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2001 Prius with dead MFD

Discussion in 'Generation 1 Prius Discussion' started by anniede77, Jan 11, 2018.

  1. anniede77

    anniede77 New Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    I scored a 2001 with 175,000 miles and one owner who always took it to the dealer for ALL of its maintenance for under $3000, including tax, title, and reg today. The body is in excellent shape too - someone really really loved this car.

    I'm not a first-timer - I bought a 2005 Prius right off the lot when life was a bit better for me financially years ago. Life hasn't been so rosy for me lately, and I've spent the last 3 years driving a POS '97 Toyota Tercel, so this is a MAJOR upgrade for me.

    The only major thing I can see wrong with the car is that the MFD is dead. Well, not dead - the onscreen buttons are still functional (they beep when I touch where the manual says the brightness and contrast buttons should be) but the screen does not light up. I'm assuming that the extremely fragile bulb that backlights the screen is dead.

    Question 1 - how important is it to have the MFD working? Can I go without it, at least for a while until my student financial aid comes in?

    Question 2 - if I can find a working used MFD on ebay or at a local junk yard, how hard is it to replace? I'm pretty handy with tools and figured out quite a few things on my Tercel with the help of Mr Google and YouTube. I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty or tearing apart the dashboard (probably with a lot of curse words involved)...as long as I can get it apart and back together without killing myself or the car.

    Question 3 - should I try to get in there and unplug and plug back in the unit first, just to see if it's a loose connection? (I'm going to school for IT, so I know the importance of unplugging stuff and plugging it back in.)

    Thanks!

    Anne
     
    #1 anniede77, Jan 11, 2018
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  2. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    I'm sure its possible to replace the MFD with a used one. The only problem is the plastic dash in the first gen Prius is very fragile. So you run the risk of possibly cracking your dash.

    If it was I who onwned a classic prius, I'd definitely want the touch screen!

    Glad you're back in the Prius gang!
     
    #2 Aaron Vitolins, Jan 11, 2018
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  3. Brian in Tucson

    Brian in Tucson Active Member

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    There should be wrecking yard Gen 1 Pri's in the wrecking yards around LA . I'd find one in a you pick it yard to see what's involved. It's not difficult, but as Aaron mentioned the old dash boards get to be fragile as dried spaghetti. There are tricks, and you should google removing the dash and also search this forum. Someone did a nice writeup last spring and I got one unmolested off a parts car last spring. Important to be sure to get all the fasteners out and then proceed very gently. Even then you'll probably crack it at best or have it shatter at worst.
     
    #3 Brian in Tucson, Jan 11, 2018
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  4. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Search the Gen 1 forums for a post by ChapmanF, he did a video to show you how to get the dash apart with the best chances of not breaking any of it.
     
    #4 dolj, Jan 11, 2018
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  5. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    #5 ChapmanF, Jan 11, 2018
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  6. anniede77

    anniede77 New Member

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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Awesome! Thank you for all your answers...and for ChapmanF's extremely informative video. It looks like something I can do, with a lot of care and curse words. I'll look into getting a replacement screen when my grant money comes in. I bought this car straight out with cash, so I'm a bit tapped right now.

    Anne
     
    #6 anniede77, Jan 12, 2018
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  7. Brian in Tucson

    Brian in Tucson Active Member

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    Using Chap's method, I've pulled a couple finish panels off wrecking yard or parts cars without damaging them. Always like to watch this video, because if you do as Chap does, your chances of getting the thing out undamaged are pretty good. The only thing I'd add is that to remove it all the way, you need to disconnect a bunch of wires and putting the shifter all the way to "B" helps. Disconnecting the 12v battery is a good idea, and will keep you from going crazy with the ding, ding, ding.
     
    #7 Brian in Tucson, Jan 13, 2018
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  8. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Thanks for the testimonial! I knew it worked ok for me, but I was curious how it would turn out to work for other people in other climates.

    -Chap
     
    #8 ChapmanF, Jan 13, 2018
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  9. Alexwasalreadytaken

    Alexwasalreadytaken Junior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2001 Prius
    Model:
    One
    Hey Annie, it sounds like I am having the same problem with the screen in my 2001 Prius as you were. I've already checked to make sure there wasn't a blown fuse, and while the screen does not illuminate, I can hear beeping when I touch it in certain places. Were you able to fix your problem? If so, how did you fix it and how much did it cost you to repair?
     
    #9 Alexwasalreadytaken, May 9, 2018
  10. Misha

    Misha Junior Member

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    #10 Misha, Aug 14, 2020
  11. WHCSC

    WHCSC Member

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    Sorry to bump such an old thread but my daughter’s 2002 is having this same MFD issue. Nothing shows on the screen but it beeps when touched where the buttons should be. Is this for sure a blown bulb? Fuses have been checked.
     
    #11 WHCSC, Nov 6, 2022
  12. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    LCD panels need a backlight to be visible ... back in the Gen 1 era it was probably a tiny fluorescent-like tube built in behind the panel. I guess it is "replaceable" to people who regularly repair such things, but nothing like replacing a bulb. I don't know how hard it is to find a salvage Gen 1 MFD, but if you can find one, that might be simpler.
     
    #12 ChapmanF, Nov 6, 2022
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  13. ChrisPDXPrius2001

    ChrisPDXPrius2001 Junior Member

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    My Gen 1 MFD has been "sorta" dead for awhile. Still beeps when I touch it and for whatever reason will come on for a few seconds when I start the car only if it's really hot or cold outside. Maybe there is a loose wire I need to jiggle? Before I would smack my dash and it would come on, but smacking no longer seems to work.
     
    #13 ChrisPDXPrius2001, Nov 22, 2022
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