Thanks for sharing this. I recently purchased a used RX400h with 173,000 miles on it. Because of the Lexus name, I wasn't too concerned about the miles, but I have been worried about the costs of repairs. Your video helped me, in that I'm not afraid to tackle the brakes when the time comes to replace the pads. Thanks again. Jeff
Great video, clear and concise. The conversion of the momentum energy to charge the battery is called 'dynamic braking'. I used to work for the NYC transit subway system and their trains have been doing this long before hybrid cars. Actually, the hybrids took pages off the subway trains. Same voltage 600Vdc (albeit hybrids use lower Amps in comparison).
"This is an amateur video..." Come on man, you're an older gentleman with either vast technical experience, or large quantities of available time to research things to death. Very few people provide the detail to the degree I find in your videos, a true rarity to be frank. Furthermore, either you pre-script and read your dialogue, or you are just gifted in the efficient usage of the English language. For the specific subjects you video-document, the information provided is equivalent to research and execution overkill! Which engineering school did you get your Ph.D. at? Very thankful people like you - who really could be spending your time completing far more "productive" things - take the time to "change your own brakes, transmissions, posts, ect..." A TOP 5 Channel for me!
Credit to whom credit is due. I'm 25, operate a landscaping business, and surround myself with as many older, hard-working individuals such as yourself as I can find, plus the youtube stuff (this old house, Humble mechanic, Ericthecarguy, etc...) If I amount to anything, it will be a result of God's infinite mercy toward me and a fleet of retired electricians, mechanics, technicians, police officers, surgeons, and lawyers: people that, like I believe you have done, bring an age-old level of professionalism to everything they did - their careers, their communication, concern for others - really wish you were near SW Ohio! If you ever happen across the area, I'll take you out for a burger or something!
Very well shot video. if the slide pins were excessively dry that could have accounted for the excessive wear on the inner pad as the caliper would not " float " freely. even with the purchase of the Toyota pin lube the savings doing this job yourself are substantial. showing the use of the dial indicator to test run out on the rotors was a plus for the people who may have not been aware of this test prior to you video.
I can't say that I have ever worked on any hybrid cars but it still good to see that at least the brakes are still fairly normal to replace. Thanks for sharing your very well put together video as per normal.
You are a natural! Such a calm way of speaking and educating the viewer without being condescending! Love your videos! With that said I performed a brake job on my 2007 RX400h. I wasn't aware of the brake bleeding issue until I was knee deep into the job. Well I continued with the brake job and disconnected the battery. I had to replace one caliper and was so worried that something bad was about to happen once I reconnected everything. However NOTHING! Took the car out and brakes work perfectly without bleeding them the correct way. I was so surprised. However since this is my wives vehicle I will still bring the vehicle into Toyota on Monday to have the advised bleeding of the brakes. Do you see anything wrong at having this lexus serviced at Toyota instead of Lexus? I believe there is a $60 per hour difference in labor fees.
Thanks for the feedback, it should help others who have to bleed the brakes. Yes, gravity bleeding will work well most of the time even with key off, though I've never done it on the Lexus. If the brake line bled dry and was then refilled, a conventional final step would be to trigger the ABS motor either with a scan tool or manually. To do it manually I would drive to a safe area with gravel or leaves to promote skidding. Then while moving at about 10 mph, hit the brakes hard to trigger the ABS pump. When the pump kicks on there is a small chance it will dislodge air bubbles that then require a second bleed. If the pedal remains firm you are finished. Regarding Toyota, Lexus is a subdivision of Toyota and many of the parts in the Rx400h are identical to parts in their other Toyota models. So, as long as the techs are comfortable working around the orange high tension wires I wouldn't have any problem with that. Brakes would not be a problem, and they share the same Toyota scan tools. Our local dealer does maintenance for both at the same facility. In our Rx400h, I installed a block heater. First I got a price for the part alone at our Lexus dealer, $150 in the town we lived in at the time. I asked again, emphasizing I just needed the part, same price. The identical part (same part number), including shipping from Toyota was $43. Unfortunately there is a certification for Hybrid techs and you'll pay a premium for that extra training, even if it is not itemized on your final bill.
spelunkerd one last thing, we commonly stick our fingers through the rim to check the rotors. On three of my wheels the surface was like glass but when I replaced the pads the other side of the rotor was absolutely toast. Never assume everything is ok until both sides of the rotor are examined. Btw how do I access or discover your other videos! Your radiator one helped me especially that this vehicle has 240,000 miles but still drives like new :)
Oh, one more detail, since you disconnected the battery you'll want to make sure the windows move up and down. There is a simple relearn procedure for the windows and sunroof that you probably need to do, it's described well in the owners manual. There is also an idle relearn procedure that I describe in detail in the last paragraph of the video description, above. You make a good point checking both sides of the rotors, it's very hard to examine brakes properly without removing wheels. If I think a caliper is stuck I will use a laser thermometer to measure the temp of the rotors after a short drive. One hot rotor makes the diagnosis clear. Thanks again for watching!
Very thorough! Thanks for pointing out that one of the 2 caliper rods has the plastic bushing... would’ve saved me a lot of frustration watching this before the last brake job!
This is a great video for changing out your pads and rotors. It works as described, but make sure and follow the directions and don't bleed the brake fluid. I did both front and back - don't put on ebrake when doing the rears obviously, or you won't get the rotor off. The Lexus brakes are well designed and easy to work with.
Never knew about the key proximity in relation to Hybrid brakes, and the emergency shutoff switch. We have the current generation RX 400, so this is all great to know. I'm impressed by your tool set and how meticulous you are about the job. In particular, measuring the rotors with two micrometers, I gotta get one of those dial setups. I also like your brake piston tool, as I just use a C-Clamp. I was surprised when you bought a tube of Toyota grease, but decided to go with aftermarket pads.
That's a good point about aftermarket products. I usually hesitate when it comes to mixing lubricants, especially with the unknowns about what happens at extreme heat. Silicone paste has normally been my standby, but even there the published data on extreme heat is not completely clear. It just seemed wise to use what was already there, especially given it is not easy to thoroughly clean the slider holes. Regarding the service plug, in an accident the car is designed to shut those wires down. But I would not have complete confidence in the system when the vehicle is smashed. That said, it is reassuring to note that there are very few (any?) fatalities from electrocution after an accident with Toyota electric vehicles. Thank you for watching, it's nice to meet you.
Thanks, Donald, yeah the caliper is fairly traditional. But if you mess up by letting the ignition key get close when the slave cylinder is off, the car could re-pressurize the brake fluid, pushing the slave piston right out. Then you need their software to bleed the brake lines. One guy posted a video here on youtube, and he said that after that happened he had to tow it in to the dealer, and they gave him a bill for more than $500. Thanks for watching!
You are such a great detail oriented person! I am an auto mechanic but not very crazy about working on hybrid cars. My friend has a 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid with a bad ABS module. Replacing it is easy but I am worried about the aftermath hesitant to do the job!
I know, it is possible you may need a scan tool to clear the ABS of air bubbles. Friends who work on these vehicles tell me that they often can get away with bleeding in a normal way, and I have had no difficulty bleeding a couple of vehicles with ABS. Brake by wire systems may need the key on to use the brake pedal for the last bleeding stage, but if the caliper doesn't meet resistance to raise pressure when primed you may get an error code. Vacuum bleeding might work, and positive pressure bleeding from the MC should work OK. Scan tools have come down in price, the Autel midrange products can be had for about $1500 and they do have bidirectional control for things like brake bleeding....
You raise an interesting point regarding the whole question as to why shims are there. I've always assumed they are there to prevent friction and twisting of the pads under the strain of braking. They are so thin I don't think they are very good at distributing pressure across the pad, though I suppose that might be possible. And it seems unlikely they prevent the pads from breaking apart with all the heat and strain. All that said, I've never taken them off when they are designed in a system...
thank you for sharing this, i have done so many brake jobs that forgot about my other half daily driven car is a hybrid until four lights came on from the dash as warning that my ABS,VDC,eBrake, and ATTEnTiON had gone South.. oooppsss.... and have to ask my friend to reset it for me, obviously He's a tech from nissan for he has where i dont have. that was changing the front pads only and now the time had come for the rear and found your very very very helpful tip that i missed the first time which is the proximity sensor from the keyless, as you had explained in the video that how brakes on a hybrid vehicle would work if the engine is not ON. and most of the system is controlled electronically and constantly sensing and adjusting automatically. Again many thanks to you. gtg going to start messing the rear now:)
+Barry Silmaro You're welcome. One other way a failing accessory battery can fail in these vehicles is with various warning lights, too. One day my VDC sensor came on and the car wouldn't start. Fortunately, I checked the battery before calling for a tow. Sure enough, all I needed was a new accessory battery.
I was a little surprised to see that the brake fluid was just pushed back through the system instead of bled out. I read years ago that this could possibly damage the ABS components. Is this generally considered safe to do?
That's a good question, and one that continues to be debated. I can say that I've never had issues with not cracking open the bleeder screw, and on the contrary I have broken my share of bleeder screws when I bleed brakes. A broken bleeder screw could lead to expensive caliper replacement, and certainly extra shop time to extract the broken fragment. People do quote a risk of master cylinder seal damage when a big bolus of fluid is sent backward into the master cylinder, but I've never seen that happen. If you do open the system, you need to be prepared to deal with the consequences, which may be complex in a brake-by-wire system. Toyota use Techstream software to bleed brakes, and the old way of doing this manually will not be as easy as it was for an old style brake system. The risk of not opening that bleeder screw is small, and indeed every time you press on the brake pedal, as you release the pedal, some fluid has to go back into the master cylinder automatically. So, to think there isn't interchange of small amounts of fluid between slave and master cylinders every day is inaccurate. Specifically the water that contaminates brake fluid could freely diffuse up those lines anyway. There are extra risks to bleeding brakes in amateur hands, as well. In my amateur opinion the risk of an extra bleeding step is not worth the effort and risk. Your circumstance may be different, but I know that some professional shops don't bother to crack open that bleeder screw when compressing the slave cylinder. On the other hand, if it is time to replace the brake fluid then bleeding at the time as pad replacement would be timely and much more complete compared to replacing only the fluid in the MC reservoir.
OK. Next question. I've read where it said after you disconnect the battery to operate the brake pedal until it goes hard (all the vacuum power boost is gone from the accumulator reservoir). Then, after fitting the new pads, operate the brake pedal again to push the pads up to the disc before hooking the battery up so that it does not trigger a brake fault code. Did you do this?
Good question! No, I didn't do the first part, and I don't remember whether I pumped the brakes to seat the pads before or after replacing the battery cable. It sounds like wise advice. Thanks for your contribution to the thread!
@@spelunkerd Thank you! I am/was a Master Certified Tech for over 30 years from the first series of tests in Feb 1974 BUT I just can't keep up with all this new computer controlled stuff. I've got all the parts to do the job including new rotors (150,000 + miles) but I'm now paranoid now that I'm going to screw up the brakes due to the hybrid equipment ..... and as you know that is EXPENSIVE!
They are both generic, I think I got them both at Princess Auto here in Canada. The dial micrometer has a magnetic base with a lever to conveniently attach it to a vertical post, but you can rotate and modify it for many different applications. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video, thorough job with showing the runout measurement. I was however curious as to why you used anti seize on the caliper guide but lithium grease on the pins. I was brought up to never use antiseize in an area where the metal parts move against eachother because it turns into a jelly like compound. The antiseize has metal particles in it to act as a sacrificial anode so as a lubricant it does not work well. Just wondering if you know something I don't.
What a great question! To be honest, the main reason I do that is because the best teacher I've ever had when it comes to brakes is Ericthecarguy, and he uses antiseize on the clips. As you say, it would be a major error to think of antiseize as a lubricant, and one would never use it for the sliders. I think the reason antiseize is popular for the clips is because there is minimal movement there, and you don't want lubricant dripping anywhere near the discs or pads. Because that area is frequently wet, corrosion/rust/oxidation is the main enemy. But I don't think a small amount of lithium grease would be wrong at that site, as long as just a very small dab were used.
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped. Another option if the key can't be kept well away from the vehicle would be to pull the ABS relay, which is another common pro strategy in many new vehicles. However that extra step seems unnecessary if you don't let the key near the vehicle. Reading through the remarks here, a few viewers made the mistake of letting the key get too close, and they ended up with a warning light that is hard to remove without a code reader.
That's a perceptive comment, I don't know. I also don't know if removing the accessory battery and taking the key away was a 'belt and suspenders' precaution. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for your thoughtful remark.
Yeah, I'll have to find another use for lithium soap base grease, ha ha. I wonder if it's the same price for a toyota part (grin). Thanks for your very kind feedback.
@Rich P I find it so irritating when Google won't let me reply directly to the question by Rich P. Google is still evidently having trouble consistently allowing the kind of thread continuity as we had before they took over. In any case, I use Alldatadiy for electronic access to the dealers manual. 5 years costs about $40, and you also get TSB updates that of course aren't available in print form. Mitchell is said to be good, too. You can go directly through Lexus but the cost is about 10 fold higher. Unauthorized ebay copies are available as well, but they aren't necessarily complete or up to date with recent TSB's.
Great video, very informative. While you were doing your brake repair, did you disconnect your 12v battery? Secondly, instead of flushing the brake fluid for purposes of total fluid replacement, could I suck the brake fluid out of reservoir with a turkey baster and repeat it several times after a day of driving? Would this trigger the dreaded check VSC message?
Yes, and yes, I did both. And no, it won't trigger a code unless you remove enough fluid to trigger a problem - I would also do that with battery neg pole removed so that the computer doesn't send a low brake fluid code. Draining fluid that way isn't ideal, but the best time to do it is when the pads are thick and calipers are compressed. You don't get to flush impurities out of the caliper this way, but you avoid having to ask for dealer support. I do wonder if there is a way around this need for dealer software, My Autoenginuity software might be able to do it, but I haven't been brave enough to try, yet. Perhaps somebody visiting here will demonstrate a work-around using generic shop tools.
Hi, Nice video. Where did you find a manual for your vehicle? I have the 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid limited and I can't find either the Haynes or Chiltons for this vehicle. Thank you
Great video i was looking for that kind of video on you tube very inter resting i have a question for you do i need specifique antifreeze on my Lexus 400 h 2006
+Gilles Godin Most manufacturers suggest no mixing with generic coolants, and Lexus is no different. I've never tested that boundary. With their extended warranty it's probably wise to use only theirs to avoid conflicts, at least for the warranty period. You can buy the concentrate or the premixed, but as expected they come with luxury prices. Of course if you get the concentrate be sure you add only distilled or deionized water to mix. The Lexus hybrid cooling system is pretty complicated, with two cooling systems and two reservoirs.
Thanks for the video it was very helpful. I just changed my brake pad, I did bleed the caliper But the caliper will not grip and all the lights on dashboard came on since then including the vsc control. Also the brake doesn't grip when I dragged it. Is there anything I can do to solve this problem.
Sometimes when the caliper is widely open, it can't close down on the disc unless the pads and caliper are manually positioned close to the disc. If it still won't close, it's either a stuck caliper or air in the line. Part of the reason I didn't bleed the brakes that day was because the shop manual calls for bleeding to be activated electronically with the Toyota Techstream software. Brake by wire systems are more complicated than the old school method! My scanner might have been able to do it but I didn't want to take the risk. You may need to bite the bullet and ask for a tow to the nearest dealer.
Great video. Very informative. I am afraid I cannot do this service myself though. My 2008 RX 400h is at 110,000 miles now and gives about 27mpg ( 70% highway, 30% local). During last 105,000 mile service the dealer said it is time to change the brake pads at next service. I do not want to get this brake pads changed at the dealer but would like to go to a mechanic. What should I be careful about? Any idea about which brake pads are good on this vehicle?
If I were to ask a pro to do this I would choose an ASE certified shop that sees enough volume to be comfortable with this type of vehicle, especially with how to bleed brakes if they end up needing to do that. Because of the brake-by-wire and regenerative braking systems, bleeding is much more technical than on older vehicles. Unfortunately with extended warranties on these new vehicles, dealers get a lot more experience than do independent mechanics. I think that's kind of sad. Regarding pads, the ones I used are working great, but I can't say much more about that.
Here in Canada there are several version sold in auto parts stores and at Princess Auto. the latter store is very similar to Harbor Freight. I don't know what they call those, but if you search the term "brake caliper compression tool" you'll find many examples. Some older cars have mechanical parking brakes (exclusively on rear calipers) and those operated with a cable sometimes required a wind back tool to rotate the slave cylinder back. You won't need those for front brakes, and almost all new cars have moved to electrically activated parking brakes where a wind back tool is obsolete.
Thank you for the video. I am going to replace my front pads on my 2006 rx400h based on your video. Can you tell me if the rear pads are done the same way?
Typically the rear are different because the parking brake introduces a variable complexity and extra steps. There are a few different designs, and you should research what you have, to know if you require special tools to do the rear brakes. Your best resource is the dealers repair manual, available as an inexpensive option from Alldata or Mitchell.
Yes, I completely agree, and parts always seem to come at a premium. Scotty Kilmer has the same idea, and for once I find myself agreeing with him. However that idea, to reclaim energy from braking, is so compelling....
Thanks for your video, I have a question for you My car is a2008 RX 400H without navigation system do you think if I’ll buy only top part and install it into my car I’ll have a navigation & hybrid system screen? Thanks in advance
Great Video. I enjoyed watching it! I like how thorough you are like me! Just a quick question, I always used Toyota parts in my repairs, especially on the pads as i have had horrible experience if not. Since you had done this video almost a year ago, how have you found those pads? Are they as quite and comfortable as the factory? A comment, I always use new shims on the brake pads for my brake jobs (again Toyota) i would sugest that for you if you hear a "click" noise when you come to a full stop sometimes
For a brake fluid flush or air bleeding am I forced to go to the dealership or are there other brake service companies qualified to service my Lexus 450H hybrid.
Almost all general mechanics will have access to a high end generic scan tool that should do the job fine to enter brake maintenance mode. It's not rocket science. The job is a lot simpler if you maintain the level in the MC while bleeding since the system is already cleared of air. Just make sure the key is nowhere near the vehicle while bleeding.
I usually remove the shims unless they are riveted on. They seem to cause noise and start falling off and cut into the rotor and cause noise. I have even seen shims that were glued on and have slid off!
Subscribed! Thanks a lot. I wondering about one thing. When the brake job is done before engine (or ignition) is started should I pump breke pedal few times? Or system adjust the calipers automatically? What was by your case sir?
Thank you, yes, always pump the brakes after brake work, I must have forgotten to mention it. However you'll find that when you bring the key close to this hybrid, it may automatically pump the brake for you. That's the problem with having the key close, the vehicle pressurizes the system even before the key is in the ignition. If that happens when you have the pads removed, the piston might be pushed out too far and you could have a big mess. Several people have stopped by to mention they got an error messages from the console when they forget to move the key away from the car when doing the brakes. Don't forget! I think the system tests itself and if it doesn't encounter resistance from the piston with one stroke of the master cylinder, it sends off a VSC warning signal. In my case, I pumped once before even retrieving the key, got a firm pedal instantly, and had no difficulty on a careful test drive. Good luck!
No, I wish. That's an instantaneous figure based on consumption coasting downhill. Real average mpg for this car is closer to 26mpg, and you can get more data on a different screen. I'm not really sold on the cost efficiency of the hybrid system, since as the battery fails you spend more and more fuel keeping the battery voltage up, and then you face a HUGE bill. Also, home repair isn't feasible most of the time, so you face repairs from an exclusive shop that has little competition.
Help! I recently had my front brakes done at Firestone (new rotors, brake pads, and caliper) on my 2015 Lexus rx450h (w/ 90k miles). Now the hybrid battery doesn’t seem to be charging as good while driving (per the dash indicator). It is sometimes showing around 50%. Usually much higher, but overall it seems to be at a lower point while driving than normal. I have heard that the hybrid battery should not be dropping below 80%, so I was thinking the battery might be failing but I recalled this started happening right after I got my car back from Firestone’s brake job. I’m thinking they didn’t do something properly. Any thoughts what it could be so I can reference to them to check and see?
There's nothing wrong with asking them, but I think it is really unlikely the issue is related to the brake change. Alternatively you could ask for advice from a shop more qualified to work on a hybrid, and get their unbiased third-party opinion as to whether there is any chance it could be related.
I suspect the principles are similar but details may be very different. I always search for info from multiple sources before attempting a repair, and I did research the Lexus literature quite a bit before moving forward. Not sure about others. Thank you for watching!
Ya, I've been looking for one, too. I don't have have access to a set of shims, which need to be replaced if the present shims don't meet specs. One day.
Probably very similar, but as a general rule I try to get a copy of the dealers manual for all the vehicles I work on. A 5 year subscription to Alldatadiy or Mitchell gives you access to all TSBs and dealer protocols, for about $50. It pays for itself in one repair.
spelunkerd I’m curious because I recently replaced front and rear pads on a 2007 gs450h and after I was done I noticed that the vsc and traction light was on. I don’t know if those lights were already on before I replaced the pads. I drove the car around and the brake pedal seems a little stiff. I didn’t put the key away from the car I don’t know if that has something to do with why the vsc light was on.
Others in this thread described the same problem, and they also didn't move the key away from the car when they did the brakes. I would try to reset that by disconnecting the negative pole of the accessory battery for a few minutes, then reconnect. Cross your fingers and hope it goes away. When you do that, you'll need to do a relearn procedure for the window controls, there is a simple sequence that I described in detail in the description of the video discussing what to do when a hybrid won't start. Also there is a short idle relearn procedure after disconnecting the accessory battery, also described there. Once before I had the VSC light come on when my battery charge was too low. In that case the vehicle wouldn't start until I recharged the battery. However since you were able to restart the vehicle, it probably isn't that. Please stop by and let us know what happened and how you fixed it. I'm sure others will stop by and wonder what to do.
The other thing that you might explore is why the pedal seemed too stiff. If the above procedure doesn't fix it, you need to double check your work and find out why the pedal is too stiff. If you grab the caliper with your hand, in most cars you should be able to squeeze the pads together with minimal resistance. If not, recheck the lubrication of your sliders, they need to slide easily. Also recheck the brake hoses and be sure there is no pigtail twist that could cause a ball valve effect inside the hose. Recheck the adjustment of the emergency brake, make sure it's not too tight.
We just had our new front brakes and new rotors installed in our Lexus RX 400h "year 2006" . The mechanic noted he heard the car making noise while working on it, I assume the key was near by. The breaks feel good except it makes a clicking sound when breaking at a slower speed and also makes a clicking sound while completely stopped with foot on the break. Do you have any insight?
Same thing happened to our Lexus while it was still on warranty. At that time the repair was fully covered under the warranty, so I asked the dealer to fix it. He told me that the wishbone strut hardware was loose, they tightened a few bolts and it was fine. In your case, the mechanic who did the recent brake work should be responsible, though it may be nothing more than shifting clips as the new brake pads break in.
Well done Dave. I would like to see more people using a dial gauge for lateral run out, your a good example for those out there who want to know the right way. If it was not for a video response you made today I would have never seen this one. I was never notified of this one last year, Google goofups I guess.
Steve, with Google plus I'm seeing some of your comments on other videos come through. I've always been impressed by the intelligent quality of your remarks, and you seem to find excellent videos here on youtube. Thanks again for watching mine.
@@spelunkerd OK. Next question. I've read where it said after you disconnect the battery to operate the brake pedal until it goes hard (all the vacuum power boost is gone from the accumulator reservoir). Then, after fitting the new pads, operate the brake pedal again to push the pads up to the disc before hooking the battery up so that it does not trigger a brake fault code. Did you do this? I just don't want to screw this up!
Excellent video sir! I will be performing brake pad / rotor jobs on my RX400h soon. Do you have to use Toyota lithium grease soap? Is there any other alternatives I can get from local parts store?
I used it, partly because the vehicle is still on warranty and I didn't want any aspersions that I used the wrong lubricant. I don't know if others work as well or (more importantly) if they are compatible with the remaining lithium grease that will still be present in those sliders. A small problem there (with sticking sliders) could be a big problem in case of an accident....
You need to initialize the system to tell the computer what position the windows and sunroof etc are in. Check your owners manual for details. As I recall, after a battery disconnect we had to move each window all the way up and all the way down by pressing the switch on the respective door before they would work properly. Before you do that you may notice that the window up/down switch doesn't work. In addition there is a relearn process for fuel economy that involves a sequence of steps you can follow. My impression about the latter was that the relearn happened after driving even if we didn't follow the steps, however I believe the relearn is faster if you go through that sequence. I haven't done that in a few years so if detail is not in the video or the video description, you'll have to check your manual. Off the top of my head I don't remember it, but I believe I recorded that somewhere in one of the Lexus videos I did, perhaps in the video description.
Hello my friend. I have a lexus rx400h 2006. 4 years and i have one problem. When i press break pedal slowly and lightly vehicle stops immediately, feels like ABS emergency stop system activated. This problems happens rare but this is very dissapointing thing. Can you tell me what this problem is ? P.S sorry for my bad english.
I guess I answered this question in the thread for my last video, but it is more appropriate to be here. This is the response I gave. I think you'll need a technician with a labscope and diagnostic tools that go far beyond DIY repairs. First thought is a failing wheel sensor, those devices have a hard time with slow wheel speeds and can send aberrant signals to the abs sensor, triggering the abs system. However with the complexity of regenerative braking, a simple code reader will not detect the signs of early failure. Many codes are proprietary and will not show up on a generic OBDII scan. Good luck!
@@spelunkerd thank you friend. I have one more question. 2 days ago i checked brake fluid suitability and master says brake fluid's need a change. Brake fluid's boiling temperature was 136 degrees instead of 200 degrees. And question is, can this brake problem caused by "bad" break fluid ?
@@tutiav8447 Yes, when dissolved water boils it causes a spongy brake pedal. This is very different than the problem you are having now. Calipers really heat up when descending a hill or when actively braking in the heat of summer, and you can imagine the catastrophic problem of sudden onset of fading brakes when needed most. You can easily remove and replace fluid in the master cylinder with a turkey baster, but to more correctly replace all the fluid you need to bleed the system. Trouble is, in the hybrid Lexus after replacing fluid you may need a scan tool to bleed air from the ABS module. With most vehicles you can muddle through it by bleeding fluid in the usual way, then find a gravel road, activate the ABS by braking hard, then return to the shop and bleed a second time. I'm not sure that will work with the Lexus, you may get a pesky trouble code that is hard to clear, and you may not even be able to drive it until the new problem is dealt with. Professionals use a high level scan tool with bidirectional control to bleed air from the brake system.
Yeah, average mileage for this vehicle is 26 mpg, mostly city driving with quite a few hills and stoplights. (the 21 you saw was just for part of one tank, not representative). Highway is up to 31 mpg. Worse in the winter, which is partly the Canadian winter gas and partly the extra energy for winter tires and extra lighting. I was hoping for better, though this generation of Lexus commonly gets 26. I haven't noticed any erosion of the main battery, yet, and mpg has been steady for years. It's rare for an average consumer to reach the numbers published by any manufacturer's advertising dept -- those numbers lie.
The 400h is optimized more for power than mileage - 26 mpg is pretty good for the weight and power. I thought I was doing great to get 126,000 mi. on the pads on my Prius until I heard of a guy who got 140,000 mi on his. You don't really use the actual friction brakes unless you push them hard or you are down to about 10 mph. One of the secrets to good mileage on a Prius is to slow down gently over a longer distance - that way you get maximum energy recovery. Good video - thanks
I have an rx400h too and will need to replace the rear brakes. Any tips? Also how did pop open the 600v disconnect compartment? If u haven't had problems with ur backup camera, expect it. All the opening and closing the tailgate frays the video cable.
In the Lexus repair manual they emphasize you need double insulated gloves capable of withstanding a 600V arc. Those are expensive, they look like welding gloves but they are a lot more expensive. They have inner rubber liners so it's basically a double glove (no rings!). With those gloves on, you pull the plug upward to rotate it and then pull it out and put it in your pocket. I have not had occasion to do this in my vehicle, nor have I replaced the rear pads. This vehicle has a drum parking brake which needs to be released before the disc can be removed. However the pads and calipers otherwise look very similar.
spelunkerd I meant "how did you pop open the disconnect compartment, not the disconnect itself". As for the HV gloves, I have a set from NYC transit. What year is your RX? I have a 2007 and they have disc brakes front and rear.
Nelson Chua The compartment cover is held on with two plastic clips that are a press fit, just use a medium flat screwdriver and pry it up and off. My vehicle is a 2008. It has disc brakes front and back, but designed inside the rotor on the rear is a drum for the parking brake. If your rotor is fine you don't need to remove it, but if it has to be removed you usually have to undo a screw holding it on and then you usually have to pry the star wheel of the parking brake backward to release the parking brake shoes enough so the rotor slides off. The manual says to mark the position of the disc so it can be replaced in the identical position. Of course the parking brake star wheel (and maybe the parking brake cable) need to be readjusted after the disc is put back on or replaced. I use Alldata, but Mitchell, or even a copy of the dealers manual would be wise. Copies of the dealers are for sale on ebay but you may not get TSB updates with those so I prefer an updated electronic subscription -- pretty cheap compared to getting it though Lexus.
spelunkerd I stand corrected. I do have disc + drum(for parking) in the rear. I took it off to have it refaced. It was verified to still be within specs. The drums and shoes look fine (no surprise since they're only used for parking). No screws outside of the wheel lugbolts holding the rotors. I just had to carefully bang the hell out of it to loosen the rust with the help of rust lube. Thanks again for sharing your tips on the front brakes, they really helped in some way when doing the rear. Cheers from NJ.
Check the simple things first. It's very common in the shop to run the accessory battery down, and that presentation is different in a hybrid. I did a whole video on how to make that diagnosis in a hybrid, but basically take your multimeter and measure voltage across the accessory battery poles. While doing that, ask you wife or a friend to turn the start key. If accessory voltage drops below about 10 volts, you've got an undercharged battery. Recharge the accessory battery and you're away. If that isn't it, then I'd run a code scan, I'd be sure the vehicle is in park and your foot is on the brake pedal. Pump that brake pedal til it is firm. After a brake job the pedal needs to be pumped to bring the pads into contact with the rotor. Then try again. If that doesn't help and you don't have access to a scan tool, as a last resort I'd disconnect the negative pole of the accessory battery, wait 1 min, then reattach. You're looking for a reboot of the system in case there was a problem that has now been cleared. Remember, after a hard boot like that you'll need to reinitialize the door windows by running them all the way up and down with the individual door switches and sunroof switch. Good luck!
How long can 1.7 mm last , another 10,000 miles? I heard from a mechanic once that a shop made a break job on a car and not long on the road the rotor broke in pieces and a piece of that killed somebody as it got thrown in the air. Thanks!
Do you mean 1.7 mm of rotor or 1.7 mm of brake pad? That depends on driving habits and the state of the pads, how often you check your brakes, etc. These vehicles in particular use very little pad when braking is mostly done with the regenerative system. I rotate and swap for winter tires every 6 months and it's convenient to check pads at that time. Rotors have very little wear when pads are replaced before they get thin. Of course the thinnest pad is the one that gives problems, so when they get close it's usually time to get going. By the way, Tito. You can edit your post for spelling etc by clicking on the little arrow that appears when you hover your mouse over the top right of your post.
I just got into a horrible car accident and my car is a total loss, now I am looking for another used vehicle and I found a 2006 Lexus RX400h with 111,000 mileage on it. Does anyone have any serious problem with the Lexus RX400H battery? Spelunkerd, do you still have the 2008 RX400H, Sir?
Great car, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. My wife drove it off a cliff, fortunately she survived without a scratch but the car was written off. The battery is always a question, I don't have an answer except to suggest a full dealer inspection. Toyota offer brilliant engineering, I bought stock in the company when I saw how well their cars are designed.
What happens in the long run if the key was still left in the vehicle when all 4 brake pads were replaced? Also, if those additional steps were not done and the pads simply switched out, what kind of problems could you see or expect immediately and down the road?
If you get away with it and no computer codes are set, you're OK. The main problem happens if the braking system wakes up while the pads are off, in which case the abs pump might kick in, pushing the slave piston out, possibly spilling brake fluid all over the floor and dropping the brake fluid level in the MC reservoir so much that air enters from above. Then you would need to bleed air from the braking system, and possibly erase computer codes to get rid of a check engine light. I know that some mechanics pull the ABS relay to prevent that from happening, but if the key is far away from the car it shouldn't happen even with the ABS relay in place.
I want to install a aftermarket amplifier in lexus rx 400h.. and i want to pass the positive battery wire from main battery under the hood/bonnet to the back cabin in the car, do you know the best way to do that? is the any hole between the bonnet and the cabin where i can pass the wire from to the trunk?
SAJ@TV I've never done that, not sure. I would try to tie it to the ignition so it can't be operated with key off, so that you are less likely to deplete the battery and require an expensive, four wheel tow.
I've heard that because the brakes are electronically controlled on this vehicle it will require a dealer's scan tool to reset some functions after the brake calipers are compressed for new pads on this model. Is that really necessary?
If you have to flush or bleed the brake fluid, the dealers manual describes a procedure to do that with the help of their scan tool. Because it's a brake by wire system, you can't mechanically force fluid down those brake lines without the help of the system computer. So, if you have to replace a caliper it might be very tricky to complete the job at home. And if you mess up and the system pushes fluid all over the garage floor, then you may need a tow to complete the job. What I did here carefully skirted around that requirement by not opening the brake fluid system. If I had to bleed the system I would have tried to do that with my aftermarket scan software (Autoenginuity pro), but I don't know if I would have been able to do it.
I'm still driving the vehicle today and no dealer input was required. Just be very careful to do it as I showed, though I suppose the dial micrometer measurements weren't completely necessary. Most dealers just replace the discs when pads are replaced. Especially remember to store the key far from the car when you take the caliper off. The bigger issue is whether you feel you are comfortable with the risk of doing your own brakes. No single video can cover every important detail.
Gee, it is so long ago I don't remember anything not included in the video. As a usual pattern I get the best available from NAPA, without having to wait for a special order.
I have no personal experience with that one, although I can say there are more similarities than differences in brakes for most vehicles. Many use the rear for the parking brake, which adds an element of complexity and variation. For any vehicle I own, I invest in a subscription to the dealer repair manual, which is about $50 for five years, available through alldatadiy or Mitchelldiy.
first i want say thanks fir this video , i have RX400h i change break pad and the key was close to me wile i working but after i finish i start my car i hear sound comming tik tik tik tik ttttttttt now i feel very bad ? how can i remove that sound . then i found that when i press break and leave it the car stop quik coz the break press not open 😔 can u help me plz how to solve it ?
Dang! It is normal for the brake module to activate brakes before you start the car, but abnormal to have that clicking sound. Perhaps one of the pads was too far from the rotor to meet resistance with one automatic sweep of the MC. First check all of your work to be sure there is nothing wrong from a mechanical perspective and make sure your brake fluid is at the correct level. Make sure your new pads are fairly close to the brake rotors. On most calipers after a brake job it is fairly easy to slide the caliper open and shut with your hand, indicating the sliders are not seized or pinching at a bad angle. If they don't move well, take the calipers apart again and relube the sliders, and hardware. Make sure the brake lines are not kinked or twisted. Then put the key far away from the car, and then disconnect the negative pole of your accessory battery, then wait for about 5 minutes. Then reconnect the negative pole of the battery and cross your fingers, hoping the problem is resolved. Let's hope it is just a problem of recalibration for the new pads. That should happen automatically but perhaps the pads were too far from the rotors, resulting in a fail message from the brake control module. If you don't already know it, disconnecting the negative pole of the battery will cause you to lose your radio settings and will make the windows not roll up correctly. So, after disconnecting the accessory battery you need to initialize the windows and sun roof. It's an easy procedure described in the owners manual. Good luck! If you learn something that might help others, please stop back and tell us how this was resolved.
I accidentally shorted the battery trying not to lose the memory and i think the key was in but the not on and now i have no A/C the compressor started smoking! Im just a back yard mechanic old toyota mechanic
Dang, that's too bad. I'd start by looking for codes and checking for blown fuses. Let's hope the fuses protected the various computers. These new hybrids have many systems that remain powered up even when the key is not in the ignition, including the brake MC which can power up even when the key is close to the car, which is why it is important to disconnect the battery. Dealers may be able to find an algorithm inside the proprietary scan tool but my high level generic scan tools won't do that. In this car, resetting the windows, sun roof, radio and fuel economy settings is fairly easy. No radio code.
You make a good point that rotors don't get checked very often in most vehicles. Many shops routinely replace rotors at the same time as the pads, and lack of regular followup could be used as an argument for that policy. Manufacturers don't make heavy rotors like they used to, so rotors don't last as long. But I'll make a guess that these rotors will last longer than 50,000 km, though warping is pretty common.
yes that would be soul destroying if that happened and without knowing about that key thing in advance well I could see how easy it would be to get caught out.
Hmm 600 volts, and we are told 240 volts mains is dangerious, naughty stuff. The brakes looked pretty normal, shame your wallet had to scream for the special grease :-(, but im sure that tube will last a looooooong time :-)) Runout was very good, no real warpage. Smashing tutorial, as allways :-))
+Dominique Prévots I'd try their website looking for authorized dealers in your country. Failing that, perhaps you could find a retailer who is willing to send it to you.
Of course antiseize in sliders or in places where lubrication is indicated would always be a bad idea. As you probably know, antiseize has abrasives suspended in it that can wear down a surface that is constantly moving. It is especially bad around bearings. However under brake pad clips, the amount of movement is miniscule, and the main goal is to prevent 'rust jacking', where rust builds up between the clips and the caliper, pressing the clips out and mechanically binding the edge of the pads so they can't shift sideways as the pads wear. Similarly where a wheel is bolted to the hub, you don't want rust jacking to cause wheel balance issues. In those areas, the goal is to control oxidation and seized parts. Yup, if you're careful, and if you don't use too much, you can use high temp brake grease as a dual purpose antiseize. I prefer to use a compound specifically designed to control oxidation, but a case can be made for using only one compound for both indications. When only one product is used, the implications of an employee mistake are less, not to mention the extra trouble of keeping two products in stock, and of course the extra mess. In their manual, Toyota use just their proprietary rubber grease for everything.
@@spelunkerd the pink Toyota goo is perfect for the slides. No problem there. Once upon a time all you could get is anti seize, so that's what people used. Today there are way better products then anti seize. In fact, Toyota makes a "white" colored lube that can be applied to the ears of the pads and will provide rust prevention without drying out. Anti seize on the other hand dries and gums up. As miniscule as the movement is when pads make contact with the rotor there is still movement that needs to takes place. That movement is not going to happen as long as there is gummed up bullshit on the ears of the pads.
Thanks for sharing this. I recently purchased a used RX400h with 173,000 miles on it. Because of the Lexus name, I wasn't too concerned about the miles, but I have been worried about the costs of repairs. Your video helped me, in that I'm not afraid to tackle the brakes when the time comes to replace the pads. Thanks again.
Jeff
Great video, clear and concise. The conversion of the momentum energy to charge the battery is called 'dynamic braking'. I used to work for the NYC transit subway system and their trains have been doing this long before hybrid cars. Actually, the hybrids took pages off the subway trains. Same voltage 600Vdc (albeit hybrids use lower Amps in comparison).
It's great to hear about other parallel systems. Thanks for stopping by!
"This is an amateur video..." Come on man, you're an older gentleman with either vast technical experience, or large quantities of available time to research things to death. Very few people provide the detail to the degree I find in your videos, a true rarity to be frank. Furthermore, either you pre-script and read your dialogue, or you are just gifted in the efficient usage of the English language. For the specific subjects you video-document, the information provided is equivalent to research and execution overkill! Which engineering school did you get your Ph.D. at? Very thankful people like you - who really could be spending your time completing far more "productive" things - take the time to "change your own brakes, transmissions, posts, ect..." A TOP 5 Channel for me!
What a kind remark to find with morning coffee. Thanks!
Credit to whom credit is due. I'm 25, operate a landscaping business, and surround myself with as many older, hard-working individuals such as yourself as I can find, plus the youtube stuff (this old house, Humble mechanic, Ericthecarguy, etc...) If I amount to anything, it will be a result of God's infinite mercy toward me and a fleet of retired electricians, mechanics, technicians, police officers, surgeons, and lawyers: people that, like I believe you have done, bring an age-old level of professionalism to everything they did - their careers, their communication, concern for others - really wish you were near SW Ohio! If you ever happen across the area, I'll take you out for a burger or something!
Thanks, it's nice to meet you.
Dave
Very well shot video. if the slide pins were excessively dry that could have accounted for the excessive wear on the inner pad as the caliper would not " float " freely. even with the purchase of the Toyota pin lube the savings doing this job yourself are substantial. showing the use of the dial indicator to test run out on the rotors was a plus for the people who may have not been aware of this test prior to you video.
Nice work, a lot of informations on the how-to and the safety as well. Thank you !
I can't say that I have ever worked on any hybrid cars but it still good to see that at least the brakes are still fairly normal to replace. Thanks for sharing your very well put together video as per normal.
You are a natural! Such a calm way of speaking and educating the viewer without being condescending! Love your videos! With that said I performed a brake job on my 2007 RX400h. I wasn't aware of the brake bleeding issue until I was knee deep into the job. Well I continued with the brake job and disconnected the battery. I had to replace one caliper and was so worried that something bad was about to happen once I reconnected everything. However NOTHING! Took the car out and brakes work perfectly without bleeding them the correct way. I was so surprised. However since this is my wives vehicle I will still bring the vehicle into Toyota on Monday to have the advised bleeding of the brakes.
Do you see anything wrong at having this lexus serviced at Toyota instead of Lexus? I believe there is a $60 per hour difference in labor fees.
Thanks for the feedback, it should help others who have to bleed the brakes. Yes, gravity bleeding will work well most of the time even with key off, though I've never done it on the Lexus. If the brake line bled dry and was then refilled, a conventional final step would be to trigger the ABS motor either with a scan tool or manually. To do it manually I would drive to a safe area with gravel or leaves to promote skidding. Then while moving at about 10 mph, hit the brakes hard to trigger the ABS pump. When the pump kicks on there is a small chance it will dislodge air bubbles that then require a second bleed. If the pedal remains firm you are finished. Regarding Toyota, Lexus is a subdivision of Toyota and many of the parts in the Rx400h are identical to parts in their other Toyota models. So, as long as the techs are comfortable working around the orange high tension wires I wouldn't have any problem with that. Brakes would not be a problem, and they share the same Toyota scan tools. Our local dealer does maintenance for both at the same facility. In our Rx400h, I installed a block heater. First I got a price for the part alone at our Lexus dealer, $150 in the town we lived in at the time. I asked again, emphasizing I just needed the part, same price. The identical part (same part number), including shipping from Toyota was $43. Unfortunately there is a certification for Hybrid techs and you'll pay a premium for that extra training, even if it is not itemized on your final bill.
spelunkerd one last thing, we commonly stick our fingers through the rim to check the rotors. On three of my wheels the surface was like glass but when I replaced the pads the other side of the rotor was absolutely toast. Never assume everything is ok until both sides of the rotor are examined. Btw how do I access or discover your other videos! Your radiator one helped me especially that this vehicle has 240,000 miles but still drives like new :)
Oh, one more detail, since you disconnected the battery you'll want to make sure the windows move up and down. There is a simple relearn procedure for the windows and sunroof that you probably need to do, it's described well in the owners manual. There is also an idle relearn procedure that I describe in detail in the last paragraph of the video description, above. You make a good point checking both sides of the rotors, it's very hard to examine brakes properly without removing wheels. If I think a caliper is stuck I will use a laser thermometer to measure the temp of the rotors after a short drive. One hot rotor makes the diagnosis clear. Thanks again for watching!
Very thorough! Thanks for pointing out that one of the 2 caliper rods has the plastic bushing... would’ve saved me a lot of frustration watching this before the last brake job!
John, this is an awesome informationb you posted, It is very detailed and clear and covers safety as well.
Thank you very much.
You're welcome!
Dave
This is a great video for changing out your pads and rotors. It works as described, but make sure and follow the directions and don't bleed the brake fluid. I did both front and back - don't put on ebrake when doing the rears obviously, or you won't get the rotor off. The Lexus brakes are well designed and easy to work with.
I appreciate your kind feedback.
Never knew about the key proximity in relation to Hybrid brakes, and the emergency shutoff switch. We have the current generation RX 400, so this is all great to know.
I'm impressed by your tool set and how meticulous you are about the job. In particular, measuring the rotors with two micrometers, I gotta get one of those dial setups. I also like your brake piston tool, as I just use a C-Clamp. I was surprised when you bought a tube of Toyota grease, but decided to go with aftermarket pads.
That's a good point about aftermarket products. I usually hesitate when it comes to mixing lubricants, especially with the unknowns about what happens at extreme heat. Silicone paste has normally been my standby, but even there the published data on extreme heat is not completely clear. It just seemed wise to use what was already there, especially given it is not easy to thoroughly clean the slider holes.
Regarding the service plug, in an accident the car is designed to shut those wires down. But I would not have complete confidence in the system when the vehicle is smashed. That said, it is reassuring to note that there are very few (any?) fatalities from electrocution after an accident with Toyota electric vehicles. Thank you for watching, it's nice to meet you.
Thanks, Donald, yeah the caliper is fairly traditional. But if you mess up by letting the ignition key get close when the slave cylinder is off, the car could re-pressurize the brake fluid, pushing the slave piston right out. Then you need their software to bleed the brake lines. One guy posted a video here on youtube, and he said that after that happened he had to tow it in to the dealer, and they gave him a bill for more than $500.
Thanks for watching!
I really appreciate it when you visit and comment on my videos. It adds input from the pro side that isn't always there, thanks.
Thanks for the video, you have great explanation and pleasant voice
Thanks!
You are such a great detail oriented person! I am an auto mechanic but not very crazy about working on hybrid cars. My friend has a 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid with a bad ABS module. Replacing it is easy but I am worried about the aftermath hesitant to do the job!
I know, it is possible you may need a scan tool to clear the ABS of air bubbles. Friends who work on these vehicles tell me that they often can get away with bleeding in a normal way, and I have had no difficulty bleeding a couple of vehicles with ABS. Brake by wire systems may need the key on to use the brake pedal for the last bleeding stage, but if the caliper doesn't meet resistance to raise pressure when primed you may get an error code. Vacuum bleeding might work, and positive pressure bleeding from the MC should work OK. Scan tools have come down in price, the Autel midrange products can be had for about $1500 and they do have bidirectional control for things like brake bleeding....
Great video, very informative! Thanks Look forward to any other videos you have on this Lexus! Peace
You raise an interesting point regarding the whole question as to why shims are there. I've always assumed they are there to prevent friction and twisting of the pads under the strain of braking. They are so thin I don't think they are very good at distributing pressure across the pad, though I suppose that might be possible. And it seems unlikely they prevent the pads from breaking apart with all the heat and strain. All that said, I've never taken them off when they are designed in a system...
Hey man, thanks for stopping by!
thank you for sharing this, i have done so many brake jobs that forgot about my other half daily driven car is a hybrid until four lights came on from the dash as warning that my ABS,VDC,eBrake, and ATTEnTiON had gone South.. oooppsss.... and have to ask my friend to reset it for me, obviously He's a tech from nissan for he has where i dont have. that was changing the front pads only and now the time had come for the rear and found your very very very helpful tip that i missed the first time which is the proximity sensor from the keyless, as you had explained in the video that how brakes on a hybrid vehicle would work if the engine is not ON. and most of the system is controlled electronically and constantly sensing and adjusting automatically. Again many thanks to you. gtg going to start messing the rear now:)
+Barry Silmaro You're welcome. One other way a failing accessory battery can fail in these vehicles is with various warning lights, too. One day my VDC sensor came on and the car wouldn't start. Fortunately, I checked the battery before calling for a tow. Sure enough, all I needed was a new accessory battery.
I've never worked on a hybrid, thx for sharing this info. really nice video, and enjoyed watching.
Thanks!
It's a side road that gets about one car every hour so I was confident I wouldn't see anybody else. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your time.
Got lots of new things. Very good job. Waiting for more video 'bout rx400h
I hope to do a couple more in the next month or so. Thanks for watching.
I was a little surprised to see that the brake fluid was just pushed back through the system instead of bled out. I read years ago that this could possibly damage the ABS components. Is this generally considered safe to do?
That's a good question, and one that continues to be debated. I can say that I've never had issues with not cracking open the bleeder screw, and on the contrary I have broken my share of bleeder screws when I bleed brakes. A broken bleeder screw could lead to expensive caliper replacement, and certainly extra shop time to extract the broken fragment. People do quote a risk of master cylinder seal damage when a big bolus of fluid is sent backward into the master cylinder, but I've never seen that happen. If you do open the system, you need to be prepared to deal with the consequences, which may be complex in a brake-by-wire system. Toyota use Techstream software to bleed brakes, and the old way of doing this manually will not be as easy as it was for an old style brake system. The risk of not opening that bleeder screw is small, and indeed every time you press on the brake pedal, as you release the pedal, some fluid has to go back into the master cylinder automatically. So, to think there isn't interchange of small amounts of fluid between slave and master cylinders every day is inaccurate. Specifically the water that contaminates brake fluid could freely diffuse up those lines anyway. There are extra risks to bleeding brakes in amateur hands, as well. In my amateur opinion the risk of an extra bleeding step is not worth the effort and risk. Your circumstance may be different, but I know that some professional shops don't bother to crack open that bleeder screw when compressing the slave cylinder. On the other hand, if it is time to replace the brake fluid then bleeding at the time as pad replacement would be timely and much more complete compared to replacing only the fluid in the MC reservoir.
Yeah, it's unique, and we will all see a lot more of these in the next generation. Thanks for stopping by.
OK. Next question. I've read where it said after you disconnect the battery to operate the brake pedal until it goes hard (all the vacuum power boost is gone from the accumulator reservoir). Then, after fitting the new pads, operate the brake pedal again to push the pads up to the disc before hooking the battery up so that it does not trigger a brake fault code. Did you do this?
Good question! No, I didn't do the first part, and I don't remember whether I pumped the brakes to seat the pads before or after replacing the battery cable. It sounds like wise advice. Thanks for your contribution to the thread!
@@spelunkerd Thank you! I am/was a Master Certified Tech for over 30 years from the first series of tests in Feb 1974 BUT I just can't keep up with all this new computer controlled stuff. I've got all the parts to do the job including new rotors (150,000 + miles) but I'm now paranoid now that I'm going to screw up the brakes due to the hybrid equipment ..... and as you know that is EXPENSIVE!
They are both generic, I think I got them both at Princess Auto here in Canada. The dial micrometer has a magnetic base with a lever to conveniently attach it to a vertical post, but you can rotate and modify it for many different applications. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video, thorough job with showing the runout measurement. I was however curious as to why you used anti seize on the caliper guide but lithium grease on the pins. I was brought up to never use antiseize in an area where the metal parts move against eachother because it turns into a jelly like compound. The antiseize has metal particles in it to act as a sacrificial anode so as a lubricant it does not work well. Just wondering if you know something I don't.
What a great question! To be honest, the main reason I do that is because the best teacher I've ever had when it comes to brakes is Ericthecarguy, and he uses antiseize on the clips. As you say, it would be a major error to think of antiseize as a lubricant, and one would never use it for the sliders. I think the reason antiseize is popular for the clips is because there is minimal movement there, and you don't want lubricant dripping anywhere near the discs or pads. Because that area is frequently wet, corrosion/rust/oxidation is the main enemy. But I don't think a small amount of lithium grease would be wrong at that site, as long as just a very small dab were used.
Thanks for posting! Easy to understand and to the point!
You're welcome, I'm glad it helped. Another option if the key can't be kept well away from the vehicle would be to pull the ABS relay, which is another common pro strategy in many new vehicles. However that extra step seems unnecessary if you don't let the key near the vehicle. Reading through the remarks here, a few viewers made the mistake of letting the key get too close, and they ended up with a warning light that is hard to remove without a code reader.
That's a perceptive comment, I don't know. I also don't know if removing the accessory battery and taking the key away was a 'belt and suspenders' precaution. Better to be safe than sorry. Thanks for your thoughtful remark.
Learned a lot. Very interesting car, never seen that kind of brake system before. Thanks!
Yeah, I'll have to find another use for lithium soap base grease, ha ha. I wonder if it's the same price for a toyota part (grin). Thanks for your very kind feedback.
Liked! Great video. Gonna do my Honda Insight brakes tomorrow. Thanks for posting this vid up.
I'm glad it helped.
thanks for the great video. How far away from the vehicle does FOB has to be? Thank you.
@Rich P
I find it so irritating when Google won't let me reply directly to the question by Rich P. Google is still evidently having trouble consistently allowing the kind of thread continuity as we had before they took over. In any case, I use Alldatadiy for electronic access to the dealers manual. 5 years costs about $40, and you also get TSB updates that of course aren't available in print form. Mitchell is said to be good, too. You can go directly through Lexus but the cost is about 10 fold higher. Unauthorized ebay copies are available as well, but they aren't necessarily complete or up to date with recent TSB's.
Thank you for the quick reply. Will you be performing any other service or maintenance work on your Lexus Hybrid in the future?
I've been thinking about doing a vid of how to recognize a bad accessory battery, which presents very differently in a hybrid. Not filmed yet.
Great video, very informative. While you were doing your brake repair, did you disconnect your 12v battery? Secondly, instead of flushing the brake fluid for purposes of total fluid replacement, could I suck the brake fluid out of reservoir with a turkey baster and repeat it several times after a day of driving? Would this trigger the dreaded check VSC message?
Yes, and yes, I did both. And no, it won't trigger a code unless you remove enough fluid to trigger a problem - I would also do that with battery neg pole removed so that the computer doesn't send a low brake fluid code. Draining fluid that way isn't ideal, but the best time to do it is when the pads are thick and calipers are compressed. You don't get to flush impurities out of the caliper this way, but you avoid having to ask for dealer support. I do wonder if there is a way around this need for dealer software, My Autoenginuity software might be able to do it, but I haven't been brave enough to try, yet. Perhaps somebody visiting here will demonstrate a work-around using generic shop tools.
Excellent video, thank you.
Hi, Nice video. Where did you find a manual for your vehicle? I have the 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid limited and I can't find either the Haynes or Chiltons for this vehicle.
Thank you
Great video i was looking for that kind of video on you tube very inter resting i have a question for you do i need specifique antifreeze on my Lexus 400 h 2006
+Gilles Godin Most manufacturers suggest no mixing with generic coolants, and Lexus is no different. I've never tested that boundary. With their extended warranty it's probably wise to use only theirs to avoid conflicts, at least for the warranty period. You can buy the concentrate or the premixed, but as expected they come with luxury prices. Of course if you get the concentrate be sure you add only distilled or deionized water to mix. The Lexus hybrid cooling system is pretty complicated, with two cooling systems and two reservoirs.
Thanks for the video it was very helpful.
I just changed my brake pad, I did bleed the caliper But the caliper will not grip and all the lights on dashboard came on since then including the vsc control. Also the brake doesn't grip when I dragged it. Is there anything I can do to solve this problem.
Sometimes when the caliper is widely open, it can't close down on the disc unless the pads and caliper are manually positioned close to the disc. If it still won't close, it's either a stuck caliper or air in the line. Part of the reason I didn't bleed the brakes that day was because the shop manual calls for bleeding to be activated electronically with the Toyota Techstream software. Brake by wire systems are more complicated than the old school method! My scanner might have been able to do it but I didn't want to take the risk. You may need to bite the bullet and ask for a tow to the nearest dealer.
Great video. Very informative. I am afraid I cannot do this service myself though. My 2008 RX 400h is at 110,000 miles now and gives about 27mpg ( 70% highway, 30% local). During last 105,000 mile service the dealer said it is time to change the brake pads at next service. I do not want to get this brake pads changed at the dealer but would like to go to a mechanic. What should I be careful about? Any idea about which brake pads are good on this vehicle?
If I were to ask a pro to do this I would choose an ASE certified shop that sees enough volume to be comfortable with this type of vehicle, especially with how to bleed brakes if they end up needing to do that. Because of the brake-by-wire and regenerative braking systems, bleeding is much more technical than on older vehicles. Unfortunately with extended warranties on these new vehicles, dealers get a lot more experience than do independent mechanics. I think that's kind of sad. Regarding pads, the ones I used are working great, but I can't say much more about that.
What brand/model is that rotor runout micrometer you used? I think i will get one. Thanks for posting
I see you have a special tool to spread brake system that goes over the brake pads. What is it called and where did you get it?
Here in Canada there are several version sold in auto parts stores and at Princess Auto. the latter store is very similar to Harbor Freight. I don't know what they call those, but if you search the term "brake caliper compression tool" you'll find many examples. Some older cars have mechanical parking brakes (exclusively on rear calipers) and those operated with a cable sometimes required a wind back tool to rotate the slave cylinder back. You won't need those for front brakes, and almost all new cars have moved to electrically activated parking brakes where a wind back tool is obsolete.
By the way, if you don't have a brake slave cylinder compression tool, a large C clamp can work fine.
Thank you for the video. I am going to replace my front pads on my 2006 rx400h based on your video. Can you tell me if the rear pads are done the same way?
Typically the rear are different because the parking brake introduces a variable complexity and extra steps. There are a few different designs, and you should research what you have, to know if you require special tools to do the rear brakes. Your best resource is the dealers repair manual, available as an inexpensive option from Alldata or Mitchell.
Thank you once again.
Awesome video
Yes, I completely agree, and parts always seem to come at a premium. Scotty Kilmer has the same idea, and for once I find myself agreeing with him.
However that idea, to reclaim energy from braking, is so compelling....
how do you video the dash when you have both hands on the steering wheel? excellent video once again spelunkerd
Thanks for your video, I have a question for you
My car is a2008 RX 400H without navigation system do you think if I’ll buy only top part and install it into my car I’ll have a navigation & hybrid system screen?
Thanks in advance
I would guess it may require a reflash at the dealer, but I have no experience with that.
Great Video. I enjoyed watching it! I like how thorough you are like me!
Just a quick question, I always used Toyota parts in my repairs, especially on the pads as i have had horrible experience if not. Since you had done this video almost a year ago, how have you found those pads? Are they as quite and comfortable as the factory?
A comment, I always use new shims on the brake pads for my brake jobs (again Toyota) i would sugest that for you if you hear a "click" noise when you come to a full stop sometimes
Brakes on the vehicle are working great, no problems, no clicking or squeaking.
For a brake fluid flush or air bleeding am I forced to go to the dealership or are there other brake service companies qualified to service my Lexus 450H hybrid.
Almost all general mechanics will have access to a high end generic scan tool that should do the job fine to enter brake maintenance mode. It's not rocket science. The job is a lot simpler if you maintain the level in the MC while bleeding since the system is already cleared of air. Just make sure the key is nowhere near the vehicle while bleeding.
Nice work , does that process work for all hybrids?thanks
I usually remove the shims unless they are riveted on. They seem to cause noise and start falling off and cut into the rotor and cause noise. I have even seen shims that were glued on and have slid off!
Could a weak battery be the cause of my problem? below?
Subscribed! Thanks a lot. I wondering about one thing. When the brake job is done before engine (or ignition) is started should I pump breke pedal few times? Or system adjust the calipers automatically? What was by your case sir?
Thank you, yes, always pump the brakes after brake work, I must have forgotten to mention it. However you'll find that when you bring the key close to this hybrid, it may automatically pump the brake for you. That's the problem with having the key close, the vehicle pressurizes the system even before the key is in the ignition. If that happens when you have the pads removed, the piston might be pushed out too far and you could have a big mess. Several people have stopped by to mention they got an error messages from the console when they forget to move the key away from the car when doing the brakes. Don't forget! I think the system tests itself and if it doesn't encounter resistance from the piston with one stroke of the master cylinder, it sends off a VSC warning signal. In my case, I pumped once before even retrieving the key, got a firm pedal instantly, and had no difficulty on a careful test drive. Good luck!
Excellent! Thanks for quick answer. I'll do My brake job on My Gs450h with all your instructions sir. Great channel btw.
No, I wish. That's an instantaneous figure based on consumption coasting downhill. Real average mpg for this car is closer to 26mpg, and you can get more data on a different screen.
I'm not really sold on the cost efficiency of the hybrid system, since as the battery fails you spend more and more fuel keeping the battery voltage up, and then you face a HUGE bill. Also, home repair isn't feasible most of the time, so you face repairs from an exclusive shop that has little competition.
Help! I recently had my front brakes done at Firestone (new rotors, brake pads, and caliper) on my 2015 Lexus rx450h (w/ 90k miles). Now the hybrid battery doesn’t seem to be charging as good while driving (per the dash indicator). It is sometimes showing around 50%. Usually much higher, but overall it seems to be at a lower point while driving than normal. I have heard that the hybrid battery should not be dropping below 80%, so I was thinking the battery might be failing but I recalled this started happening right after I got my car back from Firestone’s brake job. I’m thinking they didn’t do something properly. Any thoughts what it could be so I can reference to them to check and see?
There's nothing wrong with asking them, but I think it is really unlikely the issue is related to the brake change. Alternatively you could ask for advice from a shop more qualified to work on a hybrid, and get their unbiased third-party opinion as to whether there is any chance it could be related.
I suspect the principles are similar but details may be very different. I always search for info from multiple sources before attempting a repair, and I did research the Lexus literature quite a bit before moving forward. Not sure about others. Thank you for watching!
kool video bro.I was wondering if you can do one on your Vulcan 800 valve adjustment?
Ya, I've been looking for one, too. I don't have have access to a set of shims, which need to be replaced if the present shims don't meet specs. One day.
ebay man there cheap there
Is this the same procedure for 07 lexus gs450h?
Probably very similar, but as a general rule I try to get a copy of the dealers manual for all the vehicles I work on. A 5 year subscription to Alldatadiy or Mitchell gives you access to all TSBs and dealer protocols, for about $50. It pays for itself in one repair.
spelunkerd I’m curious because I recently replaced front and rear pads on a 2007 gs450h and after I was done I noticed that the vsc and traction light was on. I don’t know if those lights were already on before I replaced the pads. I drove the car around and the brake pedal seems a little stiff. I didn’t put the key away from the car I don’t know if that has something to do with why the vsc light was on.
Others in this thread described the same problem, and they also didn't move the key away from the car when they did the brakes. I would try to reset that by disconnecting the negative pole of the accessory battery for a few minutes, then reconnect. Cross your fingers and hope it goes away. When you do that, you'll need to do a relearn procedure for the window controls, there is a simple sequence that I described in detail in the description of the video discussing what to do when a hybrid won't start. Also there is a short idle relearn procedure after disconnecting the accessory battery, also described there. Once before I had the VSC light come on when my battery charge was too low. In that case the vehicle wouldn't start until I recharged the battery. However since you were able to restart the vehicle, it probably isn't that. Please stop by and let us know what happened and how you fixed it. I'm sure others will stop by and wonder what to do.
The other thing that you might explore is why the pedal seemed too stiff. If the above procedure doesn't fix it, you need to double check your work and find out why the pedal is too stiff. If you grab the caliper with your hand, in most cars you should be able to squeeze the pads together with minimal resistance. If not, recheck the lubrication of your sliders, they need to slide easily. Also recheck the brake hoses and be sure there is no pigtail twist that could cause a ball valve effect inside the hose. Recheck the adjustment of the emergency brake, make sure it's not too tight.
We just had our new front brakes and new rotors installed in our Lexus RX 400h "year 2006" . The mechanic noted he heard the car making noise while working on it, I assume the key was near by. The breaks feel good except it makes a clicking sound when breaking at a slower speed and also makes a clicking sound while completely stopped with foot on the break. Do you have any insight?
Same thing happened to our Lexus while it was still on warranty. At that
time the repair was fully covered under the warranty, so I asked the
dealer to fix it. He told me that the wishbone strut hardware was loose,
they tightened a few bolts and it was fine. In your case, the mechanic
who did the recent brake work should be responsible, though it may be
nothing more than shifting clips as the new brake pads break in.
Thank you so much for responding :)
Well done Dave. I would like to see more people using a dial gauge for lateral run out, your a good example for those out there who want to know the right way. If it was not for a video response you made today I would have never seen this one. I was never notified of this one last year, Google goofups I guess.
Steve, with Google plus I'm seeing some of your comments on other videos come through. I've always been impressed by the intelligent quality of your remarks, and you seem to find excellent videos here on youtube. Thanks again for watching mine.
In addition to removing the battery cable do you recommend pulling the ABS relays?
I didn't do that, but I was really careful to not let the key get close to the vehicle.
@@spelunkerd OK. Next question. I've read where it said after you disconnect the battery to operate the brake pedal until it goes hard (all the vacuum power boost is gone from the accumulator reservoir). Then, after fitting the new pads, operate the brake pedal again to push the pads up to the disc before hooking the battery up so that it does not trigger a brake fault code. Did you do this? I just don't want to screw this up!
Excellent video sir! I will be performing brake pad / rotor jobs on my RX400h soon.
Do you have to use Toyota lithium grease soap? Is there any other alternatives I can get from local parts store?
I used it, partly because the vehicle is still on warranty and I didn't want any aspersions that I used the wrong lubricant. I don't know if others work as well or (more importantly) if they are compatible with the remaining lithium grease that will still be present in those sliders. A small problem there (with sticking sliders) could be a big problem in case of an accident....
Thank you sir for clarifying this. I guess I'm gonna have to go to stealership now :-)
what is the process you have to do once you disconnect the battery? you mentioned something with the doors, windows, and sunroof.
You need to initialize the system to tell the computer what position the windows and sunroof etc are in. Check your owners manual for details. As I recall, after a battery disconnect we had to move each window all the way up and all the way down by pressing the switch on the respective door before they would work properly. Before you do that you may notice that the window up/down switch doesn't work. In addition there is a relearn process for fuel economy that involves a sequence of steps you can follow. My impression about the latter was that the relearn happened after driving even if we didn't follow the steps, however I believe the relearn is faster if you go through that sequence. I haven't done that in a few years so if detail is not in the video or the video description, you'll have to check your manual. Off the top of my head I don't remember it, but I believe I recorded that somewhere in one of the Lexus videos I did, perhaps in the video description.
Hello my friend. I have a lexus rx400h 2006. 4 years and i have one problem. When i press break pedal slowly and lightly vehicle stops immediately, feels like ABS emergency stop system activated. This problems happens rare but this is very dissapointing thing. Can you tell me what this problem is ? P.S sorry for my bad english.
I guess I answered this question in the thread for my last video, but it is more appropriate to be here. This is the response I gave. I think you'll need a technician with a labscope and diagnostic tools that go far beyond DIY repairs. First thought is a failing wheel sensor, those devices have a hard time with slow wheel speeds and can send aberrant signals to the abs sensor, triggering the abs system. However with the complexity of regenerative braking, a simple code reader will not detect the signs of early failure. Many codes are proprietary and will not show up on a generic OBDII scan. Good luck!
@@spelunkerd thank you friend. I have one more question. 2 days ago i checked brake fluid suitability and master says brake fluid's need a change. Brake fluid's boiling temperature was 136 degrees instead of 200 degrees. And question is, can this brake problem caused by "bad" break fluid ?
@@tutiav8447 Yes, when dissolved water boils it causes a spongy brake pedal. This is very different than the problem you are having now. Calipers really heat up when descending a hill or when actively braking in the heat of summer, and you can imagine the catastrophic problem of sudden onset of fading brakes when needed most. You can easily remove and replace fluid in the master cylinder with a turkey baster, but to more correctly replace all the fluid you need to bleed the system. Trouble is, in the hybrid Lexus after replacing fluid you may need a scan tool to bleed air from the ABS module. With most vehicles you can muddle through it by bleeding fluid in the usual way, then find a gravel road, activate the ABS by braking hard, then return to the shop and bleed a second time. I'm not sure that will work with the Lexus, you may get a pesky trouble code that is hard to clear, and you may not even be able to drive it until the new problem is dealt with. Professionals use a high level scan tool with bidirectional control to bleed air from the brake system.
Great vid! You AVG mileage of 21.6 is dismal. Do you have a heavy foot or drive up mountains?
Yeah, average mileage for this vehicle is 26 mpg, mostly city driving with quite a few hills and stoplights. (the 21 you saw was just for part of one tank, not representative). Highway is up to 31 mpg. Worse in the winter, which is partly the Canadian winter gas and partly the extra energy for winter tires and extra lighting. I was hoping for better, though this generation of Lexus commonly gets 26. I haven't noticed any erosion of the main battery, yet, and mpg has been steady for years. It's rare for an average consumer to reach the numbers published by any manufacturer's advertising dept -- those numbers lie.
Funny my wife also gets 21.6 mpg also! Im very disappointed with the fuel economy.
can i follow this steps for my 2009 altima hybrid
The 400h is optimized more for power than mileage - 26 mpg is pretty good for the weight and power. I thought I was doing great to get 126,000 mi. on the pads on my Prius until I heard of a guy who got 140,000 mi on his. You don't really use the actual friction brakes unless you push them hard or you are down to about 10 mph. One of the secrets to good mileage on a Prius is to slow down gently over a longer distance - that way you get maximum energy recovery. Good video - thanks
Those are thoughtful words. Economic luxury is certainly an oxymoron, and the engineers knew that. Thank you for your feedback!
Good video. Assume very similar procedure for a 2010 RX450h?
+David Milkovich Can't say, you should check the official dealers service manual.
I have an rx400h too and will need to replace the rear brakes. Any tips?
Also how did pop open the 600v disconnect compartment? If u haven't had
problems with ur backup camera, expect it. All the opening and closing the
tailgate frays the video cable.
In the Lexus repair manual they emphasize you need double insulated gloves capable of withstanding a 600V arc. Those are expensive, they look like welding gloves but they are a lot more expensive. They have inner rubber liners so it's basically a double glove (no rings!). With those gloves on, you pull the plug upward to rotate it and then pull it out and put it in your pocket. I have not had occasion to do this in my vehicle, nor have I replaced the rear pads. This vehicle has a drum parking brake which needs to be released before the disc can be removed. However the pads and calipers otherwise look very similar.
spelunkerd
I meant "how did you pop open the disconnect compartment, not the disconnect itself". As for the HV gloves, I have a set from NYC transit. What year is your RX? I have a 2007 and they have disc brakes front and rear.
Nelson Chua The compartment cover is held on with two plastic clips that are a press fit, just use a medium flat screwdriver and pry it up and off.
My vehicle is a 2008. It has disc brakes front and back, but designed inside the rotor on the rear is a drum for the parking brake. If your rotor is fine you don't need to remove it, but if it has to be removed you usually have to undo a screw holding it on and then you usually have to pry the star wheel of the parking brake backward to release the parking brake shoes enough so the rotor slides off. The manual says to mark the position of the disc so it can be replaced in the identical position. Of course the parking brake star wheel (and maybe the parking brake cable) need to be readjusted after the disc is put back on or replaced.
I use Alldata, but Mitchell, or even a copy of the dealers manual would be wise. Copies of the dealers are for sale on ebay but you may not get TSB updates with those so I prefer an updated electronic subscription -- pretty cheap compared to getting it though Lexus.
spelunkerd
I stand corrected. I do have disc + drum(for parking) in the rear. I took it off to have it refaced. It was verified to still be within specs. The drums and shoes look fine (no surprise since they're only used for parking). No screws outside of the wheel lugbolts holding the rotors. I just had to carefully bang the hell out of it to loosen the rust with the help of rust lube. Thanks again for sharing your tips on the front brakes, they really helped in some way when doing the rear. Cheers from NJ.
You're welcome, and thanks for the interesting thread. Nice to meet you.
Does this car make 99.9 MPG? This is what I see on the dashboard display.
I have seen videos showing people changing Prius hybrid batteries fairly easily.
What should I do when my 450h does not start after brake replacement?
Check the simple things first. It's very common in the shop to run the accessory battery down, and that presentation is different in a hybrid. I did a whole video on how to make that diagnosis in a hybrid, but basically take your multimeter and measure voltage across the accessory battery poles. While doing that, ask you wife or a friend to turn the start key. If accessory voltage drops below about 10 volts, you've got an undercharged battery. Recharge the accessory battery and you're away. If that isn't it, then I'd run a code scan, I'd be sure the vehicle is in park and your foot is on the brake pedal. Pump that brake pedal til it is firm. After a brake job the pedal needs to be pumped to bring the pads into contact with the rotor. Then try again. If that doesn't help and you don't have access to a scan tool, as a last resort I'd disconnect the negative pole of the accessory battery, wait 1 min, then reattach. You're looking for a reboot of the system in case there was a problem that has now been cleared. Remember, after a hard boot like that you'll need to reinitialize the door windows by running them all the way up and down with the individual door switches and sunroof switch. Good luck!
Thank you very much. My husband had the battery disconnected completely, reconnected and tgen used plunger cable.
How long can 1.7 mm last , another 10,000 miles?
I heard from a mechanic once that a shop made a break job on a car and not long on the road the rotor broke in pieces and a piece of that killed somebody as it got thrown in the air. Thanks!
Do you mean 1.7 mm of rotor or 1.7 mm of brake pad? That depends on driving habits and the state of the pads, how often you check your brakes, etc. These vehicles in particular use very little pad when braking is mostly done with the regenerative system. I rotate and swap for winter tires every 6 months and it's convenient to check pads at that time. Rotors have very little wear when pads are replaced before they get thin. Of course the thinnest pad is the one that gives problems, so when they get close it's usually time to get going. By the way, Tito. You can edit your post for spelling etc by clicking on the little arrow that appears when you hover your mouse over the top right of your post.
I just got into a horrible car accident and my car is a total loss, now I am looking for another used vehicle and I found a 2006 Lexus RX400h with 111,000 mileage on it. Does anyone have any serious problem with the Lexus RX400H battery? Spelunkerd, do you still have the 2008 RX400H, Sir?
Great car, I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. My wife drove it off a cliff, fortunately she survived without a scratch but the car was written off. The battery is always a question, I don't have an answer except to suggest a full dealer inspection. Toyota offer brilliant engineering, I bought stock in the company when I saw how well their cars are designed.
What happens in the long run if the key was still left in the vehicle when all 4 brake pads were replaced?
Also, if those additional steps were not done and the pads simply switched out, what kind of problems could you see or expect immediately and down the road?
If you get away with it and no computer codes are set, you're OK. The main problem happens if the braking system wakes up while the pads are off, in which case the abs pump might kick in, pushing the slave piston out, possibly spilling brake fluid all over the floor and dropping the brake fluid level in the MC reservoir so much that air enters from above. Then you would need to bleed air from the braking system, and possibly erase computer codes to get rid of a check engine light. I know that some mechanics pull the ABS relay to prevent that from happening, but if the key is far away from the car it shouldn't happen even with the ABS relay in place.
I want to install a aftermarket amplifier in lexus rx 400h.. and i want to pass the positive battery wire from main battery under the hood/bonnet to the back cabin in the car, do you know the best way to do that? is the any hole between the bonnet and the cabin where i can pass the wire from to the trunk?
SAJ@TV I've never done that, not sure. I would try to tie it to the ignition so it can't be operated with key off, so that you are less likely to deplete the battery and require an expensive, four wheel tow.
Is this similar in most hybrid vehicle? Say like a newer Ford C max hybrid.
Hard to say, but most of the time there are more similarities than differences.
could you put the key in a faraday cage or something?
I've heard that because the brakes are electronically controlled on this vehicle it will require a dealer's scan tool to reset some functions after the brake calipers are compressed for new pads on this model. Is that really necessary?
If you have to flush or bleed the brake fluid, the dealers manual describes a procedure to do that with the help of their scan tool. Because it's a brake by wire system, you can't mechanically force fluid down those brake lines without the help of the system computer. So, if you have to replace a caliper it might be very tricky to complete the job at home. And if you mess up and the system pushes fluid all over the garage floor, then you may need a tow to complete the job. What I did here carefully skirted around that requirement by not opening the brake fluid system. If I had to bleed the system I would have tried to do that with my aftermarket scan software (Autoenginuity pro), but I don't know if I would have been able to do it.
spelunkerd Ok, so since we are only changing the brake pads then I take it that it wont be necessary to take it to the dealer. Am I correct?
I'm still driving the vehicle today and no dealer input was required. Just be very careful to do it as I showed, though I suppose the dial micrometer measurements weren't completely necessary. Most dealers just replace the discs when pads are replaced. Especially remember to store the key far from the car when you take the caliper off. The bigger issue is whether you feel you are comfortable with the risk of doing your own brakes. No single video can cover every important detail.
What type of break pads did you use.
Gee, it is so long ago I don't remember anything not included in the video. As a usual pattern I get the best available from NAPA, without having to wait for a special order.
What about hybrid rear brakes? I have a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid
I have no personal experience with that one, although I can say there are more similarities than differences in brakes for most vehicles. Many use the rear for the parking brake, which adds an element of complexity and variation. For any vehicle I own, I invest in a subscription to the dealer repair manual, which is about $50 for five years, available through alldatadiy or Mitchelldiy.
first i want say thanks fir this video , i have RX400h i change break pad and the key was close to me wile i working but after i finish i start my car i hear sound comming tik tik tik tik ttttttttt now i feel very bad ? how can i remove that sound . then i found that when i press break and leave it the car stop quik coz the break press not open 😔 can u help me plz how to solve it ?
Dang! It is normal for the brake module to activate brakes before you start the car, but abnormal to have that clicking sound. Perhaps one of the pads was too far from the rotor to meet resistance with one automatic sweep of the MC. First check all of your work to be sure there is nothing wrong from a mechanical perspective and make sure your brake fluid is at the correct level. Make sure your new pads are fairly close to the brake rotors. On most calipers after a brake job it is fairly easy to slide the caliper open and shut with your hand, indicating the sliders are not seized or pinching at a bad angle. If they don't move well, take the calipers apart again and relube the sliders, and hardware. Make sure the brake lines are not kinked or twisted. Then put the key far away from the car, and then disconnect the negative pole of your accessory battery, then wait for about 5 minutes. Then reconnect the negative pole of the battery and cross your fingers, hoping the problem is resolved. Let's hope it is just a problem of recalibration for the new pads. That should happen automatically but perhaps the pads were too far from the rotors, resulting in a fail message from the brake control module. If you don't already know it, disconnecting the negative pole of the battery will cause you to lose your radio settings and will make the windows not roll up correctly. So, after disconnecting the accessory battery you need to initialize the windows and sun roof. It's an easy procedure described in the owners manual. Good luck! If you learn something that might help others, please stop back and tell us how this was resolved.
Thanks I am planning to buy a used 400h , make more videos about Lexus 400h
My wife drove it off an embankment a year later, totally destroyed, but she was unhurt. Great car if the battery lasts.
Very good video.
Thanks!
good to about that 600 hundred volts thanks
Thank you!
Well done boss.
I accidentally shorted the battery trying not to lose the memory and i think the key was in but the not on and now i have no A/C the compressor started smoking! Im just a back yard mechanic old toyota mechanic
Dang, that's too bad. I'd start by looking for codes and checking for blown fuses. Let's hope the fuses protected the various computers. These new hybrids have many systems that remain powered up even when the key is not in the ignition, including the brake MC which can power up even when the key is close to the car, which is why it is important to disconnect the battery. Dealers may be able to find an algorithm inside the proprietary scan tool but my high level generic scan tools won't do that. In this car, resetting the windows, sun roof, radio and fuel economy settings is fairly easy. No radio code.
thanks for sharing...
Sorry i meant for rotors since the target is 26mm on that car. thanks!
You make a good point that rotors don't get checked very often in most vehicles. Many shops routinely replace rotors at the same time as the pads, and lack of regular followup could be used as an argument for that policy. Manufacturers don't make heavy rotors like they used to, so rotors don't last as long. But I'll make a guess that these rotors will last longer than 50,000 km, though warping is pretty common.
yes that would be soul destroying if that happened and without knowing about that key thing in advance well I could see how easy it would be to get caught out.
Hmm 600 volts, and we are told 240 volts mains is dangerious, naughty stuff.
The brakes looked pretty normal, shame your wallet had to scream for the special grease :-(, but im sure that tube will last a looooooong time :-))
Runout was very good, no real warpage.
Smashing tutorial, as allways :-))
Sorry I meant BRAKE.
Hello,
I'm in France, do you know if and where it's possible to obtain Toyota 08887-01206. I've not find it ...
Thank-you
+Dominique Prévots I'd try their website looking for authorized dealers in your country. Failing that, perhaps you could find a retailer who is willing to send it to you.
Thank-you to have tried. But i need just à little, just only to use one time.... so it's not easy to buy it in another country!
No! Don't use antiseize on anything ever. 😠
Of course antiseize in sliders or in places where lubrication is indicated would always be a bad idea. As you probably know, antiseize has abrasives suspended in it that can wear down a surface that is constantly moving. It is especially bad around bearings. However under brake pad clips, the amount of movement is miniscule, and the main goal is to prevent 'rust jacking', where rust builds up between the clips and the caliper, pressing the clips out and mechanically binding the edge of the pads so they can't shift sideways as the pads wear. Similarly where a wheel is bolted to the hub, you don't want rust jacking to cause wheel balance issues. In those areas, the goal is to control oxidation and seized parts. Yup, if you're careful, and if you don't use too much, you can use high temp brake grease as a dual purpose antiseize. I prefer to use a compound specifically designed to control oxidation, but a case can be made for using only one compound for both indications. When only one product is used, the implications of an employee mistake are less, not to mention the extra trouble of keeping two products in stock, and of course the extra mess. In their manual, Toyota use just their proprietary rubber grease for everything.
@@spelunkerd the pink Toyota goo is perfect for the slides. No problem there. Once upon a time all you could get is anti seize, so that's what people used. Today there are way better products then anti seize. In fact, Toyota makes a "white" colored lube that can be applied to the ears of the pads and will provide rust prevention without drying out. Anti seize on the other hand dries and gums up. As miniscule as the movement is when pads make contact with the rotor there is still movement that needs to takes place. That movement is not going to happen as long as there is gummed up bullshit on the ears of the pads.