... and this will be my last thread on the forum. We’ve owned a 2006 Prius since 2008, and we’ve owned a 2005 Prius since 2011. About nine months ago, the dashboard display (combination meter) on our 2006 Prius started to die. We looked into the circuit-card repair (and its risks) and decided not to take the chance on the dashboard’s brittle plastic parts. We gave it to a family who needed a beater car for a few months, and when they leave the island then they’ll probably pass it on to a mechanic who’s willing to tackle the project. I’m not interested in spending the time on it, especially the risk of breaking any of those plastic pieces. In 2015 our 2005 Prius was rear-ended with minor mechanical & cosmetic damage. (Hit&run, no injuries.) We replaced the rear bumper and the hatch latch, and we managed to jack the spare-tire compartment back to its original dimensions, but the hatchback and rear fenders still have the dents. Then last month the combination meter on our 2005 Prius started to glitch from the same circuit-card problem as the other Prius. We’ve bought two used Nissan Leafs. (2015 & 2017.) They’re the perfect cars for this 30x40-mile island, and we recharge them from our photovoltaic array. (Free fuel.) They hold a 10'0" longboard inside just as easily as a Prius. Thule even makes a conversion kit to swap the roof rack mounts from the old Prius to the newer Leaf. After I finish that switch, we’ll give away the 2005 Prius to someone who’s seeking a project car. If you're on Oahu and interested in fixing the dashboard display circuit card, please post here or send me a PM to test-drive the car and work out the timing. We enjoyed being Prius owners while it lasted, and we have lots of good memories of those cars. But I won’t miss gas stations, oil changes, or ICE maintenance one bit.
That's absolutely right. We could pay the Hawaii dealer quote of >$1000 labor to install it, or I'm hypothetically perfectly capable of DIY. I didn't want to make the time to do it, and I was mildly concerned about breaking 13-14-year-old plastic parts which might not be available from dealers or junkyards. (Hopefully any broken parts would be available online.) That $150 combo meter is a great value until labor and breakage is factored in, and that's assuming I don't screw up anything else. Our Priuses have been great, and we have lots of good memories of them in our family life. Our Leafs are even better for our island lifestyle... and cheaper to operate than a Prius, and (hopefully) less maintenance than a Prius. If you know someone on Oahu who wants a project car, please give them my e-mail address (NordsNords at Gmail). If you want the car... well... the shipping expenses could exceed the car's value but you might get a few more years out of it.
Maybe you're overthinking this. I pulled a fair bit of the dash off on our 2010 a while back, nothing broke. I had the benefit of repair manual, outlined step-by-step the order of removal, where to pry and so on. I believe there's a good video (by @3prongpaul ?) on the second gen combo meter replacement?
