MFD not displaying any information

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006.

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  1. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    Being on vacation, I didn't drive my Prius for a few days and it sat in the garage the entire time. I finally had to drive somewhere yesterday and it started up fine but the MFD isn't registering any information. The screen turns on just as it always but it takes it several moments before it will respond when I press any buttons either on the screen itself or the ones on either side of the screen. It also doesn't beep when I press any buttons. I haven't had time to take it to the dealership yet but was wondering if anyone had an idea what's going on here before I do take it in. The car functions properly otherwise.
     
    #1 JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006
  2. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Can you explain exactly what you see...You say it says it turns on just fine but doesn't display any information...what does it display? Was the car particularly cold?
     
    #2 efusco, Dec 20, 2006
  3. bigdaddy

    bigdaddy Member

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    04 or 05?
     
    #3 bigdaddy, Dec 20, 2006
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigdaddy @ Dec 20 2006, 07:48 AM) [snapback]364525[/snapback]</div>
    His sig says '05 mfg in 5/05--so it shouldn't be the defective MFD problem of the '04s
     
    #4 efusco, Dec 20, 2006
  5. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Dec 20 2006, 08:44 AM) [snapback]364523[/snapback]</div>
    For example, the consumption screen displays but all information (avg mpg and so forth) is not registering. It's the screen that we normally see on a Prius without any data. The car was in the garage for a few days and the garage doors were closed most of the time and certainly not for an extended period of time. The garage is separate from the house and is brick. The temperatures around here have been higher than normal and we've had little, if any, precipitation. At first I thought that perhaps the battery that powers it may have been low but it should have charged by now if that's the case. I drove it for quite awhile yesterday and for long periods of time.
     
    #5 JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006
  6. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Dec 20 2006, 08:17 AM) [snapback]364533[/snapback]</div>
    Ok, couple more questions then....what you describe is what happens if I have my BT phone speed sensor disabled. That could be part or all of your problem. When you're on the Energy screen do the wheels appear to turn on the car? Do the arrows display on the Energy screen (not related to speed sensor, but still Enquiring minds want to know.)

    It sounds like there may either be a loose connection, a short in a cable, or a problem with the speed sensor and/or its wires to the MFD. The "no beeps" issue has me a tad confused though....

    BTW, any mods? Have you had the dash apart for any reason? Not blaming you, just want a complete picture.
     
    #6 efusco, Dec 20, 2006
  7. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    If you can see the background of the consumption graph and no yellow 5 minute bars, the it sounds as though it is a problem with the speed wire. Have you made a mod on this? If you are getting a completely black screen then you may have switched the Display to off. It you can press top left button around the MFD then you should see the screen settings for a few seconds. Raise the brightness one level and the screen should stay on now.
    If it is the speed wire and you have not made a modification, you need to check its connections under the vent cover to the right of the MFD. Once you pull off the vent cover, just gently make sure all the connectors are in snugly and fully in their place. They are long, thin connectors running up and down. There should be four or five of them. If they are ok, the speed wires continue up to the MFD and you should check there too. You can just pop off the center speaker on top of the MFD with a credit card and you can look in through the windshield from the outside to see the connectors. Just reach in and feel around to make sure the connectors are fully in the MFD.

    If you still have a problem, I don’t know what else it could be, but this should be easy stuff for you to check.

    If this was done by a modification, don’t panic as I am finding the MFD to be very robust, but occasionally a few people have has it go out for no good reason and have had it covered even out of warranty as a “good faith†measure. If the dealer does not agree at first don’t pay anything, go home, and do some research here on what is the best way to approach the dealer with this problem.
     
    #7 Cheap!, Dec 20, 2006
  8. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    does package 3 have bt/nav in the 05s? i don't think so but i don't remember perfectly.

    does it start to work after a certain warmup period? is it consistent?

    it's probably something in the mfd itself- wiring, whatever.
     
    #8 galaxee, Dec 20, 2006
  9. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Dec 20 2006, 09:30 AM) [snapback]364541[/snapback]</div>
    I did put in a DICE unit about a month ago or so. If that's the problem I'll have to open it back up but all that one has to do with a DICE is take the lower glove box off its hinge and then take off the vent section next to it then plug in the DICE. Yes, the wheels on the energy screen do spin. I don't have the navigation or bluetooth options. The audio won't change modes so I guess it could be the DICE <shrug>
     
    #9 JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006
  10. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Dec 20 2006, 12:15 PM) [snapback]364686[/snapback]</div>
    Hmmm, the wheels spin, that's the same wire as the BT speed sensor so it's working and thus isn't the cause of the abscent consumption display bars. Has to be something else...the audio/beep issue is probably the best clue there.

    I guess the DICE could be doing it or something could've gotten jiggled loose. I would definately try disconnecting the DICE, check all connections and see what happens then. If still no-go then I'm afraid you're clearly stuck going to the dealer.
     
    #10 efusco, Dec 20, 2006
  11. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Dec 20 2006, 01:23 PM) [snapback]364693[/snapback]</div>
    I was pretty careful when I installed it to try to get the DICE plug firmly in to the CD unit but it's definitely worth a try. The dealer kinds of worries me because they recently relocated to a former Hyundai dealership and you can tell that a lot of their salespeople are former Hyundai salespeople because when I talk to them it's "Hyundai this" and "Hyundai that". Hopefully, their service people came with them.
     
    #11 JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006
  12. narf

    narf Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Dec 20 2006, 11:29 AM) [snapback]364697[/snapback]</div>
    The Dice is likely the culprit. They have been know to lock up and block the data on the CAN network, which will cause all kinds of seemingly unrelated problems. Reset or disconnect the Dice and your problems may go away.
     
    #12 narf, Dec 20, 2006
  13. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    ah. the dice has caused a couple of mfd problems reported on the boards now, so it could also be the cause of yours.
     
    #13 galaxee, Dec 20, 2006
  14. ScottY

    ScottY New Member

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    #14 ScottY, Dec 20, 2006
  15. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY @ Dec 20 2006, 05:34 PM) [snapback]364820[/snapback]</div>
    Might be a good idea to create a sticky topic on this issue. Not being interested in dismantling the dashboard to be able to get to the DICE plug in the stereo unit without checking on the other end first, I just went out to the car and disconnected the DICE which I keep in the lower glove box. I turned on the car and bingo, the display once again shows its information. Then I plugged the DICE back in and no problems. I KNEW that I'd plugged that sucker in to the back of the stereo firmly enough.
     
    #15 JackDodge, Dec 20, 2006
  16. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Dec 20 2006, 08:19 PM) [snapback]364889[/snapback]</div>
    Jack,
    Write up something in a new thread that has an appropriate title "MFD failure related to DICE", then a list of the exact symptoms and cures and I'll make it sticky...I don't want to sticky a thread like this that's so disjointed. You might list the differences b/w a MFD failure related to the DICE and the symptoms of the MFD failure due to the defective units that were installed in the '04 Prius.
     
    #16 efusco, Dec 20, 2006
  17. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(efusco @ Dec 20 2006, 10:34 PM) [snapback]364911[/snapback]</div>
    I'm working on it :)
     
    #17 JackDodge, Dec 21, 2006
  18. tomdeimos

    tomdeimos New Member

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    MFD shows white battery and not much else. Push Climate button and I get message check for disconnected AC. My can view was dead too.

    All caused by my dice aux input adapter. I will have to move it for easy disconnecting to reset it.
    It blocks the radio control display too, virtually everything on the bus going to the MFD with data.
     
    #18 tomdeimos, Dec 21, 2006
  19. MegansPrius

    MegansPrius GoogleMeister, AKA bongokitty

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tomdeimos @ Dec 21 2006, 08:32 PM) [snapback]365452[/snapback]</div>
    This may not be exclusively DICE-related. Same thing happened to us with an ipod plugged into the aux jack with a standard cable bought at Radio Shack. See http://priuschat.com/index.php?s=&show...st&p=366324
     
    #19 MegansPrius, Dec 27, 2006
  20. DanMan32

    DanMan32 Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(narf @ Dec 20 2006, 01:44 PM) [snapback]364706[/snapback]</div>
    It isn't CAN thats foobar'ed, but AVC. The audio/visual electronics (of which the MFD is a member) communicate via AVC network. The devices on the AVC network (mainly the MFD) can get data from the other two networks (BEAN [body electronics] and CAN [drivetrain related electronics]) via the Gateway ECU.
    So if something is hanging or shorting the AVC, BEAN and CAN will work fine. If CAN was foobar'd, you wouldn't be able to go to READY, let alone drive the car.

    Now if you had an improperly connected scanguage or CANView, that would kill the CAN. DICE would only affect AVC.

    Though I have seen the MFD delay in getting CAN data when starting off. There's a lot of stuff the car has to talk about to get the drivetrain going, so the MFD is a low priority at that point. More important to get the car drivable than to show you statistics which could delay getting the car to a drivable state.
     
    #20 DanMan32, Dec 28, 2006
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