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

I don't think my new MFD should look like this.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by HappyHybrid, Sep 21, 2021.

  1. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Before I went back to John, the guy who installed this to tell him he installed a bad unit, I just wanted to confirm that when you buy a $200-$300 MFD vs Toyota's $3000 MFD that you are NOT supposed to get something that looks like this.

    This is what he took out, on one of it's better days when it actually WORKED...
    old mfd.jpg

    And after yesterday's install, THIS is what got put in. Thought it was dim because it was in the bright sunshine, but nope, even in the shade today this is what I'm getting, and it's on the brightest setting.
    new mfd.jpg

    I'm thinking John needs to try again and get a better unit from his supplier, or get a new supplier.

    The install itself was great, he did a great job putting it in, not to mention setting up my SiriusXM better than I did it when I installed it without charging me extra for it, but what he put in just seems like it's defective.

    Input please before I go back to John and let him know I'm not happy with this? old mfd.jpg new mfd.jpg

    Thanks, y'all.
     
  2. nancytheprius

    nancytheprius Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2020
    342
    148
    0
    Location:
    iowa
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    II
    probably a dumb question but are your headlights or day lights on?
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    maybe it's hit or miss salvage. would be wise to test it before finishing install
     
    SFO likes this.
  4. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    No, neither.
     
  5. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Install is done and unfortunately paid for, he put it in yesterday, and I didn't realize until I compared images today from my old unit to the new unit how bad of a difference it was. He's already torn out my dash once before, before he realized that his supplier had sent the wrong one. This was already the supplier's second MFD shipment. :-/
     
    bisco likes this.
  6. Benjamin QwkSilver

    Benjamin QwkSilver New Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2021
    4
    0
    0
    Location:
    Columbus, Oh
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    there are display brightness and contrast to look into, as well as color scheme i just forget where they hide in the menus
     
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    frustrating
     
  8. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,058
    5,783
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yup, that screen is burning out. If he had a test plug (like I do) he could have bench tested it first. If he does have a test plug to power it up and put it in your car anyway, then he's pretty sketchy. That one is a POS and shouldn't be installed in any customers car.

    It has nothing to do with dimming or lights or anything else. It's the screen. You can see it pretty clearly.
     
    fotomoto, dolj and HappyHybrid like this.
  9. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    I know, I've been through all the menus, this bad boy is on maximum brightness and contrast. Compared to the nice bright one he took out, that was probably on half to 3/4 bright/contrast each.
     
  10. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    So this is NOT what you're supposed to get when you pay less as an alternative to Toyota's overpriced $3000 screen. I sort of figured as much. Didn't realize how bad it was until I compared it to what I had. What's funny is when he moved my car, he even commented on how the back up camera wasn't looking too good either, when I saw what he was talking about today, immediately thought "nothing wrong with the camera, that's the same distorted off color oval that's on the main display."

    Ugh. Guess I'm going to have to call him and get him to come out and tear the dash apart a third time (he did it once, and then realized that his supplier had sent him the display that was on the 2007 a year earlier, the one that looks like Windows 95). So he had to put it all back together again and rescheduled for yesterday to put the correct one in. Which turns out to be crap, apparently. I honestly don't think he realized that it was bad when he put it in. =I= didn't even realize it was bad - I was thinking it was dim due to sunlight shining directly through the windshield - until I discovered that there was no adjustment on it that would make it look right.

    Gonna text him the two photos, I guess, and let him know that I've got issues with what he put in. Worst case, I can always put a hold on the credit card charge if it comes down to it. Don't think it'll come to that, though. This guy came highly recommended by my regular mechanic who I've been going to for years. And unless he was trying to pull a fast one, just don't think he realized that the display was bad.

    Thanks for confirming what I feared was the case. *sigh* Oh well, at least my SiriusXM is working through the Aux port again, lol, at least that's something.
     
  11. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2012
    7,448
    3,751
    0
    Location:
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'm staggered.
    Agree.

    I can't even think of a justification for this. In my opinion, it is just shoddy work of the highest caliber. If I had done a job like this I'd be ashamed and embarrassed.

    And to think you wouldn't notice it and/or would just accept it? Unbelievable!
     
  12. Another

    Another Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2021
    1,802
    508
    0
    Location:
    Naples, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I wonder how many others the guy has done. Looks pretty bad.
     
  13. HappyHybrid

    HappyHybrid Junior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2011
    21
    1
    2
    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    II
    To his credit, and maybe I'm being naïve about it, but I honestly don't think he realized he HAD a bad screen. He never saw what I had in there to start with, and even =I= looked at it in the bright sun and thought it was just the glare of the sun initially, until I started driving home at the end of the day without the sun on it and realized that even at full brightness/contrast, it still didn't look right. Then when I compared the two photos, it was like "no, unless this is what you get when you don't pay Toyota $3000 for one of theirs, there's something wrong with this one".

    Gonna text him the photos at lunch and go from there. Hopefully getting in another one won't be an issue.
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,106
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I thought Amayama might have a better deal, but nope:

    Navigation & front monitor display for Toyota Prius 2 generation, restyling 11.2005 - 05.2009 - Toyota Car & Auto Spare Parts - Genuine Online Car Parts Catalogue - Amayama


    There's 5 options (with different part no's), and some of them rival the cost of our '81 Civic. Is this getting outa hand???????

    I sometimes thank the gods, that our 2010 CDN Prius Touring dash looks like this:

    upload_2021-9-22_9-39-47.png
     
    HappyHybrid likes this.
  15. ColoradoCrow

    ColoradoCrow Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2019
    909
    368
    1
    Location:
    Leawood, KS
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Cant you have the screen itself replaced within the MDU?
    I thought they could be repaired?
     
  16. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,073
    14,981
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    I've seen threads here where it's been done (not sure the threads I saw were Gen 2). Hardest bit is probably finding a usable part number for the right part, and a source to buy from.