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

The Main Instrument Panel is a Mirror

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Vincent, Jan 29, 2006.

  1. Vincent

    Vincent Don't Wait Until Tomorrow

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2005
    641
    31
    0
    Location:
    South Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    I noticed my speedometer display partially burned out when the car park attendant returned my 06 last night. But, it came back on when I went around a turn and the valet parking ticket moved away from the base of the display.

    Surprise! The main display is actually in the base of the dashboard and I've been looking at a reversed image in a mirror all the time.

    I love my Prius; I learn something new about it every day, mostly from this site. I hope I'm passing a "something new" along to other PC members (or am I the only dummy?).
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. maggieddd

    maggieddd Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2005
    2,090
    13
    0
    Location:
    Boston
    Sorry Vincent, but we alredy know it's a mirror :)
     
  3. jdjeep98

    jdjeep98 New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2006
    211
    0
    0
    Location:
    Wilmington, DE
    Well, maybe *some* of us did, but I didn't. :eek:

    Thanks, Vincent. :)
     
  4. Vincent

    Vincent Don't Wait Until Tomorrow

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2005
    641
    31
    0
    Location:
    South Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    maggieddd - Great! Now I know how your penguin feels.

    jdjeep98 - Thanks for making me feel better.
     
  5. 8AA

    8AA Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2004
    550
    62
    0
    Location:
    Maryland
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    It's a pretty neat effect and allows your eyes to not have to focus as close as they normally would have to for a conventional dash display. I've wondered if the original idea was to have a heads up display on the windshield, but Toyota changed their minds and put in the mirror instead.

    For the classic owners: I've noticed that your speedometer is in the middle of the dash. Does it also use a mirror, or is it a more traditional display?
     
  6. albert conliffe

    albert conliffe Junior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2009
    1
    0
    0
    Location:
    Miami, Fl
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    N/A

    Hi Vincent.

    A million thanks. Tried the Dimmer and the fuses. No Go. After a few days I remembered your post, which apparently I had taken lightly. All wrapped up in , We all know that trivia, Even when I recalled it, it seemed to easy to be true. Then I remembered an advert I got at a traffic light and flipped on the dash board. It apparently, eventually slipped over the "VINCENT LENS" and blocked out the Instrument panel display. My GOD, people were talking about $2,000 fixes, spilled coffee, and rodents. But thanks to you, for me it was simply uncovering the " VINCENT LENS"

    Al Conliffe
     
  7. geognerd

    geognerd Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2009
    37
    5
    0
    Location:
    Elgin, Illinois
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I knew the speedometer display was a mirror image, but I still don't quite understand how it works. There is a mirror behind the brownish plastic where you see the speedometer. However, when you stand over the windshield and look straight down, it looks like there is another mirror on the dashboard. What does that part do?
     
  8. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2009
    4,050
    729
    5
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: Do not put anything, such as papers, on that large black dash, because you will cover the mirror!!

    My salesman told me this when he taught me about the car. :D
     
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    44,967
    16,190
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    It's reflected twice.