My 2003 Prius has had several incidents where the warning lights and check engine icons appear on the dash. Mechanics can not find any problem and have told me that it was probably “bad gas.” However I discovered once that if I adjust the steering column, turn the car off, then turn it on again, the lights disappear. This doesn’t always work however. I don’t know what else to do! Suggestions??
Bad gas sounds like a “I don’t have a f***ing clue” diagnosis. When do the lights go on? When moving, when stopped, when moving under electrical power only, what speed? How many incidents? How far apart were they? Were there any performance problems when the lights were on? How long do they stay on for? If it’s the CEL, have the codes read (if any) for free at your local AutoZone and post back here.
My gut instinct is an electrical gremlin.
I agree. Probably some sort of electrical gremlin. The problem with that, though, is tracking down the culprit. Was the car still under warranty when you first took it to the dealer for this problem? If so, they do have an obligation to fix it, even if the car is out of warranty now. I’m surprised they just did not replace the dashboard cluster, if that trick of the steering column could fix the problem.