Hello Had my Prius 2004 about 2 weeks now and apart from replacing the battery, everything has been fine. However, this morning the HUD didnt turn on when the engine was on. I left it a few mins and restarted and nothing. I am sure the little organe engine light flashed up. Obviously this is a problem as i cant see my speed or petrol level etc.... (or gear!) I only had to drive a few miles in traffic so i thought id see how it went, and after 200-300 yards it came on. Is this a common thing or a problem?
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/57445-instrument-panel-problem-video.html http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...9-combination-meter-intermittent-display.html
Am I correct in thinking that an intermittent working is a sign of a failing display unit? Could it be a reason why the previous owner sold the car as they're rather expensive to replace.
Well I am really hoping this is a one off and it works ok going forward. It was only -1 degrees so it can expect colder temperatures!!!! Anyone know, if worst case is confirmed, how much this could cost? Hill - yeah I did think after it probably wasnt the right term, but before my first coffee of the day, it was all I could come up with!!!!
No, its not the central LCD screen.. its the display directly in front of the steering wheel which gives your speed, petrol gauge etc. Whats the correct word? My main display is still doing a good job of distracting me from the road chasing MPGs!!!
"Combination Meter" is the Toyota name for the instrument cluster assembly that is acting intermittent. As the problem gets worse, you'll find that you can't make the car IG-OFF without holding the POWER button down for several seconds. I recommend that you become familiar with the TSB that was provided in one of the links referenced by dogfriend. US MSRP of part # 83291-47232 is $370, my guess is that your price will be a similar number expressed in GBP. Then add the cost of a couple of labor hours. http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=searchCatalogOEM&siteid=213747
Thanks Patrick, lets hope it holds out for a while. Need to fix the water pump first Shame my Supra has such dreadful MPG, in 7 years I only needed to replace 1 caliper Still... enjoying my Prius and can imagine when its all working its a very relaxing car to own
If or when the problem gets bad try ebay or brakers yards you will save a fortune. The display is easy to change but mileage will be wrong but this can be reset, look up "mileage correction on google" hope this helps. What area are you in, i am an retired electronics engineer and i understand these can be fixed and would be pleased to help if you are not to far away from north Herefor or the Black Country.
An engineer in CA who calls himself pEEf on these blogs offers a low cost repair service for these units. See: http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-...9-combination-meter-intermittent-display.html especially his post (#10) in that discussion. JeffD
The problem is the OP is in the UK making it some what difficult and expensive with shipping to USA the fluorescent display is also fragile for normal shipping.
pEEf doesn't need the whole unit, just one of the boards. Talk to him, he is an active participant of these groups. You can easily remove and re-install it yourselves and your Prius will function without it as it does when it is broken. JeffD
Have you shipped anything to the US lately you will not believe the cost and remember it has to come back and that can become tricky with import duty in the UK and why go all that way if the OP is not to far from me. I am not trying to take work off pEEf just offering to help some one out in my own country.
pEEf is likely to help you know how to repair the board. Ask him (There is a PM button in the message I referenced). Good luck with solving the problem. My 2004 at 190k miles (not km) has never shown this symptom although I had to repair the MFD myself (I am also an EE and based the repair on the great work by the "Hobbit") as it had the classical cracked solder joint that is common in 2004 and 2005 Prii. JeffD
Hi everyone, Yes, I can repair both the MFD (LCD screen in center) and the Combination Meter (VFD display with speed, odometer, fuel, etc.). The Combination meter actually has an engineering fault in a startup circuit that is temperature and age sensitive. Most of them that I've fixed have over 100k miles (usually closer to 150k) and begin to fail on cold mornings at first, then rapidly get worse. I upgrade this circuit so that it has much more tolerance and is unlikely to ever fail to start again. (I haven't had any returns yet!) The MFD has a different problem that can also be temp-sensitive. It's less common than the Combination Meter, and of course doesn't affect drive-ability like the CM does. (When the CM goes, car will not shut off w/o 3 second power button press.) There are other problems it causes, such as not being able to open the rear hatch. No fuel gauge, nav malfunction, etc. Also, good or bad; when the CM is out, you log no mileage. This includes your maintenance interval timer, so you will not know when to change oil! See my CM post for more info.
I consider the CM display a "Heads up display" as I don't have to look down to see it. It's more heads-up than most other cars, but I suppose a true HUD would have a focal distance farther out.
Frosty again this morning and same problem, the car drove fine but the display took about 1/2 a mile to come on. I dont mind this if it is limited to frosty mornings for the first few mins (when I am usually stuck in traffic jams).. its not ideal but summer is coming (apparently) Britplus - Many thanks for your kind offer. I am in Poole, Dorset so I estimate this to be at least a 4-5 hour drive. Do you think you can fix the problem? I might call Toyota today just to know there price, I am expecting it to be £400 plus.. pEEf - Thanks for the great information you have posted on here, I may not know how I am going to fix it, but at least I know what the problem is. Id really like the part replaced so the miles and service internal data is correct. Having just purchased the car (as a family car) my funds for expensive repairs is a bit low at the moment!