with 185k - they are expensive! could have probably used it a few more years if I never connected an ODB tool to run test on it (it died a second time doing a short test, so yeah time to replace battery).
@@spankrobot @LynxWatch techstream - I may have to look into it as I have error codes C1203, C1345 (linear Solenoid Valve Offset Learning undone), C1392 (zero point calibration of Stroke Sensor undone) I cannot reset. I have a foxwell NT510E Toyota and I asked them about getting *ABS -> ECB Invalid* to work *thinking this would be the same 'invalid mode' used here* without doing 30+ steps, and they sent me a working patch, but instead I got 2 ABS errors I cannot reset (mentioned above) and no blinking ABS light that gets reset on OFF/ON... they told me to do 1) Special function -> *Air bleeding* (which I didn't rally need as I have no air, but it worked the pump) 2) ECB Utility -> *Reset Memory* (not clear that worked) 3) ECB Utility -> *Linear Valve Offset* (didn't seem to work as I never got ABS/Brake light flashing at different speeds) 4) Special Functions -> *Test Mode* to reset the code but they are still there. Now I have a 2014 Prius with no ABS, no regenerating braking, and no power braking for that matter! bunch of lights on the dashboard... last thing I want to do is pay stealer to reset this all but foxwell is slow to respond (24h china return email) and running out of patience. It's all their fault too - their invalid mode isn't the same (not sure why on earth one would use "ECB invalid" if that what it does) and the above step 3 doesn't work either...! Q: can you use "Standard" $20 or do you need "Professional" $65 to reset the linear Solenoid Valve Offset and erase those ABS codes ? @NutzAboutBolts do you have it and can I come over (I believe you're in the bay area :)
You’re the best. Thanks for helping out the community. I just bleed my prius 2014 braking system following the same procedure after I discovered a leak in my front driver caliber due to loose banjo bolt. It works like magic. Please do more videos about prius, i love it.
I can not thank you enough for this. I had to change the caliper on my 2013 Prius and had no idea what was involved in bleeding the brakes until I googled it. After having a panic attack I came across your video and it was perfect. Thanks again !
Thank you, buddy. Really appreciate the tutorial video. I've been disabled from being able to work, so money is a little tight; therefore, I need to do as much service on my vehicles as I can do to save money from the prices the shop wants to charge. Much thanks. You 'da bomb! 👍
Likewise, thanks for this video. BTW, a pump is not necessary for this procedure. I bought a manual pump from Harbor Freight, and I used it to drain the reservoir. But honestly, it wasn't necessary. I could've just drained it all out the first rear brake line. And to do that, I just pressed on the brake pedal for 10 seconds at a time till I was satisfied that the fluid coming out was clear. Another thing - the front bleeder screws are 8mm, not 10mm like the back ones. Oh, and the front ones suck a lot of fluid out of the reservoir, so I suggest pumping the foot brake 5 times then checking the clarity of the fluid & the drain out of the reservoir.
I tried bleeding my 2010 Prius brakes with these instructions and nearly completely drained my 12 V battery. I was doing one wheel at a time (wheel off, bleed, wheel on). I'd recommend that a 12V battery charger is connected to the 12 V battery in the back of a Prius before starting this if one doesn't take all the wheels off first.
@@Juss-Saiyan the techstream scan tool uses a laptop to activate the brake system to bleed the brake fluids as opposed to doing it manually by doing the invalid mode. Of course doing the techstream way is easier but if you don’t have it, this method works as well.
no, the rear brakes are electronically controlled, its way easier than the fronts. The fronts are hydraulically controlled, so you will have to pump the brake pedal and hold. The rear's you can just hold on the brake pedal and open the bleeder valve and it'll start draining out.
Robert, make sure the parking brake is on. Mine wasn't working as well until I pushed in the parking break. It's a pedal on the left side of the car near the door. Push it down with your foot and try the method again.
Toyota warns: Do not depress the brake pedal to operate the brake booster pump more than 100 seconds at a time. When performing the procedure continuously, release the brake pedal to stop the brake booster pump operating and depress the brake pedal again. Otherwise the system will set codes and disable invalid mode. Invalid Mode Procedure: Engage parking brake Power Button twice Press brake and go into Neutral Press brake x8 in 5 secs Press Park Press brake x8 in 5 secs Press brake and go into Neutral Press brake x8 in 5 secs Press Park and note Blinking brake light (yellow circle with exclamation mark) You are in invalid mode Bleed rear brakes by holding pedal down Bleed front brakes by pumping brakes Power down to exit invalid mode Consider using charger on 12v battery
I would check the water contain first with 2 probe sensor for $10 in amazon, if it is still good, i would not flush the whole system. Toyota brake system is not prone to contamination, many trucks owner never do such service for 20 or 30 years even with ABS as long as the car never been in accident or flooded.
Thanks for your videos. I was able to change the PCV value without any hiccups. On the Brake Bleed video, can I flush the rear brakes the old school way(by pumping) without the bleeder suction pump?
no, the rear brakes are electronically controlled, there is no pumping action needed, just step on the brake pedal and the brake fluids will start flowing out.
So the rear bleeding, instead on pumping the traditional way all you do is press once and fluid starts coming out until depressed? I guess like you mention its like a switch once you press it the fluid automatically starts flowing out (rear breaks)
Thank you for the clear and concise video! Mushy brakes after changing rear caliper on 2011 Prius. Took about an hour and now it stops like new again. I rotated the rear wheel prior to moving to the front brakes and it canceled invalid mode just as you said. Why didn't it throw any errors when I opened the front bleeder screws or pumped the brakes?
Won't hurt to try. I had a C1391 for about a year, and I recently lost my brakes (C1252, C1253, C1256 very stiff pedal hardly stopping the car) and will probably be replacing the actuator and accumulator soon. The previous owner replaced the actuator at 215k in January 2023, car has 251k now, so I'm not sure if he didn't bleed it properly after replacing the actuator. It shouldn't be bad after such a short time/few miles. I'll probably try this bleed procedure first and see if the pump stops running every 7 seconds, if no change I'll order the parts, replace, and use this procedure to bleed it. If this bleed procedure doesn't work, I'll probably just have the dealer do the bleeding with their software. Not sure if I want to play around with techstream trying to get that to work on my laptop.
the tabs you release to get access to the brake reservoir. It would have been nice to get to the spark plugs by removing some tabs and removing a panel instead of taking the entire cowl and windshield wiper assembly off.
I changed my 2012 Prius spark plug without removing anything at all, I used a spark plug socket connected with a universal socket and a small extension, removed all four spark plugs easily .
Hey guys I did the procedure as explained but afterwards my Prius lost regen braking and the ABS, VSC, and the orange exclamation mark lights are on. Please any ideas before I bring it in to the dealer?
@@experiential we did it last weekend and all went well, just never turn rotors or open doors. While in invalid mode. You have to tow your prius to toyota so they can clear errors.
I've seen multiple queries about why the need to put the car in "invalid" mode, but no answers. What happens if I bleed the brakes the old fashioned way, w/out putting the car into invalid mode?
Rhys you can bleed the front brakes conventionally, but the rear brakes are electronically controlled, so if you try to bleed it without putting it into invalid mode, it won’t work, and you’ll be introducing air into the system, which can cause a check engine light.
Is the main difference between the rear and front brakes that the pedal goes all the way down, so you have to close the bleeder and pump the pedal again? And when doing the rear brakes, the pedal stays firm, so there's no need to pump? Also, what does putting the car in brake mode actually do?
Big question now, will I be able to perform this after a new diy install of a new master cylinder and booster and then filling resevoir and then reconnecting battery??
what if you do not put in invalid mode. i saw a video that all you need to do is open bleeder nut and press on the brake and the abs system will pump out the fluid.
Hey nuts and bilts i really need your advice ..when i press on my brake peddle all the way down while parked it makes a sucking noise ... plus the break pedal fights back and pushes back up ... i have the abs lights on and a beeping warning sound when i turn the car on but when i shift to drive the beeping aound goes away and the break becomes soft again but the abs lights remain on ....what could be the issue do you think its the ABS booster valve ? Does the front breaks need bleeding ? Or need replacement of the booster
How did the brakes and the brake fluid work after few days or a week? did you have any issues or codes from the main computer? I'm asking because someone told me replacing the brake fluid by pumping the brakes can cause the brake fluid simulator to throw a code. I wanted to ask you before I change my brake fluid. for the first time.
Do you know if you need to do the same procedure about to put it in valide mode and the same procedure for bleading rear brakes on a Toyota Yaris Hybrid 2014 model? Thanks for å very good video.
I haven't done this yet, but judging from the video, the car needs to be on to be in invalid mode. And to turn the car on, you need the key. So I'm guessing no, the key doesn't need to be kept away
Love all your videos, including this one NutzAboutBolts. Q: Can I use a hose and oil pan instead of this vacuum ? I've got a hand pump for suction of fluid from reservoir.
I'm replacing the master cylinder and actuator pump assembly and need to bleed and calibrate the linear solenoid valve. Is this what this video is showing or is this linear solenoid valve calibration a separate thing ? Thank you so much!
You’ll need techstream to do all those calibrations... we haven’t done that before so we can’t help you there... this is just bleeding the brake fluids.
@@NutzAboutBolts Wow, you are great to answer my question so quick. Toyota just told me it was a rear wheel bearing causing the ABS light to turn on and loss of rear brakes. FYI, wasn't the master cylinder. I will still do this brake bleed. I got 304,000 miles my prius and never bled brakes. Thank you !
@@bobrainy5324 oh that’s great! That’s an even easier fix that doesn’t require techstream since it’s a conventional part. Make sure to erase the code to make sure it doesn’t pop back up.
Thanks for taking the time to make this video and helping people out! You made it clear and simple. Could you direct me where did you buy your vacuum brake bleeder, thanks again.
I accidentally lossened the front bolt and it leaked break fluid. Do I need to bleed the breaks now? Or am I safe to just tighten it back and leave it be?
The brake bleeder pump and hose is expensive and will not get much use since brake fluid gets changed so infrequently on this car. Is there something else I can use instead?
Help! We changed rear breakers. We bled them by pumping pedal. The battery was connected. New calipers and rotors and pads. Now I hear a hissing like when I press brake to start car and a weird noise when I shut car off. And" maintenance car soon" light comes on quick. What should I do????
I tried to do this with my 2010 Prius but after following all if the previous steps, I could not get the car to go into neutral no matter what. The car is of course up on jacks, as I'm trying to flush the coolant. Any help would be appreciated
Thanks very much for this. The inset simultaneously showing pedal pushes is very helpful too, well done video. One question:Would it be ok to have parking brake applied during this? I'm thinking yes, but just curious if you have an opinion. The main reason: one of things that'll kick you out of "invalid" mode is a wheel turning, so I'm thinking, particular with the near free-turning rears, having the parking brake applied would be helpful.
+NutzAboutBolts 10 mm wrench seemed a little loose on the rear bleed screw, same story with 8 mm on the front. I managed to dig up a 3/8" socket, and while it wasn't quite deep enough, it appears to be a better fit. So far I'm guessing both front and rear bleed screws are actually imperial, with the rear being 3/8" socket size, and the front (totally guessing so far) being 5/16" socket.
NutzAboutBolts Yeah, I also used 10 mm and 8 mm wrenches, and noticed both seemed slightly loose. I tried the 10 mm wrench on a M6 bolt head for comparison, seemed snugger. It's like 10 mm will work, but kinda loose, might even round the head. This is all just practice btw, I wasn't bleeding them, just checking fit. Rehearsal, lol.
Mendel Leisk that's weird... only time I think the bleeder screws didn't fit was having an aftermarket brand lol. Well at least you know what size it is now :)
You don’t need a vacuum pump, you can use a bottle to catch the brake fluid while opening the bleeder valve. We just used the vacuum pump to catch all the brake fluids dripping out, or sucking up old brake fluid from the brake reservoir.
How do we remove the caps to the coolant reservoirs on a 2017 Prius? It seems that they don't turn counter clockwise too much. May be they're stuck on there and I just need to pull. It would help you if post a video if possible.
I have prius 2010 model.when im om drive suddenly ABS and Handbreak signals on and ABS stop working but when i switch off the car for a mint than start then the signal remain off but the ABS signal and hand break signals on after a few minutes during the driving.what could be the reason???plz ans
Hi, I'm planning to replace my front brakes on my 2010 prius. Do I need to put it in the "invalid mode" to compress the calipers pistons? I heard some horror stories about people compressing the calipers or having the key near the car. Some hydraulic solenoid is energized and prevent fluid from coming out or something like that. Any advise is much appreciated. Thanks
people changed their brakes when the vehicle is turned off. Make sure your doors are not open and keys not around to accidentally activate the vehicle. If you open your driver door, it will activate the ABS system and can cause the caliper piston to depress and it'll be a pain in the ass to put that piston back into the caliper. So make sure not to activate the ABS while doing the brake job.
nice, there's plenty of forum threads on PriusChat if you're still nervous. There's quite a few that did their brakes already. Make sure to flush your brakes once you're done with the brake job if the brake pedal feels squishy.
What would me my steps if I want to replace ABS actuator and the pumps? 1. Can I just replace abs actuator and then use your method to refill the system 2. delete old data 4, 12 pins 3. zero point calibr. 4, 12 4. finally 4, 13
Is it OK if I do the rear first, than exit invalid mode, lift the front, take off the wheels, make sure I can open the bleeder valves, than enter invalid mode again and bleed the front? Or am I supposed to bleed both rear and front on one go, during the same invalid mode session? I'm worried not to deplete the 12V battery during the bleeding process and make a mess of the whole operation, as it is 8 years old . Thanks!
@@NutzAboutBolts Thank you. I will try and do a trickle charge over night before attempting the invalid mode brake fluid change. Right now the battery measures 12.39V.
@@NutzAboutBolts yes, it already died on me as I was doing a Techstream scan of the car systems for 10 minutes or so with the car in accesories mode (not Ready). But I charged it and it works fine for now. However, it is rather small capacity and with the brake booster and electric mirrors, DLRs and all it doesn't get to charge fully, as I'm doing mostly short trips. Thanks for the reply.
@@RaduLazau yeah, I’d say just replace it since it’s not holding a good charge. Battery voltage should be 12.6volts. But if you still wanna keep it till it dies, I don’t blame you since these battery costs 200+ lol
Thank you for the video, but it didn't work for my 2013 Prius, no matter how many times I tried to put it in this mode unfortunately! Iended uo just bleeding it the standard way, and it seems to have worked.
So when I put the car on N and do the pump for 8 x and then ones I click the P the car comes on! And by following all the steps nothing happening I think by car coming on it cancels the procedure
@@drummerrck nice work! yes, the steps are time sensitive, that's why they only give you 5 seconds to do each step or else it won't work. Glad it worked out for you.
Yes you’ll need to flush it, adding fluids to it won’t help because when your brake pads wear down, the fluid drops because it’s compensating for the loss of the brake pads, when you put new brake pads in, the fluids will go back to the full mark.
My question is: Why are we putting in new fluid before we bleed/flush the valve? I don't want to be flushing away new fluid. Can I flush/bleed the old fluid then put in the new fluid?
We suctioned the reservoir of the old fluids, then refill with new fluids. Whatever fluids were in the brake lines are old, so when we did the flush, it’s pushing out the old fluids and the new fluids are taking over the lines. Hope that made sense. Also, you don’t want to run the reservoir dry or else it’ll damage the brake components.
@@anthonysobczak2723 1 bottle of brake fluid is cheap and should be enough to flush the car. I have so much unused brake fluids because it doesn’t take much to fill up the reservoir and flushing it 😆
Hi I m in trouble and dont know how to proceed. I followed your instuctions and put the car in invalid mode. Yellow exclamation mark began blinking. After when I wanted to disable invalid mode I did wrong and depressed brake pedal and pushed power button instead of only press power button. Now I have abs, traction, yellow exclamation lights and pedal goes to floor. Also red exclamation light also lights. Do you or anyone else know the problem?
Thank you for all your Prius videos, I've just finished the 2-yearly service replacing coolants, oil and brake fluid. I used the Techstream tool to bleed the brakes, I'd like to share a few notes on that: First, make sure your auxiliary 12V battery is fully charged. Even better, connect a second 12V battery or DC power supply in parallel to it (plus on plus, minus on minus), since it might take a while until you're finished, and during that time, the Prius is ignition-on, ready-off. My 12V was stone dead after the procedure (down to 6V).
The sequence of bleeding with Techstream is RR, RL, FL, FR. So you can jack up one axle after the other, no need to go diagonally. The Techstream app tells you exactly what to do, the app can be found in the ABS/ESP/VDC menu under utilities-Air bleeding. The connector for the reservoir level is right next to the reservoir. Its status can be checked in the data section of the ABS/ESP/VSC menu.
The rear brakes bleed by themselves, having pushed down the brake pedal (I used a stick between front seat and pedal) just by opening the bleeder valve. The front brakes require pumping of the brake pedal (needs an assistant). I suggest you use a small glass jar to collect the fluid in small quantities, to check the colour until it comes out clean. Check the reservoir level after every brake bled. Have a decent supply of brake fluid at hand. Close the brake bleeding screws when the liquid comes out. Use a brake line or ring spanner for the bleeding valves, since these are quite small and might slip if stuck.
My brakes are now crisp and sharp like never before!
What is the tech stream tool? thanks
@@pgreenx Techstream is Toyota's diagnostic software package.
techstream has to be rented ("subscription") and you need an interface connection between laptop and OBD port
good point about connecting a 12v power supply. Completely killed my battery this time (last time was 3y ago) and freaked out when I got an ABS error code (which I cleared) and the car would not go into D mode and dashboard would sometime not come on... I thought the reset tool I used killed the car until I realized the dome lights were very dim and was likely a battery drain issue. Jump started the car back to life! drove it around for a few days and had battery tested, it was down to 160CCA (half) and something like 11.8v so time to change that 8.3y old original battery with 185k - they are expensive! could have probably used it a few more years if I never connected an ODB tool to run test on it (it died a second time doing a short test, so yeah time to replace battery).
@@spankrobot @LynxWatch techstream - I may have to look into it as I have error codes C1203, C1345 (linear Solenoid Valve Offset Learning undone), C1392 (zero point calibration of Stroke Sensor undone) I cannot reset. I have a foxwell NT510E Toyota and I asked them about getting *ABS -> ECB Invalid* to work *thinking this would be the same 'invalid mode' used here* without doing 30+ steps, and they sent me a working patch, but instead I got 2 ABS errors I cannot reset (mentioned above) and no blinking ABS light that gets reset on OFF/ON... they told me to do
1) Special function -> *Air bleeding* (which I didn't rally need as I have no air, but it worked the pump)
2) ECB Utility -> *Reset Memory* (not clear that worked)
3) ECB Utility -> *Linear Valve Offset* (didn't seem to work as I never got ABS/Brake light flashing at different speeds)
4) Special Functions -> *Test Mode* to reset the code but they are still there.
Now I have a 2014 Prius with no ABS, no regenerating braking, and no power braking for that matter! bunch of lights on the dashboard... last thing I want to do is pay stealer to reset this all but foxwell is slow to respond (24h china return email) and running out of patience. It's all their fault too - their invalid mode isn't the same (not sure why on earth one would use "ECB invalid" if that what it does) and the above step 3 doesn't work either...!
Q: can you use "Standard" $20 or do you need "Professional" $65 to reset the linear Solenoid Valve Offset and erase those ABS codes ? @NutzAboutBolts do you have it and can I come over (I believe you're in the bay area :)
You’re the best. Thanks for helping out the community. I just bleed my prius 2014 braking system following the same procedure after I discovered a leak in my front driver caliber due to loose banjo bolt. It works like magic. Please do more videos about prius, i love it.
I can not thank you enough for this. I had to change the caliper on my 2013 Prius and had no idea what was involved in bleeding the brakes until I googled it. After having a panic attack I came across your video and it was perfect.
Thanks again !
Thank you, buddy. Really appreciate the tutorial video. I've been disabled from being able to work, so money is a little tight; therefore, I need to do as much service on my vehicles as I can do to save money from the prices the shop wants to charge. Much thanks. You 'da bomb! 👍
This was very helpful. Tried for a half a day by myself to no avail. Got it done in less than 1/2hr after watching this.
Success! I was able to get into invalid mode and successfully bled the brakes!! Great videos!!
Likewise, thanks for this video. BTW, a pump is not necessary for this procedure. I bought a manual pump from Harbor Freight, and I used it to drain the reservoir. But honestly, it wasn't necessary. I could've just drained it all out the first rear brake line. And to do that, I just pressed on the brake pedal for 10 seconds at a time till I was satisfied that the fluid coming out was clear. Another thing - the front bleeder screws are 8mm, not 10mm like the back ones. Oh, and the front ones suck a lot of fluid out of the reservoir, so I suggest pumping the foot brake 5 times then checking the clarity of the fluid & the drain out of the reservoir.
Just did this. Thanks for the walkthrough.
It was hard to keep brake fluid off my newly painted calipers while doing it.
It’s ok, just brake clean the fluid away and you’ll be fine.
I tried bleeding my 2010 Prius brakes with these instructions and nearly completely drained my 12 V battery. I was doing one wheel at a time (wheel off, bleed, wheel on). I'd recommend that a 12V battery charger is connected to the 12 V battery in the back of a Prius before starting this if one doesn't take all the wheels off first.
treborg777 maybe having the key fob near the car helped that?
Probably not Skorpyo. That mode is accessory so it's understandable to have battery drain.
Many thanks NutzAboutBolts! Just did the brake fluid change today; your video helped immeasurably.
nice! glad you were able to do it with confidence :)
Thank you for your wonderfully informative videos, They've helped me tremendously in servicing our 2013 Prius V.
Thanks!
This worked great thank you very much
You're welcome!
Thank you guys for making this video! Very helpful and straightforward.
Nice video!
I don't have a vacuum pump. I was wondering what is the alternative.
Just stick a plastic clear tube on there and it should be fine
PLEASE can ANYONE tell me how the scan tool method is any better? OR is it any different at all?
@@Juss-Saiyan the techstream scan tool uses a laptop to activate the brake system to bleed the brake fluids as opposed to doing it manually by doing the invalid mode. Of course doing the techstream way is easier but if you don’t have it, this method works as well.
I have a 2015 and the procedure to get into invalid mode does not work. Very sad. Love your videos!!!! Keep them coming!
thats interesting since they're all 3rd generation Prius...
NutzAboutBolts I agree. I never get the flashing brake light.
NutzAboutBolts Do you think the rear brake line would drain by gravity? And what would happen if you just pumped the pedal ?
no, the rear brakes are electronically controlled, its way easier than the fronts. The fronts are hydraulically controlled, so you will have to pump the brake pedal and hold. The rear's you can just hold on the brake pedal and open the bleeder valve and it'll start draining out.
Robert, make sure the parking brake is on. Mine wasn't working as well until I pushed in the parking break. It's a pedal on the left side of the car near the door. Push it down with your foot and try the method again.
Can you do this by disconnecting 12V so you don’t have to put in invalid mode?
No, you need the vehicle running to put it into invalid mode. You’ll need it running to flush the brakes as well.
Toyota warns: Do not depress the brake pedal to operate the brake booster pump more than 100 seconds at a time. When performing the procedure continuously, release the brake pedal to stop the brake booster pump operating and depress the brake pedal again. Otherwise the system will set codes and disable invalid mode.
Invalid Mode Procedure:
Engage parking brake
Power Button twice
Press brake and go into Neutral
Press brake x8 in 5 secs
Press Park
Press brake x8 in 5 secs
Press brake and go into Neutral
Press brake x8 in 5 secs
Press Park and note Blinking brake light (yellow circle with exclamation mark)
You are in invalid mode
Bleed rear brakes by holding pedal down
Bleed front brakes by pumping brakes
Power down to exit invalid mode
Consider using charger on 12v battery
It's great to have it written down along with the video! Connecting a battery charger Is a good "just in case" suggestion.
MVP
Or just take it to toyota and get a brake flush.
So i should be able to swap an accumulator/ booster without using a bi directional scan tool?
@@blakewilcox313i wish
Thank you for this Tutorial! This Method works as well in Lexus. I'll try flush My 2008 Lexus gs450h in near future.
Did it work? I have one too
I would check the water contain first with 2 probe sensor for $10 in amazon, if it is still good, i would not flush the whole system. Toyota brake system is not prone to contamination, many trucks owner never do such service for 20 or 30 years even with ABS as long as the car never been in accident or flooded.
Thanks for making this, it was a huge help!
Thanks ❤
So Toyota Prius 2004-2009 same doing like this?
I’m not sure since I haven’t worked on a 2nd gen before, but gen 3 and up seems to work this way, unless it’s an all wheel drive vehicle.
Thanks for your videos. I was able to change the PCV value without any hiccups. On the Brake Bleed video, can I flush the rear brakes the old school way(by pumping) without the bleeder suction pump?
no, the rear brakes are electronically controlled, there is no pumping action needed, just step on the brake pedal and the brake fluids will start flowing out.
So the rear bleeding, instead on pumping the traditional way all you do is press once and fluid starts coming out until depressed? I guess like you mention its like a switch once you press it the fluid automatically starts flowing out (rear breaks)
Nice tutorial! Would it be possible to use the vacuum machine bleed method for the fronts, if no one was around to pump and hold the brake pedal?
no since the front's are conventional braking. I would ask someone to pump it for you.
Highly recommend you buy a pressure bleeder to ensure a clean flush and no air bubbles. Well worth it.
Thank you for the clear and concise video! Mushy brakes after changing rear caliper on 2011 Prius. Took about an hour and now it stops like new again.
I rotated the rear wheel prior to moving to the front brakes and it canceled invalid mode just as you said. Why didn't it throw any errors when I opened the front bleeder screws or pumped the brakes?
Because that mode is only meant to service your brake fluids.
can you please do a brake actuator video
Can the rear breaks be bleed like the front ones if no vacuum bleeder is available?
Hey I know you've asked this 2yrs ago, but did you ever find an answer to this? I'm needing to bleed my brakes this week as well.
great stuff
thanks for taking the time in putting this together
The manual says to start in the RF, then LF, LR, RR. But you start in the rear?
So you don’t need a scanner? Can this procedure be done after replacing the ABS module and brake booster?
Won't hurt to try. I had a C1391 for about a year, and I recently lost my brakes (C1252, C1253, C1256 very stiff pedal hardly stopping the car) and will probably be replacing the actuator and accumulator soon. The previous owner replaced the actuator at 215k in January 2023, car has 251k now, so I'm not sure if he didn't bleed it properly after replacing the actuator. It shouldn't be bad after such a short time/few miles. I'll probably try this bleed procedure first and see if the pump stops running every 7 seconds, if no change I'll order the parts, replace, and use this procedure to bleed it.
If this bleed procedure doesn't work, I'll probably just have the dealer do the bleeding with their software. Not sure if I want to play around with techstream trying to get that to work on my laptop.
I wish those tabs existed for the spark plugs!
what tabs?
the tabs you release to get access to the brake reservoir. It would have been nice to get to the spark plugs by removing some tabs and removing a panel instead of taking the entire cowl and windshield wiper assembly off.
I changed my 2012 Prius spark plug without removing anything at all, I used a spark plug socket connected with a universal socket and a small extension, removed all four spark plugs easily .
@@Truth_Revealed786 lies
shawn arthur why would I lie, check RUclips there are many videos doing the same, i heard Prius c is different but mine is not C.
Hey guys I did the procedure as explained but afterwards my Prius lost regen braking and the ABS, VSC, and the orange exclamation mark lights are on. Please any ideas before I bring it in to the dealer?
I know it was 5 years ago, I'm doing bleeding tomorrow, what was the issue?
Was just helping a friend do this job and the same thing happened. Did anyone figure out what to do? ….not a good situation to be in.
@@experiential we did it last weekend and all went well, just never turn rotors or open doors. While in invalid mode. You have to tow your prius to toyota so they can clear errors.
Does anyone know if this will help with abs /brake safety code on dash board?
Do brakes need bleeding if they appear to work great?
I doubt it tbh. I'm no expert but it could be a bad sensor
I got abs check lights on after 8sec holding brakes but cleared the codes using paper clip method works normal now ? Is that ok.?
Thanks your video's ..same procedure for 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid model air bleed out ? Thanks
I've seen multiple queries about why the need to put the car in "invalid" mode, but no answers. What happens if I bleed the brakes the old fashioned way, w/out putting the car into invalid mode?
Rhys you can bleed the front brakes conventionally, but the rear brakes are electronically controlled, so if you try to bleed it without putting it into invalid mode, it won’t work, and you’ll be introducing air into the system, which can cause a check engine light.
Is the main difference between the rear and front brakes that the pedal goes all the way down, so you have to close the bleeder and pump the pedal again? And when doing the rear brakes, the pedal stays firm, so there's no need to pump?
Also, what does putting the car in brake mode actually do?
This might bea dumb question. With this procedure, abs fuse does not need to be pulled right?
No, you don’t need to.
Thank you so much for this !!!
No problem! Hope it saved you $$$
@@NutzAboutBolts I'm so sure it will. if not, it'll be my fault!! Lol.
Big question now, will I be able to perform this after a new diy install of a new master cylinder and booster and then filling resevoir and then reconnecting battery??
Haven’t tried that, so can’t say, but most likely you’ll need to bleed the fluids, so why not try it 🤣 let me know how it goes.
what if you do not put in invalid mode. i saw a video that all you need to do is open bleeder nut and press on the brake and the abs system will pump out the fluid.
Have at it and let me know. This is straight from the service manual.
So did you use “Invalid mode”? How is outcome?
Hey nuts and bilts i really need your advice ..when i press on my brake peddle all the way down while parked it makes a sucking noise ... plus the break pedal fights back and pushes back up ... i have the abs lights on and a beeping warning sound when i turn the car on but when i shift to drive the beeping aound goes away and the break becomes soft again but the abs lights remain on ....what could be the issue do you think its the ABS booster valve ? Does the front breaks need bleeding ? Or need replacement of the booster
How did the brakes and the brake fluid work after few days or a week? did you have any issues or codes from the main computer?
I'm asking because someone told me replacing the brake fluid by pumping the brakes can cause the brake fluid simulator to throw a code. I wanted to ask you before I change my brake fluid. for the first time.
No issues at all
Do you know if you need to do the same procedure about to put it in valide mode and the same procedure for bleading rear brakes on a Toyota Yaris Hybrid 2014 model?
Thanks for å very good video.
I’m not too sure since I haven’t worked on one, but it doesn’t hurt to try
Hey bro can you do this to fix the light on after changing the booster pump and brake actuator??
What’s the check engine light code?
Should the key be kept away from the car when performing the bleed procedure in invalid mode? Is opening the door okay when in invalid mode?
I haven't done this yet, but judging from the video, the car needs to be on to be in invalid mode. And to turn the car on, you need the key. So I'm guessing no, the key doesn't need to be kept away
Love all your videos, including this one NutzAboutBolts.
Q: Can I use a hose and oil pan instead of this vacuum ? I've got a hand pump for suction of fluid from reservoir.
yes, you can use a hose and an oil pan. Its just so the fluid doesn't spill every where. We didn't use vacuum on the lines.
very helpful on my 2006 (THANK YOU). only thing extra I had to do was unplug wiring from the Master cylinder and 3rd time worked great.
I'm replacing the master cylinder and actuator pump assembly and need to bleed and calibrate the linear solenoid valve. Is this what this video is showing or is this linear solenoid valve calibration a separate thing ? Thank you so much!
You’ll need techstream to do all those calibrations... we haven’t done that before so we can’t help you there... this is just bleeding the brake fluids.
@@NutzAboutBolts Wow, you are great to answer my question so quick. Toyota just told me it was a rear wheel bearing causing the ABS light to turn on and loss of rear brakes. FYI, wasn't the master cylinder. I will still do this brake bleed. I got 304,000 miles my prius and never bled brakes. Thank you !
@@bobrainy5324 oh that’s great! That’s an even easier fix that doesn’t require techstream since it’s a conventional part. Make sure to erase the code to make sure it doesn’t pop back up.
I have a 2012 lexus ct200h. Is this the same procedure?
Thanks for taking the time to make this video and helping people out! You made it clear and simple.
Could you direct me where did you buy your vacuum brake bleeder, thanks again.
+Nero Nguyen I bought it at MatcoTools, its called MityVac brake bleeder model MV6830
Is this the same for the 2012 Prius Plug in? Great channel!
thank you well made and informative, what i needed to hear and see
I could not get my toyota prius v 2012 into invalid mode following this way. I think there's different way to get Prius v into invalid mode.
Were you able to figure out how to put prius v into invalid mode?
How often should this job be done?
Whenever it’s dirty or every 90k or so.
@@NutzAboutBolts cool, thanks for the info.
I accidentally lossened the front bolt and it leaked break fluid. Do I need to bleed the breaks now? Or am I safe to just tighten it back and leave it be?
Bleed the brake fluid.
Do you have to put it in invalid mode for just the front?
@@timhartsough6773 yes
@@NutzAboutBoltsIn another connent you said not nexxessary invalid mode for the front brakes
@@sashaviroviy5065you’ll need invalid mode for front and rear.
The brake bleeder pump and hose is expensive and will not get much use since brake fluid gets changed so infrequently on this car. Is there something else I can use instead?
you can just use the hose, you don't need the vacuum bleeder.
What about the Toyota Rav4 Hybrid 2016, is it working also like this?
You can try, most hybrids do the same procedure, unless it’s an AWD.
Thanks in advance, I'm trying this tonight!
Worked like a charm, THANK YOU!
Help! We changed rear breakers. We bled them by pumping pedal. The battery was connected. New calipers and rotors and pads. Now I hear a hissing like when I press brake to start car and a weird noise when I shut car off. And" maintenance car soon" light comes on quick. What should I do????
Is it hissing or buzzing when you step on the brakes? Any check engine light? Maintenance car soon sounds like an oil change reset light is on.
I tried to do this with my 2010 Prius but after following all if the previous steps, I could not get the car to go into neutral no matter what. The car is of course up on jacks, as I'm trying to flush the coolant. Any help would be appreciated
Wait, how bout the front caliper? How do you bleed them? The accumulator motor wont work when bleeding front tyres right?
For the fronts, you need to manually pump the brake pedal as if you’re doing it on a conventional car.
Thanks very much for this. The inset simultaneously showing pedal pushes is very helpful too, well done video. One question:Would it be ok to have parking brake applied during this? I'm thinking yes, but just curious if you have an opinion. The main reason: one of things that'll kick you out of "invalid" mode is a wheel turning, so I'm thinking, particular with the near free-turning rears, having the parking brake applied would be helpful.
+Mendel Leisk yeah you can, I don't see a problem with it.
+NutzAboutBolts 10 mm wrench seemed a little loose on the rear bleed screw, same story with 8 mm on the front. I managed to dig up a 3/8" socket, and while it wasn't quite deep enough, it appears to be a better fit. So far I'm guessing both front and rear bleed screws are actually imperial, with the rear being 3/8" socket size, and the front (totally guessing so far) being 5/16" socket.
Mendel Leisk
that's weird, I'm not sure why yours didn't fit like ours. Did you use a wrench?
NutzAboutBolts Yeah, I also used 10 mm and 8 mm wrenches, and noticed both seemed slightly loose. I tried the 10 mm wrench on a M6 bolt head for comparison, seemed snugger. It's like 10 mm will work, but kinda loose, might even round the head. This is all just practice btw, I wasn't bleeding them, just checking fit. Rehearsal, lol.
Mendel Leisk
that's weird... only time I think the bleeder screws didn't fit was having an aftermarket brand lol. Well at least you know what size it is now :)
Can I use a manually operated vacuum pump do bleed front brakes. Thanks
You don’t need a vacuum pump, you can use a bottle to catch the brake fluid while opening the bleeder valve. We just used the vacuum pump to catch all the brake fluids dripping out, or sucking up old brake fluid from the brake reservoir.
@@NutzAboutBolts thank you.
How many small bottles do you. need to flush out all four brakes?
Two 1 quart bottle should be enough
How do we remove the caps to the coolant reservoirs on a 2017 Prius? It seems that they don't turn counter clockwise too much. May be they're stuck on there and I just need to pull. It would help you if post a video if possible.
Does this procedure apply to 2017 lexus ct200h?
this is amazing..... now i will do mine...
thanks
What it would be the procedure at 07 camry hybrid?
not too sure since we haven't done one
Vadim Prunici yes I think so but don't count on it I'm not 100% sure
Very helpful, I think I missed up the front now I press the brake it makes HES HES sound, and sometime the pedal get soft.
Redo the front brake flush.
Do I have to bleed the brakes if I’m just replacing brake pads?
No, unless it’s dirty and haven’t been changed in a while or if you opened it to air.
If I have a pressure bleeder, do I have to put it in " invalid mode" ?
Amazing video.. thanks a lot brother...
Most welcome
Hello, what happens if I bleed the brakes without putting the vehicle in invalid mode? I thought I had posted it and it wasn't.
You won’t be able to bleed it and the system might gives you an error code.
okay, thank you very much and thank you for the videos a greeting from Spain
Can i do it without the vaccum?
Is this for the ABS bleeding?
I have prius 2010 model.when im om drive suddenly ABS and Handbreak signals on and ABS stop working but when i switch off the car for a mint than start then the signal remain off but the ABS signal and hand break signals on after a few minutes during the driving.what could be the reason???plz ans
Can invalid mode be used to bleed the brakes decently?
Yep
Hi,
I'm planning to replace my front brakes on my 2010 prius. Do I need to put it in the "invalid mode" to compress the calipers pistons? I heard some horror stories about people compressing the calipers or having the key near the car. Some hydraulic solenoid is energized and prevent fluid from coming out or something like that. Any advise is much appreciated. Thanks
people changed their brakes when the vehicle is turned off. Make sure your doors are not open and keys not around to accidentally activate the vehicle. If you open your driver door, it will activate the ABS system and can cause the caliper piston to depress and it'll be a pain in the ass to put that piston back into the caliper. So make sure not to activate the ABS while doing the brake job.
+NutzAboutBolts
Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply. Have a good night. I'm here in SoCal.
nice, there's plenty of forum threads on PriusChat if you're still nervous. There's quite a few that did their brakes already. Make sure to flush your brakes once you're done with the brake job if the brake pedal feels squishy.
+NutzAboutBolts
Well do thanks for your help and time. We need more people like you!
thanks!
What would me my steps if I want to replace ABS actuator and the pumps?
1. Can I just replace abs actuator and then use your method to refill the system
2. delete old data 4, 12 pins
3. zero point calibr. 4, 12
4. finally 4, 13
what did you figure out?
Does this method work for Prius gen 4, 2018 model? Thank you.
I’m not too sure, I would assume so because this method works on the 2021 Toyota sienna hybrid.
Is it OK if I do the rear first, than exit invalid mode, lift the front, take off the wheels, make sure I can open the bleeder valves, than enter invalid mode again and bleed the front? Or am I supposed to bleed both rear and front on one go, during the same invalid mode session? I'm worried not to deplete the 12V battery during the bleeding process and make a mess of the whole operation, as it is 8 years old . Thanks!
We did it in one go. If you’re worried about battery dying, it would die if it’s old and its not because of doing this service…
@@NutzAboutBolts Thank you. I will try and do a trickle charge over night before attempting the invalid mode brake fluid change. Right now the battery measures 12.39V.
@@RaduLazau ah, it might be on its way out… 8 years is pretty long time, mine usually last me for 4-6 years…
@@NutzAboutBolts yes, it already died on me as I was doing a Techstream scan of the car systems for 10 minutes or so with the car in accesories mode (not Ready). But I charged it and it works fine for now. However, it is rather small capacity and with the brake booster and electric mirrors, DLRs and all it doesn't get to charge fully, as I'm doing mostly short trips. Thanks for the reply.
@@RaduLazau yeah, I’d say just replace it since it’s not holding a good charge. Battery voltage should be 12.6volts. But if you still wanna keep it till it dies, I don’t blame you since these battery costs 200+ lol
pertfect!!! thx
Thank you for the video, but it didn't work for my 2013 Prius, no matter how many times I tried to put it in this mode unfortunately! Iended uo just bleeding it the standard way, and it seems to have worked.
How did you do this?
Can i use dot 4 for my 2010 Prius?
So when I put the car on N and do the pump for 8 x and then ones I click the P the car comes on! And by following all the steps nothing happening I think by car coming on it cancels the procedure
Prius isn't going into invalid mode. Reservoir full. Any suggestions???
What Prius model? It should work on the prius…
@NutzAboutBolts I got it to work. Had to try it a bunch of times and still not sure what I did differently. Maybe a bit faster. It's a 2012 prius II
@@drummerrck nice work! yes, the steps are time sensitive, that's why they only give you 5 seconds to do each step or else it won't work. Glad it worked out for you.
Do you need to flush it? What if you just kept adding new fluid to the M point?
Yes you’ll need to flush it, adding fluids to it won’t help because when your brake pads wear down, the fluid drops because it’s compensating for the loss of the brake pads, when you put new brake pads in, the fluids will go back to the full mark.
My question is:
Why are we putting in new fluid before we bleed/flush the valve? I don't want to be flushing away new fluid.
Can I flush/bleed the old fluid then put in the new fluid?
We suctioned the reservoir of the old fluids, then refill with new fluids. Whatever fluids were in the brake lines are old, so when we did the flush, it’s pushing out the old fluids and the new fluids are taking over the lines. Hope that made sense.
Also, you don’t want to run the reservoir dry or else it’ll damage the brake components.
@@NutzAboutBolts that makes sense. My concern is with flushing away new fluid, I will be cautious with how much I Iet out of the valve
@@anthonysobczak2723 1 bottle of brake fluid is cheap and should be enough to flush the car. I have so much unused brake fluids because it doesn’t take much to fill up the reservoir and flushing it 😆
What going on if we drain brake fluid without invalid mode??
I did everything like you said. But I at the end, I got the E brake light and ABS light and the traction light On. Where did I go wrong?
How didn't you bleed the brake system?
Where do you think I can get the instructions on how to bleed the 07 Camry hybrid?
maybe you have to buy those pdf files on ebay.
Will this chicken dance and procedure wok for a 2013 prius C???
Good work!
+farmerinchico thanks!
I did the RR,RL,FR,RL bleeding but when I reach the stroke abs module bleeding the message bleeding procedure fail
Any ideas why this is happening
Stroke abs? I’m confused, did you follow the the video instruction of putting it into invalid mode?
works perfect
Can you please let me know what gscan model you are using, and will this work with my second gen 2008 Prius?
We didn’t use any scan tool. Not sure if this method works on the 2nd generation Prius.
Hi
I m in trouble and dont know how to proceed. I followed your instuctions and put the car in invalid mode. Yellow exclamation mark began blinking. After when I wanted to disable invalid mode I did wrong and depressed brake pedal and pushed power button instead of only press power button. Now I have abs, traction, yellow exclamation lights and pedal goes to floor. Also red exclamation light also lights. Do you or anyone else know the problem?
Is it the same for 2018 Prius?
Not sure, can the car go into invalid mode?