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MFD Upgrade for '04

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Zephan, Oct 2, 2013.

  1. Zephan

    Zephan Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Seattle, Washington
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    We have a standard (possibly basic) 2004 Prius with the classic busted MFD (Multi-Function Display) connector solder joint. I need to fix this extremely SOON or my wife will force me to take it to dealer to fix thi$ i$$ue :eek: .

    QUESTION #0: Has Toyota ever decided to do free recall/defect repair for this issue?

    QUESTION #1: While I'm replacing the MFD can I just replace the full hood+mfd to get navigation... or are additional parts required? (GPS, antenna, extra connectors, flux capacitor, particle accelerator, ???)

    QUESTION #2: How hard is it to replace the MFD? (DIY, local garage, dealer only, get a newer car instead)

    QUESTION #3: If DIY then how long will it take for a intermediate car guy who hasn't done much past prius battery replacement? If local garage then how many hours can I expect to get billed. (I'm hoping to avoid dealer)

    QUESTION #4: Are specific years or part#s I need to stick to?
    As I recall pin issue was fixed 2nd half of 2005. I don't know if 2009 Touring MFD will work in a stock 2004 Prius. Any tidbits or part#s would be greatly appreciated.

    QUESTION #5: Where is best place to get replacement part?
    My first guess is eBay. Reputable used parts are great IMHO. A little extra money is better than hours of scouring around or getting a bad unit and having to deal with returns. We live in the Seattle area if that affects your answer (perhaps local suppliers?).

    Context:
    We also have a 2008 Touring Prius and have thusly been spoiled by in-dash nav. New driver in the family is likely getting our 2004. She hasn't gotten her bearings fully yet so she has learned how to safely and effectively use nav.

    I love PriusChat and have already spent 2 hours browsing. I'm sure this has been answered before so my thanks in advance for humoring me with this essential info.

    ASAP please chime in with answers to any of the questions above.
    Cheers! -Zephan
     
    #1 Zephan, Oct 2, 2013
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    - Moved to the Gen II forums from the Prius v forums -
     
    #2 Paradox, Oct 2, 2013
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  3. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    0. No recall from Toyota. (Not a safety issue.)

    1. Yes, the disc drive under the seat with the CDROM is needed. Easier and cheaper to just get a Garmin or similar.

    2. It is easy to DIY once you get the dash apart. There are youtubes, and some photos here:
    Prius MFD

    3. Should not be more than 2 hours, I would think. Less for someone who has already done it.

    4. I think an already repaired (solder reflowed) non-nav unit of any year would be the best bet. Maybe someone else has better info.

    5. If you are going to end up shipping a unit, then you might contact Luscious Garage in SF and see what they say. Or check autobeyours.com.
     
    #3 nh7o, Oct 2, 2013
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  4. Zephan

    Zephan Junior Member

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    Location:
    Seattle, Washington
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Thanks nh70 for the great answers! :) (Also thanks to paradox for moving post to the correct subforum.)

    The upgrade to include nav was going to be a big upside surprise. Drat! :(

    QUESTION #6: Anyone know how much additional effort it would take to install the hard disk under the passenger seat + wiring?

    QUESTION #7: Any additional parts beyond disk drive box & disk connection wiring?
    Bonus: Anyone done an MFD upgrade from non-nav to nav?

    Someday soon I hope many car models will simply have a place to dock an iPad mini, iPhone, Android tablet, or any common mobile computer which has tons more functionality and is a fraction of the cost. (Yes I know there are mod projects... but that is too far for me right now.)

    Many thanks again for any expertise you can share.
     
    #4 Zephan, Oct 3, 2013
  5. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    II
    The navigation ECU lives under under the driver's seat, and has a wiring harness with plugs that it connects to. It would not be worthwhile to try to run an ad hoc harness from the MFD to the seat, and to a GPS antenna as well.

    OTOH, if there are unused plugs under the driver's seat, that would be where the ECU would go. I don't know if there are two different wiring harness part numbers or not, so you could just look and see. You can pick up the Nav ECU, and the GPS antenna from salvage places I'm sure.

    If there are no connectors down there, then for the time and expense that would be entailed, it's not worthwhile.
     
    #5 nh7o, Oct 3, 2013
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