Radio buttons failing

The board for the face plate is absurdly complex considering it's function is a handful of buttons, 2 knobs, and some LEDs. There are dozens of discrete components, and large IC, and several analog devices.

 

Knobs and console buttons not working, but steering wheel buttons do. I really don't want to have the console/dash ripped off because that could cause more problems, once someone gets back there and doesn't put it back correctly. From reading this thread, it seems that's the only solution. Blast it, this car has only been on the road for 8 months and I baby it. Could slowly driving over a bumpy brick road yesterday have knocked out the contacts behind the radio? Sheesh.

 

Drive straight to the dealer and have them verify problem. Your new car warranty should provide a replacement. Removing the radio should not cause a problem that warranty service can not fix.

 

Thank you, I made an appointment for next week, but wouldn't you know it, on my way home from work the buttons started working. It's still going to the dealer, though. I'll take advantage of the warranty while I have it.

 

You can turn it off using the steering wheel buttons. Just hold the mode button down until it turns off, which takes about 4 or 5 seconds. I learned this when I had a rental Camry, that had this functionality marked.

 

I discovered something interesting the last few times my radio knobs stopped working. Instead of my usual dash banging, I pushed the radio volume pop out knob in and out. This caused the radio buttons to start functioning again. Not sure if the pop out volume knob circuit is the actual problem or if pressing the knob just puts pressure on electronics behind the volume knob circuit. At least I'm narrowing the location of my issue down.

 

An adventure mystery that is almost fun...almost

 

Tonight the radio buttons failed once again and my fix of pressing the pop out volume button in and out, worked to cure it again. I may just have to take it apart and do some internal digging.

 

Literally, this is the first failure of anything on my car. Front panel buttons are not functioning, but steering wheel buttons work normally. Was working yesterday, started the car this morning and does not work. Haven't banged anything on dash yet, going to try popping out the volume button next opportunity.

 

This worked like a charm. Very interesting, pressing the button to pop it out did nothing, pressing it back in again immediately fixed all of the CD changer lights. When the front buttons were inoperative, the CD changer lights were all orange and the "loading" lights at the edges of the slot were also orange. When I pressed the volume button back in, the CD lights turned green (except for the current disk) and the "loading" lights went out like normal. Almost like a reset button.

My guess is this may be some sort of IC error state - it doesn't seem like a mechanical (e.g. intermittent connection) issue to me.

 

Glad it worked for someone else. If what I have been told is true, that there is a solder short causing the issue, then I may be also be correct in thinking that the pressure of pushing that button in helps restore the contact.

In my experience, it doesn't seem to matter if it's hot or cold outside when the failure happens. But pressing that button in and out is better than banging around on the dash.

 

I'm going to have to wait till it happens again to make any conclusions. Its been working fine since I popped the button back in.

 

They are replacing my radio this week. Originally when I called them about the problem, they said they would remove the radio and send it out for repairs. When I brought the car in, I told them that I was able to video tape the problem. When I picked up the car, they said the radio was being ordered and would come in next week. I asked if it would be a new one or a refurbished one - they said they did not know. The radio is covered under the extended 100k warrant that I purchased. My car is a 2007 Prius with 80k miles.

. . . so if anyone is experiencing this problem and has the extended warranty, it is worth a try to see if the dealer will replace it - the radio unit is around $1500 dollars.

 

Sadly I don't believe replacing the radio with a new or refurbished unit is a permanent fix.

 

Mine was replaced 2 years ago and no more problems.

 

My JBL was replaced a year or so ago, now starting to act up again.

 

Ouch!!!!

 

Then you have just been lucky, because nothing had been changed in the manufacture of the radio unit during it's production run.

 

I haven't read all messages, but my '06 radio/CD problems started after warranty ran out - single CD not ejecting, but then it would. Then all dashboard buttons failed and I have a CD stuck inside. I have tried several fixes mentioned by folks in this thread but nothing has gotten the buttons to work again. Steering wheel functions are still OK, but I want my CD! I even tore the dash apart and pulled the radio out, but still could not find any emergency eject button. Anyone know how to retrieve a CD stuck inside (other than a sledge hammer...)? Thanks!

And now my MFD is very dim when I first start the Pri, for about 30 seconds. Guess I'll read that thread next.