Dashboard out

Skeptic357 · 02-10-2007, 12:35 AM

Odd problem. When I started my car, the check engine light flashed on for about one second, then the entire dashboard went dark--both the section with the fuel indicator, speedometer, odometer, etc and the section with the alert lights for headlights, maintenance, A/C, etc. The MFD worked, except that I got only dashes reported for milage and fuel economy--the bar graph showed the regeneration indicators where applicable, but no fuel consumption bars. My headlights were on, but the dimmer dial had no effect. Cruise control did not function. When I shut the car off and back on, the same thing happened. This continued until I had driven about 45 miles, at which point everything suddenly came back on with no indication that anything was wrong (except that the consumption history still had no bars). The only thing I can think of is that it was pretty cold (about -7F), but we had a couple of equally cold nights after that, and the problem has not resurfaced.
Has anyone else seen anything like this?

Bill Merchant · 02-10-2007, 01:22 AM

Wow, what a totally bizarre problem! Is your car still in warranty?

**efusco** · 02-10-2007, 04:43 AM

pretty odd, I, too, suspect it's a problem related to the cold. There may be a marginal connection somewhere that just gets worse when cold.

donee · 02-10-2007, 09:26 AM

Hi Skeptic,

I am driving in the same weather about 15 miles south of you there. Also parking outside. On the 10 below zero morning back on Monday, the MFD was funky. Still displayed, but it was dim, and the indicators were about 5 to 10 seconds behind the car. I was stopped at a light, and the MFD was still displaying the status of driving down the road for some time.

Due to the nature of the problem there, I would suspect moisture/ice inside the electronics. Some electronics have very high impeadance circuits, and even pressing a finger (about 1 million ohms resistance) across two printed circuit traces can effect the circuits' function. Moisture droplets can be quite variable in resistance, depending on what ionic materials are on the board, and can disolved into the water. Freezing water can also have a mechanical effect, like a small pry bar, and push contacts apart.

Do you see any fogging behind the Speedometer window up front?

You may need to get the car out in the sun, with a window cracked, recirculation off and warm it up to 70 or so degrees. Kinda like a road trip to Dekalb and back today might work. Might want to have somebody follow along in another car. This would help to get everything dried out. Parking overnight in a heated garage with the windows down could also be beneficial.

Skeptic357 · 02-12-2007, 12:14 AM

I've had the car since Aug '05 and put on about 50k mi, so I think the warranty isn't going to be much help anymore.

I haven't noticed any fogging or condensation, but it's possible. I work second shift, so a lot of my driving is at night with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. I would think that my 50 mile commute would be enough to dry things out, but I suppose there's no way to be sure.

I guess I'll just not worry about it until it happens again--I don't expect to see much more of that kind of cold in Chicago again until next season.

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02-10-2007, 12:35 AM	#1
Skeptic357 Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Odd problem. When I started my car, the check engine light flashed on for about one second, then the entire dashboard went dark--both the section with the fuel indicator, speedometer, odometer, etc and the section with the alert lights for headlights, maintenance, A/C, etc. The MFD worked, except that I got only dashes reported for milage and fuel economy--the bar graph showed the regeneration indicators where applicable, but no fuel consumption bars. My headlights were on, but the dimmer dial had no effect. Cruise control did not function. When I shut the car off and back on, the same thing happened. This continued until I had driven about 45 miles, at which point everything suddenly came back on with no indication that anything was wrong (except that the consumption history still had no bars). The only thing I can think of is that it was pretty cold (about -7F), but we had a couple of equally cold nights after that, and the problem has not resurfaced. Has anyone else seen anything like this?

02-10-2007, 01:22 AM	#2
Bill Merchant absit invidia Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA \| Oregon \| Portland area \| 97004 \| Posts: 4,100 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: #5 Thanks: 18 Thanked 10 Times in 8 Posts Friends: 60	Wow, what a totally bizarre problem! Is your car still in warranty?

02-10-2007, 04:43 AM	#3
efusco Troll Slayer Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Nixa, MO Posts: 17,250 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #9 Thanks: 50 Thanked 261 Times in 157 Posts Friends: 37	pretty odd, I, too, suspect it's a problem related to the cold. There may be a marginal connection somewhere that just gets worse when cold.

02-10-2007, 09:26 AM	#4
donee Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 2,244 My Car: 2006 Prius Model: Package: #2 Thanks: 2 Thanked 54 Times in 47 Posts Friends: 0	Hi Skeptic, I am driving in the same weather about 15 miles south of you there. Also parking outside. On the 10 below zero morning back on Monday, the MFD was funky. Still displayed, but it was dim, and the indicators were about 5 to 10 seconds behind the car. I was stopped at a light, and the MFD was still displaying the status of driving down the road for some time. Due to the nature of the problem there, I would suspect moisture/ice inside the electronics. Some electronics have very high impeadance circuits, and even pressing a finger (about 1 million ohms resistance) across two printed circuit traces can effect the circuits' function. Moisture droplets can be quite variable in resistance, depending on what ionic materials are on the board, and can disolved into the water. Freezing water can also have a mechanical effect, like a small pry bar, and push contacts apart. Do you see any fogging behind the Speedometer window up front? You may need to get the car out in the sun, with a window cracked, recirculation off and warm it up to 70 or so degrees. Kinda like a road trip to Dekalb and back today might work. Might want to have somebody follow along in another car. This would help to get everything dried out. Parking overnight in a heated garage with the windows down could also be beneficial.

02-12-2007, 12:14 AM	#5
Skeptic357 Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 6 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	I've had the car since Aug '05 and put on about 50k mi, so I think the warranty isn't going to be much help anymore. I haven't noticed any fogging or condensation, but it's possible. I work second shift, so a lot of my driving is at night with cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. I would think that my 50 mile commute would be enough to dry things out, but I suppose there's no way to be sure. I guess I'll just not worry about it until it happens again--I don't expect to see much more of that kind of cold in Chicago again until next season.