MFD issues on '04/'05 Prius

[patsparks]

That isn't the only example, I could name a few but I have worked in the automotive industry for a number of years. That incident was the earliest I can recall and the most terminal.
Since then I have never had an engine or transmission I rebuilt fail. I don't actually know where they each are now but I have been out of the industry for 9 years now. I am from time to time in touch with the guys who still work for my last employer where I worked for 10 years and I would surely have been told if they knew of any failures. I was also in contact with a former employer during that 10 years and there was nothing from them of any failures, in fact they offered to re employ me on more than one occasion.

There was one time I changed a clutch in a Subaru and it was as I was re-installing the radiator I found the thrust bearing I had forgotten to install, then there was the turbocharged Holden Piazza full engine overhaul. I was finishing off bolting the engine and all the peripherals into the crowded engine bay when I found the 5 bolts out of the rear main seal carrier, a hasty removal of the transmission and flywheel followed to install them. It was only held in place by the sump bolts.

I won't go on, I'm starting to

[jayman]

Actually, the best way to learn is to royally f*** something up, and fix it again. It's not a mistake you repeat

Even in my "official" career, I've made some impressive boo-boo's I've had to fix

1. On a large tank farm, I wrote a program to cycle the tank agitators. The reason was to save energy, and to keep the finished chemical products from being "beaten up" by the agitators and go out of spec.

Below a certain tank volume, the agitators were not supposed to run at all, as the lower paddles would be in the air. Eg: IF LT1234.PV<5000 THEN AGT1234.PV=OFF. I entered it as IF LT1234.PV>5000 THEN AGT1234.PV=OFF. That simple typo meant the agitator would try to run when the tank was empty, but refuse to run when the tank had product in it.

It was a simple fix, and I immediately caught it. Once I uploaded the revised program, almost all the tank farm agitators shut down, except for a couple of empty tanks where they promptly started up. No damage done, and I got a lot of good natured teasing about it too

2. A product transfer pipeline, with a product that could freeze in winter. Using a temp sensor, if the ambient temp was below a certain setpoint, once the product transfer was done, a polyurethane "pig" was supposed to be sent through to keep the pipeline clean and make sure no free product remained to freeze

A similar transposed sort of typo, but that one I didn't catch until one section froze. Since the pipeline used to freeze on a fairly regular basis, no huge disaster but the program was intended to prevent that sort of problem

I never did repeat those mistakes

[mkaykay]

Did Toyota Customer Service ever reply to you about problems with the display?

The display on my 2004 Prius started getting a "Check Air Conditioner connection" last week. Service at my Toyota dealer tells me that the display needs to be replaced. Just ordering the part is $1045, and they haven't given me an estimate for labor yet.

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by mkaykay

Did Toyota Customer Service ever reply to you about problems with the display?

The display on my 2004 Prius started getting a "Check Air Conditioner connection" last week. Service at my Toyota dealer tells me that the display needs to be replaced. Just ordering the part is $1045, and they haven't given me an estimate for labor yet.

Don't do it, have the display fixed. I can't believe people wont get this thing fixed when the instructions are on Prius Chat and the savings are substantial.

Is there a electronics guru on Prius Chat who would buy a broken MFD for maybe $50 and repair it then sell it on an exchange basis? You could sell it for say $300 with exchange plus shipping costs both ways I reckon and provide a 6 month warranty. Would be a good pocket money earner. To ensure you get the old MFD back charge $500 up front and refund $200 when you receive the old MFD.

I'd do it and I'd have to get a tech to do the soldering except I'm too far from the action here.

[jayman]

I'm thinking somebody like Hobbit or Qbee42 would be in a good position to set up that sort of MFD repair.

[toyoprius]

Yet another data point:

I posted about my experience a few years ago here. My dad bought a Prius the same time as I did, in late 2003. His MFD just failed with the usual symptoms. It is well out of warranty, both in years and miles.

He brought it into his dealer. I don't know if it's allowable to post names here, but it's one of the big guys just north of Boston. The service manager, without blinking, offered a new (or rebuilt, dunno) MFD as a "goodwill overture." The only charge was $115 for labor.

I don't know if Toyota has softened their position, or if the dealer really swallowed the cost of the MFD. However, if folks are still being quoted $1000 and upward, they should put up a fight.

[richard schumacher]

Yes, please post the name. Truth is always welcome, and what dealer would complain about a good recommendation?

[Prius_Fan]

Hi there,
I'm a really new in this forum, and i was glad to find such detailed technical discussion here. This is what I need:
Not very many 2004-05 prius owners know that the MFD part number 86110-47070 &47071 is camera compatible . Plus, in the SERVICE display is a grayed CAMERA menu. Plus, the japanese 2004 prius was equipped with camera and IPA, using the same MFD, no RGB convertor!!!
Finnaly...got the camera from steveautobeyours with great price, but I dont know the M13 and M14 MFD connectors schematics. Comparing with 2006 (which is very easy to find info's on the net), the wires in these connectors are switched randomly.
Hobbit, you are the great escape: what are the roles for the wires on M13 and M14?
Which one('s) are for camera connections?

[artie]

My MFD has failed at 135,000 miles. First thing ever to go bad. LOVE my car, Kearny mesa toyota wantw $710 to install the rebuild.

I am incompetent.

Does anyone know someone who solders and/or removes things in

SAN DIEGO?????????


Fingers crossed, I hope someone can connect me up.


thanks all,


Art

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by artie

My MFD has failed at 135,000 miles. First thing ever to go bad. LOVE my car, Kearny mesa toyota wantw $710 to install the rebuild.

I am incompetent.

Does anyone know someone who solders and/or removes things in

SAN DIEGO?????????


Fingers crossed, I hope someone can connect me up.


thanks all,


Art

Try what I did.
Ask your local computer store, you may get passed from store to store a little but you will find a tech who can do the repair using Hobbit's great instructions. Seek out someone who repairs PDAs or radio equipment. Any reasonable mechanic should be able to remove the MFD from the dash and refit. You can drive the car with the MFD removed if you want but you need to reassemble the rest of the dash.