Gen3 Instrument Cluster Panel (ICP) Degradation – Blurry/Hazy/Greasy/Moldy Energy Monitor

this finally bugged me enough, so i spent some time on it. There wasn't much concrete out there in PC or the internet documenting the fix. The attached PDF is the write up. Hope it helps some others!

Failure Analysis: There were many theories in Prius Chat: mold, mildew, some sort of grease, or display film disintegrating; trapped moisture. Judging by the general confusion in posts, these were mostly incorrect. Upon inspecting my assembly – after removing from the car, and after disassembling the cluster itself: Blurriness develops from an overheated or over-radiated pink plastic coverplate that sits in front of the ICP energy display. The ICP display itself is a thick piece of glass sitting behind the pink plastic coverplate. It appears like this glass is too hot or too close to the coverplate. Over time, maybe display overheats due to electronics degradation; maybe it’s just too close to the coverplate; or maybe the coverplate plastic material is just too weak/soft and prone to overheating; or changing from the display radiation, like how plastic degrades in sunshine. It appears like heat is the cause, and the plastic coverplate slowly liquifies and dries in repetitive cycles as you drive the car over the years. This results in a haze over the coverplate, which looks like mold/mildew/grease/moisture; but isn’t. Imagine taking a heat gun to some plastic. So the finish fades and its very similar to the haze buildup on plastic headlights over the years. This, by the way, is a clue on how to fix the problem.