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Dashboard is black on startup intermittently

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by ram, Sep 10, 2019.

  1. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    Hello All. Greatly appreciate your advice on this problem, 2007 Prius, 152K miles.Main battery replaced at 135K and new auxiliary battery.

    Every now and then, but increasingly often, the dashboard on this car is black on startup. Engine seems to be running and actually drives fine but the dashboard does not light up so clearly dangerous to drive.

    Is this a known problem? Can it be fixed and how much would the cost be?

    Many thanks for your help
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    yes... It's a known problem and there's a guy in Texas who rebuilds these and will install same day for couple hundred bucks... I think he's in Dallas. Someone will likely come along with his contact info or you can do a google search with keywords: priuschat combination meter broken repair texas
     
  3. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    Thanks very much. The car is in Houston.
     
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Yea... I know it's a long drive, but the odds against you safely driving with a dead screen for long periods of times are really super dangerous. Just find multiple reasons to drive to Dallas and get lots done ASAP.

    Here's the link, or at least I think: Prius Speedometer Replacement
     
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  5. Skibob

    Skibob Senior Member

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    #5 Skibob, Sep 11, 2019
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2019
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  6. BV3

    BV3 Junior Member

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    When did this start?
     
  7. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    thanks!
     
  8. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    It started about 2 months ago and has become more fequent last 3 weeks.
     
  9. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    I was referred to Hometownhybrids.com located in Magnolia, TX, about 45 minutes from downtown Houston. The nice lady there said they can do the combination meter replacement on site for $350.00 or at their factory in Magnolia, for $250.00
     
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  10. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Lol... I guess the $150 price in Dallas area is too low for you? You might want to do you research on these folks in Magnolia, I've read more than one person on PriusChat who were really mad at them for months and months after they had work done on their Prius there. Is spending an extra $200 just to avoid a day in the Dallas area really worth it?
     
  11. ram

    ram Junior Member

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    Due to work and class schedule it is really difficult to take a day off to drive to Dallas. On the other hand, I have heard good things about these people in Magnolia and in fact it was the Dallas person who referred me to them. Thanks for the heads-up though.
     
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    test the new battery and connections, especially neg to ground before dropping the cash, just to be sure
     
  13. Vicki McLean

    Vicki McLean Junior Member

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    The likely reason like my 2009 Prius dashboard not lighting up on start up is the electrical connections from the dashboard to the main computer has gotten oxidized not making a good connection. The way I fixed this was to first disconnect the 12 volt battery the negative and the positive terminals. Then I removed the air vent to the left by the driver's side. Now a screw is exposed that I removed and also removed the screw at the bottom of the panels underneath the steering column that then allowed me to removed the cover for the dashboard that exposed the two electrical connections from the dashboard to the main computer. Numerous wires seen in these two connections. Then I sprayed both ends of the two electrical connections with electrical cleaner. I allowed them to completely dry for 6 hours and then reconnected them and put the car back together and reconnected the 12 volt battery. All lights on my dashboard now light up everytime I start the car.
     
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  14. neilted

    neilted New Member

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    Hey. Dad and I were doing work on the car and had to remove transmission. Everything was put together and my car refused to go into gear with the engine running. Bled the slave cylinder and was able to get the car to shift when both wheels were off ground, but when on the ground it still refuses to go into gear. Clutch doesn't seem to be engaging as even with the pedal to the floor we still get wheel movement when lifted. So we're assuming either the friction plate went in backwards or the slave cylinder isn't properly engaging. No noise from the clutch and the slave seems to be actuating so confused as to what the problem might be. Don't want to drop transmission again if slave is the problem. Oh no leaks either so pretty confused. Wouldn't a backwards clutch make a load of noise? Wouldn't a bad slave cylinder be leaking and would it go bad between the time we removed the transmission and the reinstall process? I know it was a challenge to reinstall and had to put a lot of pressure on it to go back in.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    any trouble lights?
     
  16. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Hello,

    ummm, what model car are you talking about?

    The PriusChat site is pretty much all about the Toyota Prius, which doesn't have a clutch or manual transmission.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.