Car won't move

[Walt1]

My 2010 Prius sat idle for 18 months. 12V Battery was dead, still under warranty - and I got a new one. It fired right up. But it won't go anywhere. There is a brake light on the dash, but the push button parking brake light is off; it will toggle on and off. I'm not sure if the calipers/pistons are frozen, cables, or pads frozen to the disks. How does the electronic parking brake work; is there a pawl in the transmission? Any ideas?

[Sooty]

Have you checked that the park pedal (the one in place of a clutch pedal) is not applied?

If you applied that parking brake then penny to a pound that the rear brakes are siezed on.

The P button locks a pawl in the transmission. If the P light goes off then that pawl will be released.

[DerekHa]

Hi Bruce,

Would think that any vehicle if left standing and unused for 18 months would have brakes siezed on after that period unless stored in ideal dry conditions.

Have experienced similar problems in the past when my son had his first couple of cars which sat for long periods on the house drive and hardly used as he was too young to be driving.

Would suggest, assuming your capable of a little diy, jacking up each wheel in turn and ensure that the wheels can be turned by hand, doesn't matter if they don't spin freely so long as they can turn.

If the wheel(s) won't turn then the brake(s) are siezed and time to take the wheel off. Get either a copper drift or a short length of 4 x 2 timber and a heavy hammer, builders club hammer is ideal, and give the each disc a whack with the hammer using the timber to cushion the blow and protect the brake assemble ect. The impact should allow the brake pads/calipers to free off just a fraction and allow the wheel to turn. You only need a little movement!

The front brakes will likely be easier to free than the rears. Once you have worked around all four corners and got the car back on level ground then try starting the car and moving it using 1st and reverse gears alternately, your discs will be covered in surface rust which this should help clean off, and hopefully you find that you Prius is no longer an immobile lump of metal.

Once your mobile again it would be a very good idea to replace the brake discs and pads all round unless the discs clean up once your able to drive, take it easy with braking for a few miles as the brakes won;t be working at their best.until everything is bedded in again.

Lets us all know how how you getting or the outcome please.