Want to save on hybrid brake repairs? Read this in case you need the latest techniques in hybrid car brakes!

Can you beat hybrid brake repairs? Now it can be told that if you can service the regular Toyota vehicles like Camry then you can work also on Prius brakes. And the first thing to do is to get hold of your brains: Hybrid car brakes are not terms to be feared and avoided and just like any vehicle, it has "gravy" jobs that ordinary people can also do. I bet if you bring just the brake job alone to any garage you will be charged an arm and leg because of the word "hybrid" attached to it. Right now here are some easy jobs you can do if you own a Prius hybrid:

Prius Front Brakes:

The Prius front brakes is one of the easy job that you can do. Before you begin to be surprised on this wonderful gift to you, take note of this: The operation of hybrid car brakes on this vehicle is not exactly the same as your average car or truck brakes. For one, most of the hybrid braking of this car comes from a separate component called "motor generator" or MG2 located inside your transmission. The same generator is used to charge the HV (battery packs) is also used to stop the car. This happens during deceleration when you take off your foot from the gas pedal and step on the brake pedal. During this process, the inertia of the vehicle is captured and used instead as your brakes. Results? Your actual hybrid car brakes are not really used except for emergency stops!

As a matter of fact, the standard brake components only works between zero to 10 miles per hour. Because of this, your hybrid brake repairs are actually non-existent because they do not wear in the first place. And the only maintenance you need is basically to clean the brake parts since they are always exposed to corrosion and dirt. You might not even need this on the first 3 years of the vehicle but it depends on how you use the vehicle. This is why it is important that when buying a used hybrid car especially Prius, to have the brakes inspected so you can add that to the cost.

Other "gravy Jobs" of Prius Hybrid:

Oil and filter change and tire rotations can be done by you, provided you follow the manufacturer's recommended parts and maintenance time intervals. There are however safety issues you have to remember before doing any of this especially when doing hybrid brake repairs: The vehicle itself is like a mobile electric generator; you cannot leave the ignition key in the car while working on this because the car generator can start by itself anytime. Please check with the manufacturer service manual or contact ATS.

Notes:

The Prius rear brakes will be discussed later when information is available.
A Ford Escape brakes uses a $2000 tool to work on them. Check with ATS first before working on this type of brakes.

Click HERE back to Hybrid Car Repair Secrets

Copyright (C) 2000 JESR Enterprises.
All rights reserved