mystery needles in dash

Mom?

 

Don't you just love when the OP starts something like this and never returns?

SCH-I535

 

Deadly

NINJA was there?

 

Those needles probably got 'er...

 

That's when the rest of us get to go off in tangents.

 

Yeah, tangents. I prefer arcs... and curves.

 

LOL, you guys are something else!

On the original OP question, I looked at the dash when car was off. The only thing that looked like gauges and needles were indeed the ones that light up when you touch the steering wheel controls for audio and trip meter.

 

Are you talking about where I circled with red? That is very strange. Never seen that before. Looks like something got stuck in the LCD display

 

That is not normal, if it is indeed what the OP is referring to.

SCH-I535

 

Wow, a picture is worth quite a bit here.

What is pictured is not a normal part of the dash display.

Not sure what is wrong, but you shouldn't have that "line" on your display.

 

gracie! 17 days later. where you been man?

 

(cough cough), i see.

 

All right. I see the "needle".

This could be wrong, this could be right. The display is actually mirrored from a projector located in the dash. In terms of absolute direction, the projector shoots the image towards the front of the car, angled up somewhat; it then reflects off of something like a mirror and back towards the passenger compartment.What you actually see is the reflection of the projector, not the projector itself directly.

Occasionally, people show up here claiming that their dash display has gone blank. It turns out that said people have lost a slip of paper or some such down into the crevasse where the projector sits; said piece of paper is not obviously in view, but does a handy job of blocking the projector down in there. One can sneak one's hand up into the crevasse area and feel said lost slips of paper, after which the paper can be slid out and the "help me! I'm blind!" reaction stopped.

So I kind of wonder if you've got a piece of narrow garbage or some such down in there. Sticking a small brush down in there and gently wiping it back and forth might dislodge whatever-it-is without an expensive trip to the dealer. A small vacuum cleaner, or maybe one of those computer keyboard "blast it out with fast moving air" cans might also do the trick. Assuming my guess is correct.

KBeck

 

Grace:

Once in a while we in Prius Chat get a report of a defective display. I've got a 2010, it sure doesn't do what yours is doing. Admittedly, most of these reports involve:

1. Scum forming over the screen. This seems to be associated with tropical, damp climates. (Most often)
2. Screen flat-out disappearing. (Followed by an in-warranty trip to the dealer.)
3. The aforementioned "garbage in the slot" problem. (Usually caused by putting too many papers on top of the dash, and something sliding forwards.)

It'd be nice, and cheaper, if some form of #3 was your problem. It crosses my mind that that's an LCD display with a strong backlight down in that crevasse. LCDs run with relatively high voltage, which makes for static electricity, which is one of the reasons dust and grit tend to get attracted to your computer screen. So, if something came loose and is electrically attracted to that screen, then watching it wander up and down in response to the E-field might be possible. It'd be even more fun if it was inside of the glass protecting the front of the projector, in which case blasting away with with a can of air wouldn't do you much good.

I've never contemplated getting the dash apart to the point where the display can be removed and inspected. I suspect it's not an easy job. If it's not the junk I suspect, then it's electronic in nature and probably requires a display replacement, which, by all accounts, is $$$. Heck, just getting the dealership (or whoever) to get the display out for inspection is probably $$, anyway.

If the car is under some kind of Dealer's used-car warranty, I'd take it back and make snotty noises at them. It you bought the car as-is, what the heck, if it's not getting worse and you don't feel like spending something a bit short of half a grand to get it out of there, let it lie.

Good luck!

KBeck