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

mystery needles in dash

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Jan 2, 2014.

  1. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 25, 2007
    10,096
    4,795
    0
    Location:
    Clearwater, Florida
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Mom?
     
  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,842
    3,099
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Don't you just love when the OP starts something like this and never returns?

    SCH-I535
     
    PriusGuy32 likes this.
  3. Les_PL

    Les_PL Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2012
    317
    248
    0
    Location:
    Gdynia, PL
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Deadly
    NINJA was there?
     
  4. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 2, 2012
    3,902
    1,064
    0
    Location:
    New Yawk
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five


    Those needles probably got 'er...
     
  5. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

    Joined:
    Jul 12, 2011
    6,972
    3,209
    1
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    That's when the rest of us get to go off in tangents. :D
     
  6. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,842
    3,099
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Yeah, tangents. I prefer arcs... and curves. :D
     
  7. zebelkhan

    zebelkhan Member in good standing

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2012
    165
    38
    0
    Location:
    Morgan Hill, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    LOL, you guys are something else!

    On the original OP question, I looked at the dash when car was off. The only thing that looked like gauges and needles were indeed the ones that light up when you touch the steering wheel controls for audio and trip meter.
     
  8. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Alright all you geniuses :), here is a pic. It's a needle; likely a temperature indicator for either the battery pack or the inverter - there are two of them. You can see it through the bottom of the 6 and the 2.
    temp needle.jpg
     
  9. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    That would be "His" :)
     
  10. Grren4ever

    Grren4ever Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2013
    347
    166
    19
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    temp needle2.jpg Are you talking about where I circled with red? That is very strange. Never seen that before. Looks like something got stuck in the LCD display
     
  11. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2012
    7,842
    3,099
    0
    Location:
    Honolulu, HI
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    That is not normal, if it is indeed what the OP is referring to.

    SCH-I535
     
  12. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

    Joined:
    May 22, 2009
    9,083
    5,795
    0
    Location:
    Undisclosed Location
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Wow, a picture is worth quite a bit here.

    What is pictured is not a normal part of the dash display.

    Not sure what is wrong, but you shouldn't have that "line" on your display.
     
  13. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Bingo! Trust me, it's a needle. There is another one I've seen, to the right (obviously not visible at this time).
     
  14. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It took about 30 seconds to slowly go down and then disappear.
     
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    gracie! 17 days later. where you been man?:cool:
     
  16. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Been busy choking people! :) I'm pretty sure this isn't the best thing for my car, not trying to do it deliberately.
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    (cough cough), i see.:sick:
     
  18. kbeck

    kbeck Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2010
    420
    274
    0
    Location:
    Metuchen, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    All right. I see the "needle".

    This could be wrong, this could be right. The display is actually mirrored from a projector located in the dash. In terms of absolute direction, the projector shoots the image towards the front of the car, angled up somewhat; it then reflects off of something like a mirror and back towards the passenger compartment.What you actually see is the reflection of the projector, not the projector itself directly.

    Occasionally, people show up here claiming that their dash display has gone blank. It turns out that said people have lost a slip of paper or some such down into the crevasse where the projector sits; said piece of paper is not obviously in view, but does a handy job of blocking the projector down in there. One can sneak one's hand up into the crevasse area and feel said lost slips of paper, after which the paper can be slid out and the "help me! I'm blind!" reaction stopped.

    So I kind of wonder if you've got a piece of narrow garbage or some such down in there. Sticking a small brush down in there and gently wiping it back and forth might dislodge whatever-it-is without an expensive trip to the dealer. A small vacuum cleaner, or maybe one of those computer keyboard "blast it out with fast moving air" cans might also do the trick. Assuming my guess is correct.

    KBeck
     
  19. Gracie Jiu-Jitsu

    Gracie Jiu-Jitsu New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2013
    13
    1
    0
    Location:
    Scottsdale, Az
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Negative. That's what I thought at first. As I stated in my earlier post, it rises like a needle, and sinks like a needle; slow and steady.
     
  20. kbeck

    kbeck Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2010
    420
    274
    0
    Location:
    Metuchen, NJ
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Grace:

    Once in a while we in Prius Chat get a report of a defective display. I've got a 2010, it sure doesn't do what yours is doing. Admittedly, most of these reports involve:
    1. Scum forming over the screen. This seems to be associated with tropical, damp climates. (Most often)
    2. Screen flat-out disappearing. (Followed by an in-warranty trip to the dealer.)
    3. The aforementioned "garbage in the slot" problem. (Usually caused by putting too many papers on top of the dash, and something sliding forwards.)
    It'd be nice, and cheaper, if some form of #3 was your problem. It crosses my mind that that's an LCD display with a strong backlight down in that crevasse. LCDs run with relatively high voltage, which makes for static electricity, which is one of the reasons dust and grit tend to get attracted to your computer screen. So, if something came loose and is electrically attracted to that screen, then watching it wander up and down in response to the E-field might be possible. It'd be even more fun if it was inside of the glass protecting the front of the projector, in which case blasting away with with a can of air wouldn't do you much good.

    I've never contemplated getting the dash apart to the point where the display can be removed and inspected. I suspect it's not an easy job. If it's not the junk I suspect, then it's electronic in nature and probably requires a display replacement, which, by all accounts, is $$$. Heck, just getting the dealership (or whoever) to get the display out for inspection is probably $$, anyway.

    If the car is under some kind of Dealer's used-car warranty, I'd take it back and make snotty noises at them. It you bought the car as-is, what the heck, if it's not getting worse and you don't feel like spending something a bit short of half a grand to get it out of there, let it lie.

    Good luck!

    KBeck