I have not had a car with such complicated brake booster/ABS than the 4th Gen.
My brakes quit 3 years after I bought the 4th Gen (2002 model).

When I bought the car I was highly suspect of these brakes (that I don't quite understand) . I am not good at instructions if I don't understand what I am doing.

I had a weird brake failure and I still don't know what was happening in detail.
I have to say before the incident I noticed a softer brake for some months.

Then the brake sign lit up in the dash all of a sudden but nothing else. The brake still worked.
Now I know that the brake dahs light is the sign for low brake fluid level.
I continued driving (Had not much choice)

Then 10 minutes later the whole dash was lit up together with an awful noise and soon after - no power brake. I had to stop and tow the car home. At home I saw that the brake fluid tank was empty.

I was searching for the leak and found one rear brake line rusted out and damaged. At least I found something....and I replaced the line. The system was tight again.
But still there was the alarm on: beeping and dash warning lights.

Then I replaced the hydr. pump/el. motor of the brake booster assembly.

The new pump helped to get rid of the dash lights, what a relief.

I was bleeding the brake 2 times now but still the brake is too soft.
I was reading that there might be air trapped in the master brake cylinder which I did not touch. Can it be that with running out of brake fluid through the leak in the rear brake line the master cylinder ran empty of fluid?

I don't think the master brake cylinder has a damaged seal but who knows.

I'd be interested in a simple method to bleed the brakes efficiently.

One thing I noticed: if I have the engine running and pump the brakes 10 times in Park I will get the alarm for low pressure (dash light and buzzer) for a short time until the system is pressurized
Question: Is this normal?
If not normal... what is the problem, what can I do?



I read somewhere that I should drive and brake on slippery ground in order to trigger the ABS and then bleed brakes.after.. This process might help to get some air out of the ABS that is otherwise trapped in there.

I just don't understand how the ABS is interfering with normal braking...
In all my old Mercedes cars the ABS is a separate item and won't interfere with the normal brake action.
Here in this Toyota it seems to be different.

I also read about the Toyota Tester that should be used for bleeding but I don't have this Tester/Software/Techstream.

I am patient and wait for your answers.

Please help.

Martin