1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Digital readout appears distorted

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by eanda9000, Jul 18, 2006.

  1. eanda9000

    eanda9000 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2006
    36
    1
    0
    After being gone for two weeks and parking the prius in my garage in Houston (HOT!) I noticed that the digital display seems distorted. I did a number of double takes to make sure that it was not my glasses or eyes. The readout appears to be distorted, the effect is as if you were looking at the digital readout thought a magnifying glass with distortion that they impact.

    The way I remember it looking is that the display appears flat when viewed from the drivers vantage.
     
  2. brandon

    brandon Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2004
    771
    8
    0
    Location:
    Manhattan, KS
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Wow. Must have gotten really hot in your garage. So the Prius was stored there two weeks with all of the windows closed? Was sunlight allowed into the garage? Was the dash/display area subjected to direct and prolonged sunlight? Do you have any pics of the heads-up display?

    The heat may also have something to do with your battery issue.
     
  3. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2004
    7,663
    1,038
    0
    Location:
    United States
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    A recent thread noted the same problem, but that one had a poorly-placed Sunshade which concentrated heat on the display area. So we know that high temps can warp the display mirror and/or cover. If you're no longer under warranty try contacting Toyota USA (not a dealer) and see whether they'll replace it; I doubt they would pay for the labor.
     
  4. eanda9000

    eanda9000 New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2006
    36
    1
    0
    thanks for the help. a warping of the display mirror would explain things. there is not direct sunlight in my garage. but it does get hot.

    however, i park outside every day at work in the sun in Houston and that is probably hotter but I can not verify anything there other then to say it gets hot here.

    The mirror was not warped prior to my leaving so it must be the heat in my garage. its a bit counter intuitive, but must be the issue. I only have 7000 miles on my 2006 so all is covered under warranty.
     
  5. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2004
    7,663
    1,038
    0
    Location:
    United States
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Mmm, could be you only noticed it after. I'd bet a nickel that it gets hotter inside your car in the Sun than it does in your garage. A Sunshade would help this and make life a little easier for your A/C as well. Introtech makes a nice one sold at many Toyota dealers.
     
  6. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

    Joined:
    May 1, 2006
    2,817
    187
    49
    Location:
    Chesterfield, VA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(richard schumacher @ Jul 18 2006, 11:52 AM) [snapback]288169[/snapback]</div>
    That was my thread:

    http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=19434&hl=

    As I said then, I can neither prove nor disprove that the sunshade contributed to or caused it, but it seems clear to me that heat did. Regardless, the dealer fixed it under warranty.

    So far, my Canvas Works shade is working fine. As others have reported in other threads, it's a bit of a pain to roll up for storage, but it fits the windshield perfectly. Others also report sagging in the middle, which it does somewhat, but not enough to affect functionality. But the most important thing relevant to this topic: My dash display remains intact, despite 90+ degree temperatures the past several days (including near 100 the last two) and the car sitting in the sun most of the day.

    Jim
     
  7. OregonPrius07

    OregonPrius07 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2007
    2
    0
    0
    My 2007 just developed the problem after sitting in the sun with a sunshade which I had never used in the past. It seems the sun shade was not a good idea. What is the fix for a distorted display?