Hi guys, this is my first post here, so I'll try to keep it brief but detailed. I'm running a high mileage 2011 GS450H and the ABS assembly failed on me recently. I got the high pitched warning tone inside the cabin with brake light on the dash and "BRAKE MALFUNCTION" displayed while losing all brakes while working multiple times one night, and it was not fun to say the least. Made it home in one piece and after doing some research, I realized this was a fairly common, yet extremely dangerous issue with these cars. I ordered a used replacement from eBay and a friend and I referenced one of the guides here to replace it (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...350-gs430.html).

Installation went fairly well, but when we tested the brake, the brake line attached to the stroke simulator squirted fluid despite being bolted all the way in (see photo below; the line labeled "last to remove, first to tighten")

NOTE: The fluid squirted from the very top of the brake line, at the tight crevice where the gray line and metal nut meets. The nut itself didn't leak. My friend and I tried to reseat the line multiple times (took forever due to a restricted arc on the wrench) and every time we tested it, it squirted fluid.

We eventually realized a few threads at the end of the brake line (where it screws into the ABS module) was damaged. We believe this was causing the brake line to screw in at a very slight but noticeable angle, which may have been causing the leak. We tried multiple times to reseat it straight by using varying degrees of pressure in different directions (to correct the angle, hoping to get lucky) but it would leak every time we tested the brakes despite being torqued all the way in. Very frustrating and disappointing day, as I was super excited to get back on the road

We eventually gave up and decided to just replace the part. I overnighted the part we thought was causing the issue (https://www.lexuspartsoutlet.com/oem...ube-4425530120) and that would have been the end of it, except the Lexus OEM site I ordered from just informed me they don't actually have the part, and they will ship it once it ships to them from the warehouse...which sounds like it's going to take a couple of days at least. This is absolutely unacceptable to me as I need to get back on the road ASAP with functioning brakes.

To understand the urgency here (and why I'm seeking a temporary fix), it's important for me to reiterate I USE THIS CAR TO WORK. I deliver with Uber and I'm REALLY good at it, so it's become my main source of income as my freelance work has dried up recently. My rent is due at the end of the month, and because I didn't expect to spend nearly $1000 on a new part, AND be out of work for nearly a week, I am kind of in a bit of a bind here. Waiting 3-4 business days is basically another week of no work which will set me behind big time. I'm not a rich guy, and this brake malfunction happened at a terrible time.

So with that said...

Does anyone have any experience or insight into this issue at all? Can anyone recommend any sort of quick/temporary fixes (doable in a day) that will seal the fluid leak until the replacement line comes in? I'll try my best to answer any questions if any.


I'm looking for a temporarily solution here, or anyone with insight who can give advice.

 

I bought a GS 460 that already had the ABS problem. I bought a new unit cheaper at Toyota, and I had the Lexus dealer install it. From my understanding, you need the techstream software to program the unit to your vehicle, and to bleed the brakes. So all I can say is; take it to the dealer.

 

So from my understanding, the little brake line section you attempted to order from the lexus site is the cause of your issues, correct?

If that's all you need, go to a local autoparts store, buy a brake line repair kit and the bending tool and you can make your own.

And don't take this the wrong way, but after all is said and done, be sure to set aside an emergency fund so at least you can pay rent the next time the car goes down! Having a few bucks set aside for a rainy day makes situations like these far less stressful.

 

You are correct the GS and LS need to have there software installed, but I am not sure about a used unit if its compatible

 

You can maybe use a tap/die and recut the threads on the brake hose, or cut off the flared end and install a new fitting, and reflare the end.

 

You can attempt to locate a burr on the end of the line, even if not located try to lightly sand the mating surfaces. Sounds like there is possibly a crack in the flared end. I have temporarily fixed a cracked line leak with epoxy (Marine Tex or JB Weld) in the past as an emergency repair. Good Luck!

 

No worries. You're 100% right. And I appreciate your suggestion. I would have definitely done this if I hadn't already ordered the part. I'm not the richest, but I actually am okay financially, I just would rather not touch my investments and pay my rent with the money I earned that month, as I keep an allotted amount in my account and put the rest towards investments. That timeframe has come and gone and I already lost 2 weeks of work, so at this point, it's whatever. Admittedly, the urgency from the original post is a bit misleading as it was mostly due to me being impatient and wanting a quick leak solution as I waited for the replacement brake line.

If anything catastrophic occurs, I'll just bite the bullet and pay the dealership near me to handle everything, but for now, I'm sure you guys can understand I'm trying to DIY it to save on cost, as I have plenty of free time atm (can't work anyway), plus I like the feeling of knowing EXACTLY what has been done to my car. Last time I let others work on my car, their laziness affected me and caused me to lose my front-right wheel well after a 4 hour drive (mechanic got lazy with fasteners and didn't properly put everything back).

Anyway, the ABS module issue is common enough in these forums, and a few seemed to have fixed it themselves by swapping the unit out for a used module and simply bleeding the brakes (some with the Techstream, some without -- hell, some Prius owners have even gotten away with the ABS swap WITHOUT bleeding the brakes from what I've read, although I imagine you need to be careful with the removal/installation process so as to mitigate the amount of air getting into the system). In any case, I'm attempting the same thing here.

QUICK UPDATE for anyone following, or people from the future who may run into a similar issue:

• Yesterday the brake line I ordered came in. I had stashed the car and ate the lost week of work -- didn't opt for any temp solutions, and used the subway to get places, which was a nightmare. With the help of a local guy who spotted me working on the car (for context, I live in NYC and was working on the street) we installed the new brake line.

• New line ended up leaking again, from the same place right about the 10mm nut, but helpful guy happened to be a plumber and brought over some sealant which was applied to the threads. It seemed to do the trick and stopped the leak. I'm not sure how permanent of a solution this is, but so far so good as far as we tested.

• END RESULT No leaks, but brake is extremely spongey, and there is a permanent "BRAKE MALFUNCTION", "CHECK ABS" light on, as well as a permanent beep, but I was able to drive around the block and park. With the previous module, the system worked fine, until it randomly gave out, lost all brake power, and threw codes, which was extremely dangerous, and why I sought to replace the ABS module in the first place.

• A friend is coming over later today to bleed the system (without techstream) using the car off/battery in method that works for Prius'. From what I understand, the ABS module activates upon depressing the brake, which then pumps the fluid through the system to the wheels. I will let you guys know how this goes in case it helps anyone in the future:

You Tube

SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES/THOUGHTS:

• After the struggle with the 10mm nut that connects the brake line to the ABS module (photo in original post) I wondered if the replacement ABS module itself may have damaged/warped threads. Whenever I visually inspected it, it looked fine, yet it had a tendency to seat the nut at a bit of an angle, similar to the previous line. which I assume was the cause of the leak in the first place. Again, we were able to work around it with that plumber's sealant (for now) so it doesn't really matter now, but food for thought.

• I can actually get from point A to point B fine even with the spongey brake, as it does properly activate the brakes "enough" to safely stop, but the permanent beep is literally nauseating, so I can't actually drive yet, at least not without going crazy.

• As we worked to fix the leak and adjust the screw (tightening, untightening, reseating, etc.), we were constantly testing the brake line for leaks, and we lost a good amount of fluid each time, so my guess is we lost so much fluid/pressure and got a ton of air into the system, which is what's causing the sponginess and lights/beeping on the dash.

• My hope is that when we fully bleed the system, the lights and beep will go away and I can drive without a headache, but that may be wishful thinking, as we aren't using Techstream. We'll see.

• I haven't fully tested the ABS module itself, as this is a used part. It seems to be working fine for now, but you never know, so we should also be able to narrow things down to see if the ABS module itself is problematic.

 

The brakes are spongy because you are currently using only the rear brakes, the front ones are not functioning. Take it to a dealer or at least a competent local shop, trust me. $200 at the dealer and they do a thorough inspection and diagnosis of your problem, and a repair quote. At least you will know exactly what you need to do. I've been through this.

 

Follow these steps. I bled the brakes on my gs460 (electric brakes, same as yours). No Techstream. Everything went fine.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...echstream.html

 

UPDATE: So when we attempted to bleed the brakes, we noticed the bleeder valves were seized up. Tried to use WD-40 (what we had on hand) to help, but no dice. Whenever we tried to unlock the bleeder valve with a wrench, it would just damage the metal and cause it to round out and we were unable to open the valve even with a significant amount of force. Now it looks like we're gonna have to replace them, as they're pretty badly damaged. Guessing the previous owners never bled the brakes. RIP.

Yeah, that's looking like what might need to happen at this point, given all the nonsense we keep running into. You fix one issue, and then run head first into another. Been 2 weeks of this already and I've been unable to work the whole time. RIP.

I've actually read this a number of times and was gonna use this method if the Prius method didn't work. We had it saved as a reference.

 

Care to share the part number you purchased at Toyota and cost? I own a GS460 and this is something on my to-do list.

Thanks.

 

you’re using a flare nut wrench, right? A standard wrench will easily strip and round the bleeders.

 

FINAL UPDATE: After I explained my situation in detail to a few local mechanics, none of them wanted to work on it because of the potential of dealing with a stripped/rounded out bleeder valve which could lead to even more problems, and some were intimidated by the ABS system. Understandable.

One mechanic in particular said it wasn't worth their time to try to remove damaged valves and suggested to replace the calipers, which, according to him was gonna be roughly ~$250 per caliper. Ah, how convenient, I come in for a simple brake bleed and potential bleeder screw replacement, and now I'm replacing all my calipers...lol. He basically pulled the typical scumbag mechanic upsell, trying to bill people with work they didn't truly need, but was adjacent enough to the issue that it sounded convincing. Now don't get me wrong, I'm no car expert, but I know enough as a DIY'er to know it was BS because I knew exactly what my problem was. He also tried to sell me some other BS when he asked "did you program the ABS module to the computer?". I told him no, and he gave me a look like it's a big no-no... essentially trying to make me doubt the viability of the DIY ABS swap that I and many other DIY'ers have done WITHOUT messing with any software. He basically tried to get me to doubt the work I did in order to employ more of his services. I sensed the hard upsell, told him NO THANKS and moved on.

Eventually, I was able to find a local mechanic who was willing to take on the brake bleeding job. I got EXTREMELY lucky because the owner of that particular shop happened to have a friend with him who worked on cars for 20+ years and taught at automotive school. That guy, after watching the owner struggle to remove the valves, used the heat technique (propane torch) to loosen the bleeder valves from the caliper and it actually worked. Best of all? The valves were not THAT bad and still usable. We were able to bleed the brakes on all four wheels WITHOUT TECHSTREAM, and without any tricks. Just a simple process of person A pumping the brake, and person B opening and closing the valves. Car was off, battery was in, and we bled the wheels, and each connection to the ABS module to get rid of MOST of the air in the system. He pointed out the white slush coming out of the brake fluid and told me that was all air, which apparently I had a ton of. Oops. Not all that surprising though considering how messy the installation went with all the leaking.

After the brakes were bled, we tested and they felt good, but the lights on the dash never went away. Mechanic sent me to a friend with a MaxiIM scantool a few blocks away, and he was able to clear the codes. Voila, all nonsense gone. Permanent beep, 'BRAKE MALFUNCTION' and 'CHECK ABS' lights disappeared, and everything worked fine. A bit of an adventure, but it worked out well in the end.

After about 10 hours of driving around for work, it's safe to say the brakes are working PERFECTLY, and no issues reappeared. The used ABS module from eBay works great, and I don't hear it buzzing constantly like my previous one did, which tells me it's keeping pressure. I'm sure there's still some air somewhere in the system since we didn't use Techstream for the bleeding process and clear all the valves in the ABS, but for all practical purposes, it isn't absolutely necessary. Dealership shills on here take yet another L.

For anyone who runs into similar issues, cost of this repair was.
Replacement ABS module (eBay): $844
Brake bleed service: $110
TOTAL: $954

Not too shabby. Hopefully this ABS module lasts at least another year or two.

Unfortunately, we were using a standard wrench. Lesson definitely learned.

 

"Dealership shills on here take yet another L."

Glad you got it done but i was very happy to pay the dealer the $600 to properly install and program the ABS and correctly bleed the brakes so the module dosent break soon from air trapped in the system. Especially if it was a car that I needed for my livelihood. With a used ebay unit. So the time you wasted doing research, looking for answers on forums, breaking and ordering parts, rounding your bleeder valves, driving around different mechanics, and everything else you had to do during the past few weeks instead of working, i hope it was worth less than the $490 extra it would have cost you to get it installed at the dealer in an afternoon.


@snakeo2



Old and new toyota P/N for 460 ABS module

 

Yeah, gonna have to call BS on that one. It would definitely not have cost $600 to replace an ABS unit. Not sure where you're getting that price from, as the price of the ABS unit itself hovers around $2000, and that's without factoring in the cost of labor and/or any other potential issues they would have run into. Note that I bought this GS450H used and I'm not under any type of warranty. Please point me in the direction of a NYC Lexus dealership that charges $600 for ABS replacement with all the bells/whistles for a car that isn't under warranty and I'll show you Santa.