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Swap MFD in an '05 - simple as Remove Old Insert New?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by nzlpablo, Aug 12, 2013.

  1. nzlpablo

    nzlpablo Junior Member

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    Hi team, long time lurker first time poster from the temperate climes of New Zealand here.

    I just acquired an '05 with a Japanese MFD. I've searched through as many relevant threads as I could find here and come to the conclusion that replacing the MFD with an English unit is pretty much the only economical option if I want to change the language on the display.

    Just one question I couldn't find an answer for though:
    - Is it literally just "Remove Old Insert New" when it comes to replacing the MFD, or are there some Gotcha's that I need to be aware of? If I don't have navigation in my current model, can I upgrade to a model with navi, or should I stick to non-navi? (I'm not that fussed on it).

    I can get salvage MFD's for about $300USD so I'm hoping I can just pay my local auto electrician ~$50 to swap them over.

    Peace,
    pablo


    P.S this is the unit on eBay I am looking at:

    "04 05 06 07 08 09 TOYOTA PRIUS MFD GPS DISPLAY SCREEN ID 86110-47081 W/OUT NAVI"

    (I can't post the link as a new user)

    About $260 USD including shipping to NZ.
     
  2. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    The MFD's that people have replaced in the US are just plug in units, not requiring any extra settings or adjustments. I would certainly expect the same compatibility with the Japanese units, as the CANBUS messages must be the same from all the various ECU's. But we haven't had anyone confirm or deny that on PC, at least.
     
  3. nzlpablo

    nzlpablo Junior Member

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    Thanks, that's a good start. I found another post on here stating that I can't just upgrade to a Nav system as the rest of the car will be missing required Nav components.

    Another question though - are there aftermarket double din head units which can display fuel economy/usage? That's about the only feature I care about (other than CD and FM radio). I suppose it would need climate control as well?
     
  4. nh7o

    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    Yes you need the climate control buttons for sure. The power flow screen is useful if you want to learn about how to work the car for best efficiency. As for mileage data, I would not expect that to be readable by anything generic. It is Prius specific, requiring something like the Torque app or a Scangauge. Also, some of the maintenance mode data is worthwhile. So it is a good idea to have a working MFD.

    Plenty of posts about audio stuff in the audio and electronics forum. Nav is so well covered by aftermarket devices now there is not much point in trying to pull a Prius nav system together.
     
  5. nzlpablo

    nzlpablo Junior Member

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    Thanks, I've been wading through a few more threads today and realised that a single-din stereo can be installed without removing the MFD (unless I've severely misinterpreted things), which I didn't actually realise was an option. I might just take that route instead (having a wife-friendly audio system is the most important bit :p)