T-SB-0172-09 Combination Meter - Intermittent Display

The power steering problem in the classic Prius is a separate, well documented problem. If the steering wheel shakes, then you need to either replace (difficult to find) or clean the sensors (a set of potentiometers). Bob Wilson (find him at the Yahoo Prius_Technical_Stuff or the independent Hybrid Car Forums) used to refurbish these for people. Your friend should contact him and he will advise on how to deal with the steering problem.

JeffD

 

That's what I get for relying on my memory.

JeffD

 

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I experienced this problem for first time today on my 2008 with 48k miles. Cold, but not icy by Seattle standards...about 40F in garage and display was dead. After 15 minutes of driving, it came on. Does this problem typically get worse over time? If it's just a couple times a year, I can live with it...Can the car be driven with the board sent off for repairs? What about the easier instructions for removing? Did anyone ever find those as threatened?

 

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Hi All, Just installed my newly repaired (by pEEf) CM board.

I drive on roads most of you would go around (such is the mail). Last October, my display decided it would only work if the temperature was below 30 degrees. If I warmed up the interior and shut it down, goodbye display until it cooled.
After 6 months of Garmin GPS to tally miles, my choices were; ebay unit $140 w/26000 miles, wait for Toyota to offer a fix, or pay pEEf and see how long real solder and a fix would last. I looked at that board with magnifiers and didn't see the type of solder cracks that pinball machines (same type display) were prone to. So off to pEEf it went and this is the message I sent last night.


Hey Phil,
Arrived at 6:23 this afternoon. Had the Prius apart waiting. Back together and running at 7:30 by myself. 70 degrees here and the CM works. Haven't seen the display above 30 degrees for 6 months. You do good work.

The only problem with the tear down is understanding that the safety on the pillar cover is to keep it from flying in a wreck. Pop it loose "then" turn the catch to release is probably what confuses people the first time they tear down.

Thanks again for caring enough to develope a fix and offer it to other owners. I'll be seeing you at 299,999.

Thanks, Jerry

 

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Actually pEEf seems to to have a good idea of what is going on with these things.
My Prius is an 06, non-taxi vehicle with 125,000 miles on it and our Combination Meter also stopped working. Thankfully, looking at other Combination Meter posts I was able to send my unit to him for repair - saved me lots. The dealership wanted 369 for the part and 350 for labor.
I emailed my complaint to the NHTSA.gov. If there are many of us, perhaps Toyota will make it right by investigating the cause and reimbursing the part and labor.

 

Anyway to enforce warranty for this?

I recently started having this problem with just about 35k miles and little over a week left on warranty. I have created a work order with a dealer while still in warranty. (BTW, The discussions on this forum immensely helped me. Otherwise they probably would have simply laughed me off the dealership. Thanks, everyone). Now I am out of warranty both mileage and time-wise.

However despite me showing them the TSB and pictures the dealership and Toyota customer experience center are taking the position that they will cover it under warranty only if the problem can be reproduced at the dealership. The Customer experience person has said that, if and when the problem happens again and can be reproduced at the dealership, they will review the case with the history, but won't promise it will be covered under warranty at that time.

Since the first time it happened, I got the issue 3 times so far, but the dealer was unable it reproduce it after keeping the car in the shop for 4 days.

What do you guys suggest? Any way to escalate it now? Wait for the issue to happen on a more consistent basis and then see if Toyota is willing to do something?

 

Re: Anyway to enforce warranty for this?

^^^
Perhaps the next time it happens you can take a video of it and also include something in the video that shows the current date like a newspaper's date and its front page story or a local news broadcast where they say the date? Make sure you include turning the dimmer knob up and down and the car not powering down w/a short press of the power button.

At least you'll have less refutable evidence about when it's happening. It's too bad that you're out of mileage by both time and mileage now...

 

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cwerdna
I already have videos. Toyota is simply refusing to accept anything other than dealer verification.

pEEf
I wish it's that easy!!! Actually although I didn't have a drive-in freezer, the morning temperatures were around freezing when the car was with the dealer. Cold temperature alone is not a guarantee to trigger this issue. It happened at temperatures varying from 30 to 48. But didn't happen on some days with temperatures in the high 20s. Perhaps you can figure out why?

About sending it for repair, I am not very comfortable taking things out. Also I feel Toyota should take care of it. It seems unreasonable to me that they expect what's known as an intermittent issue to be duplicated at the dealership. Anyway let's see. Now the temperatures are warming up it may not happen again before next winter. I was just wondering whether there is a way to make Toyota take responsibility.

 

Awesome job on repairing this item.
Thank you.

 

I only know of one way. Complaints, lots and lots of complaints by Prius owners about this specific problem by visiting: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/online.cfm

 

Peef: Pls check your PM regarding my CM shipment.

 

Great Job in repairing my meter and was done very quickly. I haven't had a problem since.

Thanks

 

Does anybody have contact information to pEEf??

i did PM him bot no respond

 

No, but he is Ingineer on MNL. See My Nissan Leaf Forum • Login where it says to contact him via his web site.

 

I think Phil ... I mean Ingineer ... I mean pEEf ( ) is busy with the EVSE mods. Between that, and building his own plug-in system ... man, I don't know how he does it.