I've got a one month old 2006 Prius that I've had no problems with - and basically have been thrilled with - to date. But I noticed something odd today, and I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this. Driving home from work in darkness tonight, I noticed what I first thought were water droplet marks on the speedometer display. When I got home, I attempted to wipe it clean with some glass cleaner and a rag. That's when I realized that the display was actually a mirror and the LEDs were actually embedded in the dash. Regardless, the 'spots' were not actually spots. They appeared to be bubbles that were embedded in the actual LED display housing (not the mirror's surface). They could not be removed with the rag. In fact, they actually appeared to INCREASE in number when I wiped the display. It's almost as if they were created by the slight amount of stress that I applied in attempting to clean the lens housing. I was hoping that these bubbles would just disappear over time. But after several hours, they are still there in all their glory. Has anyone else noticed such 'stress bubbles?' It has become more than a mere annoyance. They are dense enough that they actually slightly blur the speedometer and odometer readings.
I've not experienced this, either, and I bought my Prius at the end of August. Since then, I've cleaned the interior--including dash--quite a few times. But if you find out what it is, I'd love to know for future reference.
I have a foggy speedometer display AFTER toyota did the steering shaft recall. I have no clue what they did, but i cannot clean it. It looks fine in the daytime, but in nighttime it's slightly blurry.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silentak1 @ Oct 14 2006, 06:00 AM) [snapback]332658[/snapback]</div> Just checked it out this morning under good lighting conditions. It's definitely not dust, and it definitely did not disappear overnight. I even took a rather powerful hair dryer to it and it had no effect. Actually looks like artifacts embedded inside the lens (assume it's plexiglass). Normally I'd just live with it, but it definitely blurs the display at night and it appears to have gotten worse with time. So I'm going to call the dealership's service department.
I wonder if it might be a plastic coating used for shipping that was never removed. Every time you would rub something like that you would get more bubbles. It would probably be best to have the service department do it. Also, if you display if foggy after the steering shaft assembly, please let them know.
About the only discrepancy I had with my Prius' speedometer display was part of the right digit had a weak bar when I picked it up when new. This caused the 8 to look more like a backwards 6. It cleared up after a few hours.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Oct 14 2006, 12:06 PM) [snapback]332733[/snapback]</div> Cheap! - Never thought of that! Interesting idea. I'll take a closer look at it to see if there are any signs of a plastic cover. Regardless, I'm scheduled for service on it on Monday. Funny, during daylight it's really not noticeable, making me feel a little sheepish taking it in for service. But at night it really is noticeable.
You're on the right track by taking it to the dealer. That's what the warranty's for. Make sure they fix it and don't let it slip by with any excuses. If they can't repair it then it needs to be replaced (I'd probably want it replaced anyway if it really is defective).
tell them you can only see the problem at night. that way they won't hand it off to a guy in the middle of the afternoon, who will drive it, see no problem, and give it back to you.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Oct 14 2006, 07:23 PM) [snapback]332859[/snapback]</div> Well, for those who are interested... Dropped the car off at dealers at around 8:30am expecting to have a fight on my hands, or the usual "Yes, we agree you have a problem, now we have to order a replacement part" routine. Instead, I got a call three hours later that the problem was corrected. They stated that the lens covering the speedometer was dirty, probably contaminated at the factory, and that they were able to gain access and clean it. I'm happy to say that I have a very legible speedometer now. Only 'problem' is that the service rep wouldn't tell me if/how I could gain access to the cluster to clean the lens if it happened again. He stated that the speedometer cluster is a sealed unit and the dust problem shouldn't happen again. I hope he's correct. But I also checked under the dashboard when I got home to see if I could locate the unit. Man, it's a complex assemblage of parts in a very tight space. I decided not to press the issue and will leave well enough alone. To all who responded: thanks for the advice Stevejm
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(stevejm @ Oct 16 2006, 08:50 PM) [snapback]333798[/snapback]</div> I wouldn't try to access the inside of the cluster. I don't have access here to the diagram i saw once of how it's layed out, but it uses several mirrors to give the appearance of more distance on the display - it's part of what makes it so nice, since you don't have to adjust your focus from the road as much to read the numbers. If any of those mirrors gets dislodged even a little bit, the display won't show up correctly, and probably be a real pain to fix. All that being said, i'm sure it's sealed, or as close to it as possible. Otherwise, you'd have a fogging issue durring the winter - in the same way the windows will fog up, moisture will get trapped in there and fog up the mirrors or lenses. silentak1, if this occured after the steering shart recall, then take it back to the dealer and complain, as stevejm did with his problem. It's possible, i would think, that something was bumped out of place and some water vapor (ie humidity) got trapped in there. At any rate, it should be completely covered, since it was caused by them.
Hey all. This is my first post. I just got my '07 Touring this past Saturday and am quite pleased. I installed the mudguards, EV mod, and auto lock mod from Coastal. Anyway, on to why I decided to post. I am an F-15C fighter pilot up here in Anchorage and just thought I would relay my thoughts on the HUD (Heads Up Display) on the Prius. After having over 1000 hours in aircraft with HUD's, I couldn't help but notice the HUD in the Prius was focused just like a jet's. They are focused to "infinity" so that your eyes are not strained by checking your speed and then looking back at the road. This is very smart in terms of human factors. Great website! -Waldo
