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Dark Instrument Panel, Options to resolve please

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by PriusUser2015, Oct 1, 2015.

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  1. PriusUser2015

    PriusUser2015 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2015
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    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hello PRIUSchat!

    My combination meter (dashboard lights) has gone dark intermittently since I've bought the used car from the Toyota dealer in early 2014. It is a 2004. When I first noticed I panicked and took it to the dealer who inspected it and told me the warranty expired. The replacement and labor would cost $700. I declined. I have since messed with the settings, wiggled wires and done other silly things to see if it lights up again to no avail. Sometimes it turns on but then on a particularly weathered day it'll go dark. Yes, it also affects the power button but I have used a work-around to turn the car off. In the last month the meter has remained dark most days, and I just drive the car as is. I cannot repair it on my $9/hr wage.

    I've read this wonderful forum and learned of the enhanced warranty extension for this issue but since I own a 2004 the extension was over before my purchase. I've looked on eBay and other sites to see if I may snatch a cheap combination meter and attempt the repair myself. I have no knowledge on repairing combination meters. Most of my options through Toyota are dead since the car is 11 years old. I'm really bummed by this. I read such amazing things about the car and its reliability which lead to my confidence in purchasing a used model, but this issue sure does sour things.

    Considering I don't have a budget to repair, what are my options?
     
    #1 PriusUser2015, Oct 1, 2015
  2. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    if you cant afford the repair service or one from a junk yard use a GPS unit for speed and miles traveled then fill the car with gas every 200 miles to be safe.used combo units are for sale on e bay for around $200 bucks BUT the milage from the other car will display on yours. videos on youtube on how to remove it and some have links to repair services, you ship it to them they fix it then you reinstall it
     
    #2 Beachbummm, Oct 1, 2015
  3. ClayMask

    ClayMask New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
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    Location:
    Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    We're going to have to replace the combination meter soon, too. The extended warranty is also up for us. I found that there is a seller on eBay who will repair your combination meter for $125 plus $12 if you want expedited shipping, but you have to take it out of the car yourself and mail it in. This seems like a great option since it will retain your mileage and will hopefully be more reliable after the repair than the original combination meter was. Taking it out looks annoying but doable. I found a video on YouTube explaining how to do it. If you decide to do this, I'd wrap the circuit in some antistatic bubble wrap when mailing it in. Office Depot sells some. In the next post I will include some links to the eBay seller and Youtube video.
     
    #3 ClayMask, Oct 1, 2015
  4. ClayMask

    ClayMask New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    2006 Prius
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    #4 ClayMask, Oct 1, 2015
  5. sugarfatpie

    sugarfatpie New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2018
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    Location:
    Knoxville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I'm sure this is resolved by now but I just fixed a similar problem by checking my 12v battery connections. After I put in a new 12v battery, the car started but but no instrument cluster. After looking on here and on youtube I found the culprit to be a loose connection to the negative terminal on the 12v battery. This was totally my fault and easy to fix. Everything good now-PHEW!
     
    #5 sugarfatpie, Nov 11, 2018
    bisco likes this.
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