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

Replacing MFD - Extra Wire Problem

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by tiffprius, May 19, 2008.

  1. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Hello, new member so I don't know if this is the correct sub-forum.

    Anyhow, I have a 2008 Prius with a broker touchscreen on the multi-function display (MFD) caused by user error.

    Read these forums and got the lead on the Prius salvage guys, AutoBeYours.com and bought a 2007 MFD from them. Great, speedy service on their end.

    Read the instructions and got the dash off, but the replacement MFD has an extra gray shielded wire compared to the original.

    On the picture below, the 2007 unit is on top and the broken 2008 unit is on the bottom. The car does not have NAV and the 2007 unit should not have NAV as well.

    Looking at all the MFD replacement pictures online, I don't see other MFD units having this extra wire.

    The wire looks sorta like a ground wire to me.

    I don't know where to connect it and therefore cannot put the car back together.

    Help is appreciated. Thanks.
     

    Attached Files:

    #1 tiffprius, May 19, 2008
  2. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2005
    4,089
    468
    0
    Location:
    Bahstahn
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It's hard to tell from your picture, including which wire you're
    talking about. Does it look like a small coaxial connector on
    the end, like it was some kind of antenna wire? Is it feasible
    to ignore it, reassemble and reinstall the MFD, and see if you're
    missing any functionality?
    .
    _H*
     
    #2 hobbit, May 19, 2008
  3. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    In the picture, look at the MFD on the top.

    On that MFD, there is two wires coming out (one a single wire, the other a bundle of wires with a plastic connector at its end). The wire I am talking about is the single wire one - it terminates with a silver button-like thing.

    In the picture, on the top MFD, it is the wire coming out of the bottom of the MFD (so basically, it is in the middle of the picture).

    I can reinstall and I'm sure it will have all the functionalities, but I don't want the driver to get an electrical shock or something in a month (or a week) from now. It's not my car and is being used by some older folks who wouldn't take kindly to some random electrical discharge.
     
    #3 tiffprius, May 20, 2008
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,192
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I wonder if your replacement was from a car that had NAV? Hobbit?
     
    #4 efusco, May 20, 2008
  5. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2006
    417
    14
    0
    Location:
    NorCal, USA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hardly conclusive, but that gray wire looks like it has a round, flat copper connector on the end. Such connectors are commonly used for connecting antennas to circuit boards. Where does the other end of the gray wire go? Nowhere? If so, it's probably an antenna, perhaps for the gps nav... In which case it should be fine to leave it alone. But I'm neither an electronics expert, nor a Prius MFD expert. :(
     
    #5 GeekEV, May 20, 2008
  6. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Not so great close up of the wire.

    So if this is a NAV equipped MFD, how do I enable that functionality in a non-NAV car besides just reinstalling the MFD?
     

    Attached Files:

    #6 tiffprius, May 20, 2008
  7. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,192
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The NAV functionality is not in the screen...which is why I'm a bit uncertain about my suggestion. But I thought that the NAVs for the Prius w/ NAV were different than those without. you won't be able to get NAV even if you get the MFD screen to work.
     
    #7 efusco, May 20, 2008
  8. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 26, 2003
    19,891
    1,192
    9
    Location:
    Nixa, MO
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    BTW, I'd love to hear what the "User Error" was that caused this mess to start with!!
     
    #8 efusco, May 20, 2008
  9. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Let's just call the user Edward Scissorhands - they used objects other than blunt fingers to interact with the touchscreen.

    Oh, and once I get the refurb MFD working in the car, any of you modders interested in a broken-touchscreen MFD from a non-NAV 2008? Just pay for shipping ($15 and less I would assume).
     
    #9 tiffprius, May 20, 2008
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2006
    18,058
    3,074
    7
    Location:
    Northern Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    From the bad photo, the extra wire looks like it has a coaxial connector on it, which would make it an antenna lead. Does the connector have a little pin in the center?

    Tom
     
    #10 qbee42, May 20, 2008
  11. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Yes, the silver button end has a copper colored pin in the middle.

    Sounds like the consensus guess is an antenna. Gonna go and put everything back together again. Will update and let ya'll know if it works.
     
    #11 tiffprius, May 20, 2008
  12. tiffprius

    tiffprius New Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2008
    6
    0
    0
    Location:
    Washington DC
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I tucked the coaxial back in the unit and reinstalled everything - it works fine and as expected.

    If someone wants the broken 2008 MFD for the cost of shipping, please let me know by this Friday. I'll be traveling after that and won't have access to the 2008 MFD to ship it out.

    Thanks for all the help on this issue.
     
    #12 tiffprius, May 20, 2008
  13. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2005
    4,089
    468
    0
    Location:
    Bahstahn
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    It might be interesting to see what, if any, functionality an
    '08 mfd could have in an '04 car ... or even to just have a
    good look-n-photo through it. So consider this one offer,
    although you may get several more.
    .
    _H*
     
    #13 hobbit, May 20, 2008
  14. Submarine Dude

    Submarine Dude Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 18, 2006
    73
    2
    0
    Location:
    Glendale, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    That's the same connector I see used in laptops for wireless. I'd bet it's the bluetooth antenna.
     
    #14 Submarine Dude, May 21, 2008
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)