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2010 Prius - Only half cluster lights up and other issues

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by tampaite, Apr 21, 2018.

  1. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    Tried to start our 2010 Prius and it won't start.

    Held the brake for about 10 seconds and then pressed start and only half the dashboard lights-up( see photo - only the headlight shows up on the right)

    Turned it off and tried to turn it on, it won't start.

    Finally, everything came on and we went for a short ride - came back into the garage, turned off and tried to turn on and only half the cluster turns on.

    • The fob key battery hasn't been changed in few years
    • The 12v battery hasn't been changed in few years
    half_cluster_lights_UP.JPG

    Should I try changing the fob key battery ? or check anything else?
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you are going to diy, i would buy a cheap volt meter.

    check the 12v after it has been off a few hours. if it is good, you probably need a new combination meter. (the half lit dashboard)
    but that can be caused by a low 12v.
    never hurts to change the fob battery, but i don't think that's the problem. you can use your new volt meter to check the old and new fob battery voltages as well. a new one should be 3.3 volts.

    also, a trickle charger, jump pack and small 12v compressor are good investments.
     
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  3. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    Charged the battery all night with a trickle charger and it worked for a day and was able to drive to work.

    At lunch time, car won't start.

    I only see the light on the start button when I press it and hear some humming noise. I will check the voltage with the volt meter and post back additional details.

    Right now, have to find someone to jump start at work this evening :) and drive back home.
     
  4. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    Prius started normally when I tried to start at work this evening. The only thing was it was in hot sun(being in FL) all day.

    What gives?

    Came home and measured the voltage with volt meter and it showed approx 12.5v when engine was off.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    probably need a new battery. measure it in the morning before turning anything on.
     
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    also, it may go way down when you put a load on it. have auto zone test it for free, or someone, they have a machine to do it right. florida is hard on batteries.
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That seems fishy.

    Not sure, but I seem to recall a low fob battery will trigger a warning on the dash?

    A little hard to judge. Considering you charged all night just a day back, that might be a borderline battery with still a bit of "surface charge" (battery tends to read artificially high right after charging). Maybe monitor daily first thing in the morning, if it's stable at 12.5 that's so-so. If it continues to drop then better get it assessed with digital load tester (most retailers will have) and consider replacement.

    I still think it odd that half your dash is out: some electrical disconnect??
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Apr 26, 2018
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2018
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  8. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    This morning using volt meter, the battery showed about 12.5v

    Using the vehicle signal check mode, I saw it was 11.5v and then when I started the engine it went down to 10.8v and then came back up to 13.6v

    most likely, its the battery since the initial voltage using MFD, it showed 11.5v
     
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  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    12.5 volts at rest is not bad. Something like Solar BA5 (or BA7, more readily available now?) will give a better assesment, if you want to drop $70~ for a diagnostic tool. It assesses voltage too, but primarily is used to measure Cold Cranking Amps (or Cranking Amps, or a few others). While not technically needed on the Prius, the CCA is still a valuable barometer of the battery's health.

    Most automotive retailers selling batteries would have a pro-level version of this sort of tester.
     
  10. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Normal resting battery should be 12.6 volts.
     
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  11. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    so I drove few times in our community to check out the battery and it seems to hold well. Obviously, I can't seem to replicate the half cluster display issue but given that it's a 2010 model, its looking more and more worthwhile to have the 12v battery replaced.

    I will monitor the battery and at the next issue, replace it with either an YellowTop Optima Batteries 8171-767 (DS46B24R) OR the
    ACDelco ACDB24R.

    The ACdelco one is currently listed at $156 +shipping on Amazon and YellowTop twice that price!
     
  12. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Have you checked the fuse?
     
  13. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    Which one?
     
  14. NutzAboutBolts

    NutzAboutBolts Senior Member

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    Check the 10amp fuse and the 7.5amp fuse in the engine bay. It’s possible it could be a relay as well. Those are what’s giving power to the combination meter assembly.
     
  15. tampaite

    tampaite Member

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    05/06 Update - Had ordered ACDelco ACDB24R and received it this weekend. Paid $165 but shipping took a while.

    I unbolted the original battery and it showed 12.5v measured via digital multimeter whereas the newly opened ACDelco battery showed 12.7v prior to installation.

    Went ahead and installed ACDelco battery - will monitor for any issues and come back and post.
     
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  16. Koach

    Koach New Member

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    I find it interesting that a weakening battery could cause half the dash board lights to go dark. To test the battery theory could I just hook a battery charger up to the under hood charging points? Wouldn't the charger provide enough juice to light the second half of the dash board.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Just occurs to me: half of that display is actually projected image from below. People have tossed a business card in there and been flummoxed to see the display half-gone. Could it be that??
     
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  18. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    :ROFLMAO::):LOL::ROFLMAO::):LOL:

    You’ve got the descriptive words flowing today(y).
     
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  19. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    Half the display comes and goes. That doesn't sound like a sheet of paper sliding around. However, putting a sheet of paper over the mirror is one way to get a Prius owner's adrenaline flowing.

    A weak fob battery displays a warning message on the MID. Ignore it long enough and you'll be pressing the start button with the fob.
     
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  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    any update?