Blank display

[mongo]

Get in, push the Power button. The display screen is completely unlit. After a few seconds (20?) the screen lights up, but displays no information. Pushing buttons on the display or around the display caused no beeps, but the display did change to different screens. On the climate page it showed "air conditioner not connected" or something like that.

Restarting the car made no difference in this behavior.

I then started driving the car and within a minute or two, the display returned to normal and all was fine.

This has happened to both my wife and me in the last 48 hours.

Anyone else experience this?

[TonyPSchaefer]

That's a good one. I've seen plenty of posts about odd behavior. Most of the time, the car seems to fix itself after a little while, but if it has happened a couple times in as many days, I think it's time to have someone at the dealership take a look at it.

Good luck coaxing the car to reproduce the performance with witnesses.

[DanMan32]

One poster was able to reproduce the problem by chilling the car (it was late summer, and he set the AC to max cold).
MFD is usually replaced with this symptom.

[TonyPSchaefer]

LOL

Dan, when I read "chill the car" I immediately envisioned a large blow-up swimming pool filled with ice and a Prius setting in the middle.

Good thinking though. It would make sense with the colder temperature and the symptom being that it's blank at first and then starts functioning (assuming the heat is on and warms the MFD).

In this case, Mongo, you might have to let it set overnight at the dealer, not run the heat, or crank the A/C. I'm concerned, though, that if you show up at the dealer in January with the A/C cranked they might have you committed before they check out the car! :-)

[mongo]

I left it overnight at the dealer and they have ordered a new display. They'll contact me when it arrives. :?

[labumm]

I have been having the same problem since Thanksgiving. Temperature is not a factor that I have observed, but with intermittent problems, I can see how it might behave that way.

At present this problem crops up almost every time I drive the car. I took it to the dealer on 7 Dec. When I got it back and they said their were recalls and they'd ordered the parts. The funny thing was they were telling my that 40J would fix the problem. I told them that the new DVD wasn't the answer. Sometimes you need to let people make their own mistakes. It just annoys me when it costs my time. There is more to this, but let's not get derailed.

I knew there would be a problem communicating an intermittent electronic problem to a mechanic, so I gave them the following description at the time I dropped the car at the service desk. To be accurate, the cruise control issue has been added to the list since that time.

I got 40E, 40J, and 40L on 23 Dec. They were apologetic and ordered the new MFD....



Problems with MFD. L.A. Bumm 2004 Dec 19

I have been experiencing intermittent problems with the Multi-Function Display (MFD). In all cases I have been driving and the hybrid system was apparently functioning normally.

• The system may start up in a failure mode and then spontaneously fix itself, sometimes becoming progressively more functional. When this happens the radio, if operating, turns off.
• The failure may occur while driving after operating normally.
• I have also seen it simply restart while driving, displaying the Prius Splash Screen.
• Most times I have observed that some of the functions are inoperative.
• Sometimes the MFD displays message 'check the system'. It is completely unresponsive to buttons and touch screen.
• The touch screen and the buttons may be unresponsive of slow to respond.
• The audio turns on and off by itself if it was initially on. When the failure is complete the audio is stable, it is controlled by the power button. If the MFD reboots (Prius splash screen appears) the audio will turn off (the default state). The audio can be unstable, turning on and off by itself. I have only observed this to happen when the audio was initially on. This appears to only happen when the MFD is flaking in and out.
• When the problem occurs at startup, the screen is blank (black) for many seconds after the Prius splash screen, then either the info screen with the blank battery charge indictaor or the message 'check the system' appears.
• Cruise Control. During the time that the MFD displayed check the system, I was unable to get the cruise control to engage. The cruise control light was flashing. Normally it is steady. (This has only happened once.)

Complete failure: MFD displays message check the system. It is completely unresponsive to buttons and touch screen.

Partial Failure: On start, Prius splash screen appears, then the info display.

info display
• no battery level indication (blank)
• not outside temp (blank)
• no mpg (blank)
• no energy consumption indication (blank)
climate
• message check connection to the air conditioner.
audio
• message audio off even when radio is playing.

Putting the system in System Check Mode, I have observed two conditions.

CONDITION 1.
EMV OK
NAVI NCON
Audio H/U NCON
G/W NCON
DSP-AMP NCON

CONDITION 2.
EMV OK
NAVI OK
Audio H/U OK
G/W NCON
DSP-AMP OK

[TonyPSchaefer]

L.A. Bumm, your thoroughness is commendable.

[HTMLSpinnr]

I too just experienced the flashing cruise light today. Went out and restarted and the car was fine just now. Anyone figure out exactly what would cause it?

[labumm]

What I can add to my statement above is that the night that I experienced the flashing cruise light problem, the MFD was in 'check the system' failure mode. It was as dead as I have seen it. And it was like that for a while, but I don't remeber how long.

The dealer replaced the MFD yeserday (and did my 10,000 mi service for free!). I haven't observed any more MFD problems since then. I don't want to declare victory yet, the time and miles have been very short. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

--LAB

[Dauth]

Just got my 2004 back today from having the MFD replaced. At about 15k miles I started to experience the same slow response or locked-up condition others reported. Mine would usually shut off the radio as well.

Anyway, it turns out Toyota has now issued a TSB for this condition. If anyone is experiencing similar things tell the dealer to look up TSB EL002-05

Now for the odd question - when I got my car back, it turns out they installed the wrong display in my car. I have a package 7 car (no navigation) but when they replaced my MFD they put in a Nav Package style display. Before I take it back and have them revert back to the right display - is there anyway I can make this work for me and install the rest of the Navigation equipment (minus the steering wheel controls of course) for a relatively inexpensive price?