2011 Prius Nav Screen Goes Gray After Soda Spray

As a general rule, liquids and electronics don't mix. This will be an expensive lesson to cover your soda with a napkin or shield it with your hand while popping that top in the future.

You can try sourcing a replacement LCD display screen. Try eBay, there's a lot of vendors from China that sell replacement parts for almost anything.

SCH-I535





Do you have the JBL unit?

http://pages.ebay.com/motors/link/?nav=item.view&id=390867828282&alt=web





SCH-I535

 

The actual screen itself probably is not the problem.
Whatever hit the screen likely ran down and dripped off the bottom and onto some of the electronics FEEDING the display.
Soda pop is VERY conductive......and very corrosive too over time.

 

Hopefully you know somebody who knows how to disassemble and clean the soda residue left behind. Since it was sugar, the solvent of choice is water, so make sure it's completely unplugged. I would use a "Q" tip and moisten and dab the dirty area. Repeat process with a clean swab until all the soda residue is gone. To help get rid of the water, wash down the cleaned area with 80% Isopropyl Alcohol. Allow the Alcohol to evaporate completely. Reassemble the display unit plug it in. Cross fingers, and turn it on. If you were successful, your display will work. As xliderider pointed out you can go the eBay route. Just make sure you get the proper replacement unit!
After looking at the replacement unit, I notice it has a "Ribbon" cable connecting it to the head unit. Hopefully this is where the Soda dripped on and gummed up the connector. If it ran into the zDisplay module, you will have to pop off the plastic cover. Hopefully it's not a sonic welded piece. If so it won't come apart easy!
Good Luck, when it's fixed, tell us what you did!

 

Yes, soft drinks contain salt and acids, which is conductive, and not good for touch-screens. I am disappointed that the Prius touch-screen isn't shielded from liquids. I think there are some procedures on You Tube for restoring electronics which have been exposed to liquids.

I think there are a number of protective screens available for tablets which may be beneficial for preventing future incidents. The plastic moulding around the unit snaps off quite easily, so applying a membrane shouldn't be too difficult.

 

You won't be killed or injured, but it's worthwhile to try rinsing the affected components with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol. The worst that could happen is you'd need to replace the unit, which is your only other option anyway.