Combination meter going black

Our 2007 Prius combination meter is starting to go black. We already know this is a common issue and that the usual fix is replacing the capacitor in the meter.

What we are trying to figure out is whether the blackout can also affect shutting the car down and the door locks. For example, has anyone seen it cause the doors to lock unexpectedly right after unlocking?

We ran into a situation at the store where the display went out, and we could not fully shut the car off. We held down the start button and the car would partially shut down, but the display stayed on and the doors remained locked. We could not unlock them to open the rear hatch and access the battery.

We held the start button for quite a while, but it still would not completely power down. Is there a specific way or button combination to fully shut down the car in this situation so the locks work normally?

Is all of this related to the failing capacitor in the combination meter, or could something else be causing it?

Thanks,
Bill

 

Thank you.

Now to find a time to remove the dash to access it.

Bill