Weird stuff is happening to my Prius...Should I be concerned?

did the videos mention any causes? you may want to ask a dealer if there are any updates available

 

How is this different from the "bad cap in the dash" problem, for which there is a sticky thread in this forum?

Actually it was in the service section, not the main section. Here is a link

combination meter repair - DIY | PriusChat

 

good question, i wasn't sure if that could be reset

 

When posting a question here, if you have "found a video" and done something it suggested, it can often be helpful to include a link to the video, so we can see what advice you've been following.

 

This looks like the same combination meter problem that everybody else has had. It results from an undersized capacitor on the combination meter board, which with age eventually drops below the point where it will work reliably (what the OP is seeing now, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't). If it isn't fixed it eventually gets to the "never works" stage. The lights out on the display, and the inability to turn the car off normally are both typical symptoms of this problem.

To fix this the CM board needs to come out of the car - so the dash has to be mostly disassembled. At that point if the OP has some skill with a soldering iron they can fix it themselves, or they can send it to one of the services listed in that thread for repair. Any shop that works on Prius's has probably seen this issue numerous times and could tell the OP what it would cost for them to fix it. Note, the odometer value is stored on that board, so if it is sent out for repair, be sure the place doing the work either sends back the same board, or has the ability to transfer the setting to the replacement board. When Longo fixed mine (it was still under a used car warranty from them at the time) they mistakenly plugged the mileage from my previous visit into the replacement board so my odometer is off by a couple of hundred miles. It wasn't worth taking the whole dash apart again for that. What it tells us though is that the Toyota dealer service departments don't fix the capacitor problem in house, they source a new board and punch in the odometer value. The MSRP for that part is $467.

Computer, Combination Meter | Part #8329147241 | Toyota Auto Parts

The repair services fix the board for less than half that.

https://www.texashybridbatteries.com/prius-combination-meter-repair

 

As long as you have decent soldering skills- the repair is not too difficult.

Pulling things apart to get to it takes some time. The center dash vents are usually fragile and will break unless you're very gentle popping them out. There are clips that hold the tops of the A-pillar trim, I use tiny electronics needle nose pliers to grab and twist the end 90° to release them. YouTube is helpful.

Take pictures of everything and make a list of every electrical connector you unplug. There are many posts where someone has a problem afterwards and eventually finds they overlooked a connector on reassembly.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

You get the plastic spluges and the dash vents will come straight out no problem It's when you start using your fingers and fingernails things get not nice. You use the plastic things to pull straight out on the top and straight out on the bottom and once you have a little edge there to grab in the center you can pull them right out just don't squeeze on them too hard The sun is removed all the oil from the plastic and they are very brittle The one that usually breaks is the one with the transmission shifter hole and that one is available for $24 and a much better material in the color you have on eBay your vent will fit right in it and it will not break when you take it out It is made more out of a PVC heavy material then hard plastic.

 

nice work. people say you can save the vents if you are gentle but ive seen maybe 9 out of 10 junkyard Prius have cracked vents. Something chemical happens to it in certain weather/environment and it becomes as brittle as a tostada.

 

I've had the exact opposite experience, oddly enough. As I described here and in the video here, whenever possible I try to keep all the prying tools far enough away to avoid temptation.

Pads of fingers for the win, in my book. Fingernails are more in the way (and hurt when you tear them).