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

HUD out of focus after windshield swap

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Tapio Kuosma, Nov 22, 2016.

  1. Tapio Kuosma

    Tapio Kuosma Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2015
    13
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hello

    I have a 2010 Prius with about 101 000 km's on it.

    Yesterday I got a new windshield that was installed by a professional windshield company. Now, the HUD seems to be a little "off". I can't quite describe it, but it seems that it's a little out of focus; it looks a bit smaller and a bit tilted. I have, of course, tried to set it with the buttons on the dash.

    If I move my head up and down, I can see that the size of the HUD changes a bit, like the windshield is "twisted" or "bent" somehow.

    My question is, has anyone experienced this after a windshield change? What could cause this? Is there any way to adjust the "focus" or the "angle" of the HUD?

    There was also a "Toyota campaign" that was done to the Prius. I don't know the TSB number, but they changed a coal tank inside the gas tank and modified a side airbag mounting somehow.

    After that when I filled the tank, I had to drive for about 4-5 kilometers before the gas gauge showed that I have a full tank and for the distance to empty to update. Before this the gauge would update immediately after starting the car and moving forward just a few meters. Has anyone experienced this?

    Thanks in advance!

    -Tapio
     
    #1 Tapio Kuosma, Nov 22, 2016
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,277
    15,074
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Did you have Toyota glass installed, or aftermarket glass? (And, if it was Toyota glass, was it definitely the right part number for a car with HUD? Did Toyota do the installation?)

    The tricky bit with the HUD is as it projects from below the dash cover, you see two reflected images: one from the inside surface of the glass, one from the outside surface. The Toyota windshield glass (specified for HUD-equipped cars) is deliberately molded with a nonuniform thickness in that area: the two surfaces are not exactly parallel there, and it's calculated so you see the two images aligned. (I remember reading this in Toyota literature somewhere, almost certainly the New Car Features Manual, but I don't have it at hand right now to cite it.)

    Using the wrong glass would give you what's really a double image, but in a casual description you'd probably just say it's out of focus or blurry.

    The only other contributing factor I can think of would be if they installed the glass with different thickness spacers/adhesive bead so it's sitting closer in than original, but I don't know how big a difference that could make. I'd first simply check that the right glass was used, since we know that is special for HUD.

    -Chap

    ps: since Toyota knows about the double-reflection issue for the HUD and how to make glass that corrects it, why on earth didn't they do the same for the mirror in the regular in-dash speedometer? Did they never notice the double reflection there?
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Nov 22, 2016
  3. Tapio Kuosma

    Tapio Kuosma Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2015
    13
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi! It was not a Toyota glass. It was a Pilkington. That was the first thing I asked them. :) They convinced me that it's a quality glass and it's designed for the Prius. However, your info about the nonuniform thickness in that area makes me think otherwise. :) I don't know the name of the company that installed it. I use a local Toyota shop here (not a dealer) that uses a third party for windshield installations. They promised to look at it tomorrow. We'll see what happens. I'm definitely not satisfied with the way it is now.
     
    #3 Tapio Kuosma, Nov 22, 2016
  4. Tapio Kuosma

    Tapio Kuosma Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2015
    13
    0
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Yeah, they're gonna change the windshield again, free of charge. This time they'll order a Toyota one...
     
    #4 Tapio Kuosma, Nov 24, 2016
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)