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Stereo System Freezing

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by hornbeckmb, Mar 3, 2023.

  1. hornbeckmb

    hornbeckmb New Member

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    2013 Prius
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    Two
    My 2013 Prius 2 (no back up camera) has been having issues with the stereo system touch screen as well as the buttons on the sides and the buttons on the steering wheel. It works sometimes but not other times and gets totally frozen. Is this just a fuse issue or something else? The dealership said it makes the most sense to wait until it doesn't work at all, and while I appreciate them trying to save me money, it's frustrating right now!
     
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Ill want to pull the same kind of head unit out of a junkyard car probably It's not just the fuse
     
  3. Todd Bonzalez

    Todd Bonzalez Active Member

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    The dealership's telling you in a roundabout way that it doesn't want to deal with it.

    Follow Tombukt2's advice or fit an aftermarket unit
     
  4. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    Your OEM unit is just going out. Mine does the same thing. Turn the steering wheel, the station changes. Sometimes the touch screen doesn't respond unless I turn the tuning knob all the way up and then down. Currently, I Bluetooth my tablet to the head unit and use it as my head unit. Been pricing out replacement head units. Also looked into getting an OEM head unit. Better off upgrading since the OEM is the same price as a new aftermarket head unit. From what I have been able to see, any aftermarket head unit you buy for less than $300 dollars tends to go out within 3 years. Some aren't made to take the interior heat of a car. So I am saving my money and hope to by a $400 to $500 unit by end of year.
     
  5. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    Not a Prius, but my Avalon has had problems with the infotainment center, mainly Bluetooth doesn't work, things that require me to be parked do work, I can't get USB to work, and several other things that don't work or are glitchy. But I've already had it fixed by a dealership and about a year later it started toing the same thing again.
     
  6. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    My intermittent bluetooth is now permanently out. Switching from FM to AM is difficult to not possible due to it trying to load the bluetooth source. Guess it's time for a $500 upgrade. But it's got almost 200,000 miles, not sure it's worth it. But that's a lot cheaper than a new car these days.
     
    Montgomery likes this.
  7. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    You don't have to spend $500 for a radio..... I knew there are some that a under $200.
    But, $500 is a lot less than a new or used car.....

     
  8. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

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    Same like my car is going to break down, Guess im in for a new $49,000 car.
     
  9. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I haven't even looked into getting my stereo fixed for a second time. I figure if it's gone out twice within the first 5 years since it was new, I'm going to have to be taking it to a dealer to have it fixed every 2 and a half years on average.
     
  10. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

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    Yes, there are cheaper than $500 radios, but since most of the vehicle settings are through the radio, you need to get one that can tie in to the system. I'm looking at a $400 Kenwood DMX7709S. Best Buy says with about $130 worth of harnesses and adapters, the steering wheel switches etc will operate through the radio.

    While browsing the web I've seen a Maestro RR that will show gauges and stuff, but not sure how much system info comes through on that though. Again, lots of questions and money for an old car that I don't drive as much since I retired.

    I suppose the cheapest solution would be a $50 bluetooth speaker, but how handsfree are those?
     
  11. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Yes, I thought about that a while after posting...
    I have the base non jbl radio. But if you have the LDC display, you'll need something
    that will do all the setting.
    I only listen to podcasts or music on my iPhone. And once in a while at 5 minutes before
    the hour for news...
    All "I" need are the speakers and an amp for my podcasts.

    All the fancy stuff with an LDC is nice. Until it goes bad....