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check ac connection

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by wreckdiving, Mar 12, 2008.

  1. wreckdiving

    wreckdiving New Member

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    Any advice on an MFD reading ""check ac connection. I know its a dummy warning but whats happening is screen is freezing, radio goes out intermittantly, and battery bars on screen turn green to blue, blue to green from time to time.
    I was told that screen was bad so purchased a used off e-bay from another prius owner whos car was totaled in a collision. MFD screen #'S are identical, only difference is mine is a 04, replacement was from a 05. Same problems are occuring. Now I am reading there is a possibility 12 v battery is on its way out. Any suggestions?
     
    #1 wreckdiving, Mar 12, 2008
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    I believe some of the early '05s had the same MFD issues as the '04s. So that may be it. Did the replacement MFD work ok at first then quit working?
    Hobbit would love to have the old, broken, MFD.
    I don't think this is a symptom of the 12v battery if everything else works fine.
     
    #2 efusco, Mar 12, 2008
  3. wreckdiving

    wreckdiving New Member

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    Yes, the replacement worked fine for a couple of hours. Went out for a drive, restarted the car then same problems happend all over again. This time it really froze and never came back again . Replaced with original again. Now atleast it runs most of the time with freeze ups happening frequently but atleast returns to normal from time to time. I am planning on bringing it to toyota today at 1:30. I seem to be getting no where fast.
     
    #3 wreckdiving, Mar 12, 2008
  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I think you are on the right track that the MFD failed; and this is not a 12V battery issue. Unfortunately the eBay replacement also has a problem.

    You need to buy a good MFD; maybe your dealer will sell you a reman unit for several hundred $. Or if you have soldering skills, Hobbit's website shows in great detail how he repaired a failed unit.
     
    #4 Patrick Wong, Mar 12, 2008
  5. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Hobbit's work shows that the problem was an error in the design of the solder footprint for a particular connector on one circuit board. At a guess the eBay unit you bought broke because of the stress of the collision. If you can get the failed unit out of the dash and are handy with a soldering iron you can fix it yourself. See Hobbit's excellent writeup at
    Prius MFD
    The circuit board was redesigned after early '05. Newer units do not have this failure.
     
    #5 richard schumacher, Mar 13, 2008
  6. i love my prius

    i love my prius New Member

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    Hello my wife and I just bought our prius a week ago and we love it.:rockon:. we also had this dreaded problem but we just fixed it. I hope this works for you. instert your key into the key slot. press power button twice and do not press the break. hold the down the info button and turn your lights on and off 3 times. your computer will then enter diagnostic mode. go to the option that lets you check your pannel. press the climate button continusly untill it stops lagging on the screen. check and make sure everything else functions properly in the diagnostics. This worked like a charm for me. I hope i helpled someone.
     
    #6 i love my prius, Jul 12, 2011
  7. jdenenberg

    jdenenberg EE Professor

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    the MFD problem discussed widely is an INTERMITTENT cracked solder joint. Sorry but your FIX is likely to be temporary. The repair is fully described at the link to the Hobbit's web site (above) or you can send your MFD to either Plug In Hybrid Electric Vehicle PHEV in southern Indiana or pEEf in northern CA (he fixes Prii for http://www.lusciousgarage.com/) for a reasonably priced repair.

    I noticed that you are in South Carolina. There is a garage in Sanford North Carolina, http://www.re-involt.com/ that is well qualified to fix your Prius.

    JeffD
     
    #7 jdenenberg, Jul 12, 2011
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