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Very Occasional Auto Climate Control Issues - buttons inoperable

Discussion in 'Prius c Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by WiscPriusc, Jun 30, 2013.

  1. winnertakesteve

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    i'd be inclined to agree since the ac and fan have been functional since the incident and don't seem to be struggling at all when they're running. that said, if it happens again, i'm hoping i'll be able to compel my dealer to get to the bottom of things. no matter where the problem is originating, unreliable climate control isn't something i want to just "live with"!
     
  2. HotDogWater

    HotDogWater Junior Member

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    Try taking a video of it the next time it happens and show it to the dealer
     
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  3. Scrittibear

    Scrittibear Junior Member

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    I will have my iphone video at the ready - that's a great idea!
     
  4. Sterferg

    Sterferg Junior Member

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    You're in the ECO mode. Take it out of ECO mode and it well work normally.
     
  5. ztanos

    ztanos All-around Geek!

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    Wrong. Eco mode doesn't turn off the AC, just turns it down.
     
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  6. Sterferg

    Sterferg Junior Member

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    Sorry, maybe you've got a problem.
     
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  7. Scrittibear

    Scrittibear Junior Member

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    SOLVED: I had the "A/C won't start when the car is in ready mode" problem today and I took a video so I have proof - and while reviewing the video, I discovered what is happening - it's very difficult to detect this visually but if you look closely, the OFF button located between the AUTO and A/C buttons gets stuck down in a flattish, permanently off position - and then of course if you try to select the A/C or AUTO buttons to turn on the A/C, the A/C and AUTO buttons illuminate but never engage -- nothing happens.

    Eventually the OFF button unsticks itself and pops back up into full position - and vwahla, the A/C and AUTO buttons are once again operable.

    So now I can take my car back to the dealership and see if they can fix the sticky OFF button. Clearly this is an issue for other folks - I have a 2012 Prius C One by the way.
     
  8. Scrittibear

    Scrittibear Junior Member

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    And here's a link of the inoperable A/C issue in action - look closely at the OFF button (which I never touch in the video) - The OFF button is slightly depressed and sticking.
     
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  9. minkus

    minkus Active Member

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    Yup - same thing that happened to me. Except I rarely use the AC and have always noticed the off button being stuck before trying to turn the fan on. Let us know what the dealership says!
     
  10. winnertakesteve

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    Amazing thank you! That video is the exact behaviour I experienced! And your explanation sounds right too. I'm pretty sure mine fixed itself when I was tapping the various buttons including the off button, which probably dislodged it from its stuck state.

    Humorously I had the same issue with my ipad home button recently, and the same solution of mashing it till it became unstuck seemed to resolve the problem. It's the new "did you try turning it off and on again?" :p
     
  11. col127

    col127 Member

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    I've had the same issue with my car about two weeks ago - did you bring it into the dealership? What did they say? I thought something was wrong with my a/c unit, but maybe it's this stuck button situation ;)
     
  12. kevtan

    kevtan Member

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    Problem solved it the design ,after adding the yellow padding now no more sticky button defect[​IMG]
     
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  13. mdgates

    mdgates Junior Member

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    Kevtan, did you see what they're using to make the buttons spring back out? And is that yellow pad a thin sheet of silicone, or what?
     
  14. kevtan

    kevtan Member

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    It use the tiny onboard switch to bound back the buttons which not have enough power to bounced it back , the yellow pad is just some foam padding from some toy battery compartment ,
     
  15. WiscPriusc

    WiscPriusc Member

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    p.s. Update years later. This is caused by the "Off" button sticking, seems to be fairly common. Has not been a huge issue. Just wiggle the off button enough for it to pop out again and the system always works. Likely fixed by the newer, larger, and more sleek hvac controls offered from '14 on I believe.
     
  16. jimnjo

    jimnjo Member

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    In a previous "regular" Prius we had something like this happen, but with the audio system. From time to time it would either not turn on, not turn off, or the volume control would not operate. Rare, and always ok after the next time we got in and started up the system...after 10 years it did not get worse...or better. Bears watching...