2013 MFD malfunction or about to die?

welcome!

does seem odd, call corporate and see what they say. if you need one in the end, look for used and a local mechanic to install.

 

a corolla or similar is a great idea, all the best!

 

Same thing is happening to my 2013 Prius with 75K miles. Just started recently. Will check when I go to my dealer for next service. Functions all seem to work, just looks like the TFT-LCD screen might be beginning to fail. Also FL in carport.

 

Same thing here. I am starting to think what is causing it to happen is a weak 12V Auxiliary battery. I think this, because the problem always goes away after the engine has run for a while (and charged the weak battery up again). The problem was more mild and intermittent at first, when the battery was better. Now it always the initial state of the MFD, until an increasingly longer period of time. I might ask the dealer to check my 12v Aux battery strength, before I buy a new one.

I've been driving the Prius since 2014, with 35,000 miles, kept outside. So it's time for a new battery, especially in Florida, where the heat wears out batteries quicker. Also, why is everyone who has this problem located in Florida?!

 

...and I do realize I am indulging in a ton of speculation coming to this conclusion. I have 6 years on the battery, so I'm changing it out, since it was due anyway. I've read other posters claim that the aux battery doesn't power anything after the car starts (or does it?).

 

Okay, and my speculation was wrong. I changed the 12v auxiliary battery out (it was 6 years old, and in a hot climate, so it was getting changed, regardless), and the MFD is still looking like the orange/white screen of the original poster.

 

I've had the same issue happen a couple times now and as I usually notice with vehicle issues..., having lived on a river in a river valley most of my life..., humidity seems to get the better of many electronics (solenoids, ignition components, etc.) and metal components (brake lines, body parts, etc.).

My guess; being that my observation of the issue occurring during or post rain..., humidity is the culprit and some sort of function relating to the display is being corrupted by humidity. Just a guess though based on my observations whether valid correlation or not.

Thinking along that line of thought..., I was wondering about where in the device the causation can be determined logically. I'm guessing the issues isn't the power supply... though the leads when identified can be tested to verify easily.

I'm guessing something in regards to a controller board or motherboard or more likely since a TFT or simpler design display maybe... a microcontroller board and something on that board leaking (capacitors, seal, etc.) or never really dried and then sealed to be waterproof and therefore immune to humidity issues so humidity might be corroding or maybe less morbidly just changing some sort of RF/EM signal causing a strange RFI/EMI event we observe.

Thinking one of us can contact Toyota and see if someone on the Prius team or some other subject matter expert can identify, qualify and quantify the magnitude of the issue and causation with some sort of cost effective corrective and preventative action plan. I was thinking removing to inspect for moisture condensation as I have found moisture condensing in the car on a few occasions... especially when the weather changes from warm to cold and the humidity increases.

My thought was drying off if humidity and moisture is the culprit and then spraying with some sort of polyurethane or whatever is best for electronics, i.e. isn't corrosive and is a good insulator. Maybe some sort of silicone that isn't type 1 (vinegar - acetic acid types) or type 2 (ammonia methanol types) since I know those are in decreasing order more likely to corrode electronic components.

I went to email Toyota regarding a "Product," and was referred to this number and I don't have a phone I'm using unless for emergencies at the moment:

For product concerns, please contact the
Toyota Customer Experience Center at
800-331-4331 for resolution.
Our hours of operation are:
M-F 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT

 

Observation is holding true as the weather just froze up outside and snow/sleet has been falling. Plus, the display is working as should for now and I'll try to post again when I notice otherwise.

 

Anyone fix this? Should I just grab a new mfd?

 

The screen on my 2013 Prius began to appear faded when car initially started and it eventually would appear normal as I drove. Around the same time, I started having trouble with the Voice Command when giving navigation commands. This happened for months. When I took her in for regular service, the dealer's service dept said it was not repairable and would have to be replaced. Now some 6 months later the screen is dim and a scramble up mess. The radio and blue tooth telephone connection still works. Also in Florida. Any new info on this?

 

When I say the screen is dim, I'm referring to the button labels. The screen itself is bright, so much so that driving at night is difficult. It's like having someone shine a flashlight in your eyes. The auxiliary battery has since been replaced with no affect to the MFD. The touch screen actually still works when I touch it, although I can't see what I'm touching.

 

Update from a little over two years ago...screen operated intermittently for quite some time, on start-up would be faded and then would become normal after a few minutes. I was thinking maybe corrosion on a connector that caused resistance that was overcome after heating up. Beginning about a month ago it has deteriorated further and now it mostly mottled and unreadable. Going to try and do more research and see about replacing screen without having to replace entire MFD unit...

 

Unlike most who are facing this issue, i live in California, and facing same issue where the screen turns white and not as clear on initial start, then roughly few mins into it, it returns back to normal. This audio system have had its issues with the Bluetooth where the dealership had to swap the Bluetooth part of the system. Though i do not think thats the problem this time around. Has anyone figured out how to fix this? I was thinking about taking it apart and plugging it back in to give it the good ole "reset" but dont want to do it if it has already been attempted.

Thank You

 

2013 Prius 3. Having the same issue, located in Iowa. MFD is 57032. Started in the summer of this year. Touch screen is still responsive and everything seems to work minus the crazy screen brightness. It eventually will go back to normal after driving for a bit. Sometimes it takes 5-15 minutes and other times up to 30. As the weather has begun to cool down I think it’s taking less time for it to go back to normal.

My guess is the inverter for the LCD screen is what is shot. I have worked on a few different MacBooks with the same issue. I mentioned it at the dealer when getting the oil changed and the tech agreed that it was prob the inverter and it would cost a lot to have them replace it.

trying to decide if I should order a replacement unit from eBay or go aftermarket to get CarPlay but also don’t want to have to swap out the camera/internal mic. I have the JBL audio speakers and the navigation/ XM radio.

 

My screen did the white thing for 10 minutes and then back to color- then 20 then 30 . Now it is always white. Instruction for the switchout?

 

My 2013 did the whiteout then fine after 10-15 minutes for about a year. Then it went permanently whiteout for another ~1-2 years. Now, the radio won't even power on. Pulled all the radio fuses, still nothing. Looks like time for a replacement.

 

In California with a 2013 that started doing this last month. It also causes the backup camera to look like I’m the Mars rover making a go across the red planet lol. It takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to resolve, and recurs every time I restart the car. I call it my “unicorn “ console lol.


QUOTE="Bailey550, post: 2764359, member: 167119"]Purchased new in 2013; currently 36K miles, so out of warranty and no extended warranty. Here's the issue:

About a month ago, on start-up, the MFD display would have a white background--I guess that's the daylight option. After 2-3 minutes, it would go back to the usual dark background. All buttons function. This happened intermittently, but only on initial start-up of the day. Car is not garaged, but under carport in Florida. It started to happen more often, but not every day, and when I took it to the dealer for routine maintenance, I told them about the problem with the MFD. They could not replicate the problem and sent me on my way, altho told me it could be a $1000 fix since the car was out of warranty. I started googling, and my worry is that this is the precursor to MFD going completely dead and then I won't be able to use the radio or other functions controlled by the screen. Problem is happening more often and also happens when car is parked in sunlight. I'd like to know what the end result is likely to be--I might just try to get some help from dealer or Toyota now since the car has so few miles on it, but if it's not going to be a big deal, well, the plan was to give the car to my daughter in a couple of years and get me a new car.
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This is starting to look like an exclusively 2013 problem. Wondering what the situation really is and being something that's occurred with lower mileage... seems Toyota can remedy. Especially if is like some super simple repair to rework the stereos.

Mine is getting worse and at times I can't even barely see enough to make selections. Oddly, I'm guessing due to dryer weather... I have seen some color at times, though is intermittent now in regards to actually true in spec screen performance. No issues with the touch... only disply.