Picked up our car, just a few questions...

The display is commonly called the MFD, multi-function display. I use a fine cotton cloth to keep mine clean, no chemicals. Same kind of cloth they sell in big bags for wiping down wax when waxing a vehicle. Cheap and replacable.

 

Welcome. Glad you like your new car - it only gets better.

For the night time windshield glare, try reducing the brightness of the MFD (Multi Function Display) with the knob on the lower left side. I leave my headlights on and have to increase the brightness during the day and reduce it at night. (I wouldn't have to do this if I didn't leave the headlights on because the display brightness normally dims when the headlights are turned on)

Cheers

Mark

 

Howdy OleMissPrius

... and welcome to the "Wonderful World of Prius Enthusiasts!" Congratulations on your new wheels.

One thing which would help is to "dim" the panel lights with the rheostat wheel left of the steering column which only dims the display when your headlights are on. This setting will also dim the MFD (Multi Function Display) screen. The reflection effect is due to the fact that what you see in the speedometer display is actually a magnified reflection of a smaller display beneath the dashboard. While mine does not bother me, particularly at the dimmed display I prefer, it may be irritating to some.

You might want to "search" on "reflection" or "speedometer reflection" for previous discussions on this effect.

 

3m makes some privacy filters for laptop screens that could possible fix the glare.

the prius-hood is for the mfd, some people get sun glare on it. personally, i've never noticed any.

a soft cloth, like an eyeglass cleaning cloth would be great. a 100% cotton cloth would probably work fine. i wouldn't use cleansers on it, maybe just a damp cloth if needed.

 

The MFD has a slight texture to it. I purchased the Prius screen protector (I believe off EBay) that adheres like any other screen protector for pda, etc. It provides a nice smooth surface that resists fingerprints (I hate those greasy blobs that show up when the screen is off) and is very easily cleaned with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Only costs a couple of bucks and makes the screen look so much better.

I also have the hood. I read a post on here someplace that talked about long term sun damage to the MFD, and it really cuts down on sun glare. All the buttons are still easily accessable.

Good luck with the new car!

 

Congratulations on the new car!!

I have the same problem when driving at night with the glare of the dash (speedo, odo, etc) onto the windshield. I've found that by dimming the dash lights just slightly (using the knob to the left of the steering wheel) greatly reduces the reflection in the windshield and makes night driving much easier. It also dims the mfd and other lighted functions in the dash area of the car, but I've found that just the slight dimming is enough to keep the glare off the windshield while still keeping the rest of the instruments well-lighted enough to see.

 

Congrats on joining the club! I have maybe a slightly different take on the MFD hood. I don't mind when the sun drowns out the MFD, but that's because I don't have the navigation option or Bluetooth or any of those other things that run through the MFD, except the basic displays - and neither do you. I don't find that there's anything all that critical on the basic displays, and the sun doesn't effect mine frequently enough to worry about it. When you clean the MFD screen (I just use the microfiber-cloth bag that came with my sunglasses), just be sure to do it when the car is off - otherwise, you can clear the average MPG, or change radio stations, or all sorts of other d'oh moments. Enjoy the car!

 

Welcome to the Fun House!

Are you Ole? :lol:

A Miss? B)

Is Oxford a lock-'em-up college town, or more a "full-service" city wif a major university? (If ya know wot I mean...) :huh:

Did anyone mention there's a knob to the left of the steering wheel...?

Drive and park yer Driftwood only in bright sun. I would have bought one, but it seemed to me to lose too much dynamism when it's dismal.

Didja notice we have an array of smilies?

 

I've had my new Prius a little over a week and just love it. This is my 4th (consecutive) Toyota since 1978. I averaged 51.5 mpg on the first tank. A big change from my 1996 4Runner (166,000 miles, 22 mpg average). Now my husband is driving the 4Runner - we traded in his 1992 Ford F150 for the Prius. With the 4Runner, he's getting twice the mpg that he did with the F150, so we're both happy. B)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(OleMissPrius @ Sep 13 2006, 09:00 AM) [snapback]318947[/snapback]</div>

Welcome to the group!

In case you didn't know, the display you see is acutally a reflection coming up from the dash. Either by looking down from outside, or reaching forward, you can find the square hole. The trick is to make that hole a bit smaller along the side closest to the driver. I did what marlin suggested and put a piece of black material (felt works good) along the edge using double-sided tape.