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combination meter repair - DIY

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Ultanium, Jan 20, 2016.

  1. Jmack111

    Jmack111 Member

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    http://Www.digikey.com

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  2. Jmack111

    Jmack111 Member

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  3. Jmack111

    Jmack111 Member

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  4. Jmack111

    Jmack111 Member

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  5. WebVixen13

    WebVixen13 Junior Member

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    I live hours away from LA, but we're kind of desperate for an affordable fix! So far it's still working? Was the 160 including labor? We just bought this car used, for my mom who's retired. 2009 Prius with only 99k. A month later, it started having the black screen issue, today. We've basically spent all our funds, new tires, hoping to have a reliable trouble free car. Now this. Past the warranty, purchased 9/2008.

    Anyone know of any bay area shops that offer similar affordable repair? We're a little freaked out by this, and definitely aren't capable of repairing it ourselves.
     
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  6. WebVixen13

    WebVixen13 Junior Member

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    Curious about going this route! How did you get them to give you money off the repair??

    We bought this 2009 Prius with 99k a month ago, from a local person. Paid $150 for our Toyota dealership to do a pre purchase inspection. They said it was in good condition aside from tires. Today, dashboard didn't turn on.... twice. Out of the blue. Key fob trick worked. But i'm worried it'll get worse. It's only 48 degrees out, not that cold! We spent most of our saved up funds, and I was hoping for a stress free car for my retired mom. So stressful.

    We're not at all DIY people either, i'm impressed by you guys! But that's not an option for us.
     
  7. Paul Schenck

    Paul Schenck Active Member

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    Gosh that $160 price is nearly worth a drive from the Bay Area. Check for a mobile mechanic in the Bay I’m sure there is one specializing in this repair. four hours of your time plus materials might make it worth hiring a local guy.
    My last check the capacitors that fix the problem are $24.00 the skill to put them in, $200.


    iPhone ?
     
  8. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    You can fix this yourself, just need some very basic tools. The cost to get a refurbished unit is $150 from texashybridbatteries.com.

    You can watch some YouTube videos that will show you how it's done

    Maybe @Raytheeagle will want to tackle a combination meter on his next meetup in the bay area
     
    #188 JC91006, Jan 12, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
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  9. Ernest Erickson

    Ernest Erickson New Member

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    An ESR meter will help determine faulty caps.
    Capacitors are mainly used as filters, low, high frequency signals, mainly on the B+ lines, with the values changing with location to the components, such as regulators, ASICS and the like.
     
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  10. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Maybe between @SFO and i we could work something out;).

    He’s probably on borrowed time with his 2007 and the combo meter:cool:.

    Might be good practice (y).
     
    #190 Raytheeagle, Jan 12, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2019
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  11. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    That would be great, just be extra careful and don't break the air vents when you remove them. And put a towel on the steering wheel, so you don't scrap it up when you pull the dash in and out
     
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  12. Barry Hines

    Barry Hines New Member

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    This can be completed by using the videos on YouTube. There are several very helpful ones. Its a really cheap fix if you just replace the capacitor.

    This video shows you how to remove everything carefully.



    This video shows you how to replace the capacitor.
     
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  13. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    In the original post where this video was published, comment was made by an electronics technician that it was a bad idea to piggy back (connect in parallel) a second cap as shown in this video. The better method is to remove the bad cap and replace it with a new one. It is also better to replace it with a cap of higher capacitance, the details of which maybe contained elsewhere in this thread, but definitely in this thread. Also of note, is that at least two other caps should be replaced for a more robust repair. Again details are in the other thread.
     
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  14. cooscoos

    cooscoos New Member

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    Do I need to unplug the 12v battery to remove the cluster? It seems like yes but I saw two youtube vids and neither mentions to disconnect the 12v battery.
     
  15. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    As long as the car is IG-OFF, you should need to, but you can if it makes you uncomfortable to leave it connected.
     
  16. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Yes. You should always remove 12V power before you mess around with disconnecting electrical circuits. In this particular case you also have to disconnect and remove the passenger-side airbag, which is more reason to make sure no 12V power is present before you start.
     
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  17. obiejon12

    obiejon12 Junior Member

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    I'd just like to weigh in and say I successfully did this repair... like other posters said it takes most of a day. There are a lot of very annoying steps, like taking the side curtain panels off. You'll need a very long extension arm for a socket wrench to unscrew underneath the airbag. Just so you all know my experience level... close to zero. So it is possible for beginners! I used the same video as post #193. I removed the capacitor and tried to apply the new capacitor straight onto the pcb but I was concerned I didn't have a good connection. So I soldered some wire to the PCB and then the other ends of the wire to the capacitor, not directly to the board. I haven't had a single problem with the meter since.
     
  18. Phil Stasik

    Phil Stasik Junior Member

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    I would like to add another testimonial to Matt at Texas Hybrid Batteries, and the DIY replacement of my (217 K miles) 2004 Prius' Combination Meter. I really appreciated Patrick Wong's posts, which made this project easier, and cleaner. I found, as he did, that the original circuit board seemed to suffer from sloppy workmanship -- but I'm not an expert in this field. I'll try to upload photos of this. The whole project took most of a day, but I always like to clean areas that have not been exposed since manufacture, especially the cabin air filter and fan assembly and its ducting. Nothing broke -- thanks to the good advice of all of you on this thread. I'm really glad that I bought a "plastic crow bar" trim removal set to gently pop the car's interior panels apart gently and easily. The video on this thread is wonderful, and my sincere thanks to the gentleman who produced it. I took plenty of time to thoroughly clean the glass and mirror that reflects the display information to the driver's view. The failure of my CM was slow and became very frustrating, and the new unit has been working flawlessly. I also took the time to fix the long-broken glovebox opener spring with JB Weld, and removed the paint from the glovebox push buttons that looks so disreputable on older Prius' It's like having a new car. We have loved our Prius since we bought it new 15 years ago. This project looks daunting, but is merely a low-tech, step by step process -- as long as nothing breaks! Original Prius CM Back.jpg Original Prius CM Close-up.jpg Original Prius CM Front.jpg
     
  19. FLA$H

    FLA$H New Member

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    Would anyone happen to still have the original CAPACITOR
    because I lost mine after replacing it and I would like to use
    the original to see how long it will last.
    I just need the HEIGHT & WIDTH.

    Thanks
     
  20. Phil Stasik

    Phil Stasik Junior Member

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    I'm sorry FLA$H, I returned the original board to Texas Hybrid Batteries. You should reach out to them.

    By the way, it's been about a month and a half (500 miles), since I installed the Texas Hybrid Batteries replacement CM, and everything has been operating perfectly. They were also very prompt at providing credit for the core return. They even payed for the return postage.
     
    #200 Phil Stasik, Mar 10, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 10, 2019