Combination Meter Still Not Working After Replacement

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Alex2022, Jul 22, 2022.

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  1. Alex2022

    Alex2022 New Member

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    Hey everyone,

    I am currently stumped on this issue. It's a 2004 Toyota Prius. I've changed out 2 capacitors on the combination meter, and it still doesn't work. I have another gen 2 Prius, so I tested the combination meter on the other Prius, and it works, so the issue is with the car not the combination meter. I checked all the fuses under the hood and under the dash and they all checked out. So I swapped all the relays, and that did nothing. I checked all the harnesses under the dash that I could see, and they all look good. I wiggled the harnesses and nothing.

    This car previously had a mouse issue. They chewed up the harness that goes to the HV battery, which was repaired. Everything works on the car, except the dash. Oh also there's no MPG information on the MFD. No check engine light or anything. The car acts exactly like it has a bad combination meter (all the symptoms other people had when their combination meter went out), except on mine it's not the CM. There was one time where it turned on, but it never turned on after that. I bought the car like this. I picked it up for cheap, but it's really not worth taking to a shop to diagnose and repair.

    If anyone can give me any insight on what to look for, it would be much appreciated.

    Thank you
     
    #1 Alex2022, Jul 22, 2022
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    are you getting the correct voltage to it? sounds like a short somewhere, based on the rodent issue.

    how is the 12v health?
     
    #2 bisco, Jul 22, 2022
  3. Alex2022

    Alex2022 New Member

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    Thanks for the quick response! I started looking through the FSM and found some diagrams that might help check for voltage and ground. I'm going to check and I'll report back what I find. Also the 12v checks out.
     
    #3 Alex2022, Jul 22, 2022
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    So then you are to the wiring problem you have to look on the wiring diagram which is in the manual posted here on the site somewhere. And look at the pin out of the plugs that go to the combination meter heads up display and see how many feeds there are to that display I've never looked this information up I got bored with it I changed my meter to a combination meter that came out of a car with 80,000 original miles on it and sometimes after that change my meter will sometimes still not light up when I first press the button and then when I try it again it all lights up. I too think there's a problem in the car in mine and that's my next issue is to look at those big white plugs right under your dash pad that sit on top of the dash that feed the display My guess is that there's two 12 volt feeds and if one of them doesn't make it to the combination meter it doesn't work One signal makes it it won't work they both have to get there or something to that effect is going on I don't really think it's a relay or something like that I think it's something like what I'm talking about it needs to feeds to reach the dash to make the dash light up or something silly like that that's the track I'm thinking anyway
     
    #4 Tombukt2, Jul 22, 2022
  5. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    This would make way more sense if the problem was still your combination meter. I know you verified the meter you fixed works in a different Prius. But maybe try to see if a combination meter from that different Prius works in this problem Prius? As in maybe it's a combination meter barely not working problem. That would be a way easier resolution than inspecting plugs & wiring harnesses more.
     
    #5 PriusCamper, Jul 22, 2022
  6. tracy ing

    tracy ing Active Member

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    With the combo installed, will the car go into READY and drive around ?

    If so... when in ready, will the trunk open ?
    Or will the trunk only open if the car is NOT in ready ?
     
    #6 tracy ing, Jul 22, 2022
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I have SRS so I can be in ready and if I get out with the remote in my pocket it'll allow me to unlock the trunk or I have to make sure I hit the button before I get out of the car to make sure the trunk is unlocked if I like I'm leaving the remote in the cup holder. But I don't think that was the case in the '04 without SRS I could just hit the unlock button and the trunk would open I believe I didn't spend a lot of time in that car
     
    #7 Tombukt2, Jul 22, 2022
  8. tracy ing

    tracy ing Active Member

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    Yeah, I wanted to know what happens when Alex2022 tries it, since he has the issue with the combo meter that works in one car and not in the other.
     
    #8 tracy ing, Jul 22, 2022
  9. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yeah I've never been able to try to swap with the combo meters because I have an '04 and an '09 car and the meters don't swap they're completely different I do know that I put a combination meter in my car that came out of a car that had about 84,000 mi on it and look brand new when I dismantle the car it was dismantled because it was a salvage title and it had a small dent in the front and had I got there before the two doors were sold on the one side I would have bought the whole car and fixed it it was beautiful this idiot sold two doors off of it for 200 bucks and made the car useless pretty much it had a brand new hybrid battery in it and everything I mean brand new from the dealer while it was 6 months old receipts in the car and everything I wish I could have got to it before the doors were off of it beautiful blue '08
     
    #9 Tombukt2, Jul 22, 2022
  10. tracy ing

    tracy ing Active Member

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    Also Alex, what year is the other gen 2 that the combo meter test ok in ?
     
    #10 tracy ing, Jul 22, 2022
  11. Alex2022

    Alex2022 New Member

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    Hey guys,

    Good news! I was able to get the combo meter working and the MFD works as it should now. The FSM was a bit hard to read, but I was able to figure out all the power and ground wires going to the CM connector (C10). Turns out the rodents chewed through the ground wire that goes to the CM, which resides right behind the gear selector. Also to answer those who were asking if I tried a different CM in the problem Prius; I did, and it still didn't work.

    I was surprised at how active this forum is. Most other forums for "enthusiast" oriented cars aren't nearly as active as this forum is. It is certainly a great tool to have at hand. Thanks to everyone for the quick responses. Hopefully this helps anyone else that has a similar issue even after replacing/repairing the CM meter.
     
    #11 Alex2022, Jul 23, 2022
    mr_guy_mann likes this.
  12. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I wish mine was as simple as a rodent chewing a ground wire.
     
    #12 Tombukt2, Jul 24, 2022
  13. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Congrats on the repair! Really don't like those thrice-damned little varmints. Have a 2004 in right now where the plastic fuel pressure line got nibbled - got to drop the gas tank some to replace it once the new part gets here .

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #13 mr_guy_mann, Jul 24, 2022
  14. tracy ing

    tracy ing Active Member

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    A class action lawsuit alleging Toyota switched to a soy-based covering for wires in its vehicles, which attracted rats and led them to eat through the wires, can proceed, a California federal judge ruled on May 11, 2021.

    topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/auto-news/class-action-toyota-soy-coated-wiring-attracts-vehicle-damaging-rats-can-proceed/

    the jury, literally, is still out on this soy issue, google "soy why are mice attracted to wiring"

    burning our food for fuel (corn) covering our wires with food
    lol, we are geniuses

    nhoilundercoating.com/soy-based-wiring-how-to-help-keep-mice-out

    tacomaworld.com/threads/mice.766103/


    Law360 (May 12, 2021, 12:46 PM EDT) -- A California federal judge won't let Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. escape for a second time a proposed class action alleging that its switch to a soy-based covering for wires in its vehicles attracted rats, saying the court is bound by the Ninth Circuit's findings in the case.May 12, 2021


    Albert Heber v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
    Plaintiff:     Albert Heber
    Defendant: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
    Case Number: CAC/8:16-cv-01525
    Filed: October 13, 2016
     
    #14 tracy ing, Jul 25, 2022
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2022
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