My 2004 fully loaded Prius suffered a MFD failure last weekend. I have installed Jon's XM kit and a month or so ago a beta test iPod interface from DICE, both of which had been working fine until the display went south. Just got the car back from Thousand Oaks Toyota today. They said they replaced the MFD with a new one yesterday and the new one failed as well. Smelling a rat, they called the manufacturer of the MFD, Fujitsu I believe it was, who sent a tech over to the shop. He determined that the failure was caused by the DICE iPod interface! When that unit was disconnected all returned to normal. They were good enough to cover all the work under warranty. We contacted the DICE people immediately and asked them to talk to both the Toyota tech and the Fujitsu tech and to please replace the interface immediately. Heads up, DICE buyers!!!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ribbs @ Jul 29 2006, 12:54 AM) [snapback]294239[/snapback]</div> I really really really doubt that. I've had a iPod unit in my car for 4 months now with ZERO ill effects to the functionality of the car. Hell, it's just silly considering how it works.
There could be something to this. I was in ACC Mode, listening to the iPod thru DICE on my lunch hour. I turned off the Display to save battery. When I started the car later to leave work, the display didn't automatically come back on until I pushed a button on the MFD. I thought this might be related to the fact I had shut it off previously. However, the next morning the same thing happened and also the next time. Since then, it has been fine, though.
When you turn off the screen, the only way to turn it back on permanently is to press INFO --> Trip Information
I was hoping it was something like that. I'll test it using Trip Info and see if that was the problem.
I have the exact same problem. The MFD stopped functioning last week. I took it into the dealers and they ordered a replacement MFD. I just read your post, so I went to the car, unplugged the DICE and everything now works !!!! I plugged the DICE back in and it is still working, but their is definately an issue with the DICE unit. I should call the dealer and let them know its not the MFD.
I wonder if the problem lies in the connector to the radio itself. I didn't hear (or feel) a click when I plugged it in, and I know others have experienced that too. It's possible that the plug pulls out slightly (due to vibration), causing a partial connection, and makes the MFD to go out. Unplugging it removes the partial connection and the MFD is fine. Then plugging it back in makes a positive connection and the MFD works.
Lack of a solid connection is a definite possibility. The Fujitsu tech ran a diagnostic on the newly installed MFD and came up with a LAN (local area network) failure code. When he disconnected the DICE unit and rebooted the display the same diagnostic came up clean. Fairly damning. Could be that the beta units were not quite up to snuff - was yours a beta unit Mark? And Vagabond, what exactly do you 'really really really doubt'? Just because yours works fine is hardly an indication that all others are hunky-dory. A short in the connectors, wiring or internal workings of the interface could easily explain the LAN failure. I want it to work too, but unfortunately wanting doesn't make it so.
As far as I am aware it is NOT a beta unit. I bought it from their office in Long Beach, CA a month or so ago and this is the first time anything weird as happened to it.
