These instructions apply to the Toyota C-HR Mk1 (XW10) 2016-2023. For other models, please choose your vehicle here.
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The Toyota C-HR (Mk1/AX10, 2016–2023) hides a combination-meter test mode in its instrument cluster — an owner-accessible self-check that needs no diagnostic tool. It drives the gauge needles through their full sweep, lights every LCD segment and cycles the warning lamps, giving you a fast visual confirmation that the cluster hardware is sound before you assume a gauge or the display has failed.
What the hidden meter test mode does
This is Toyota’s combination-meter “operation check”. When entered, the speedometer needle (and the tachometer pointer where fitted) drives from its rest stop to full scale and back. Every LCD segment lights — odometer, trip display, the multi-information block — and the warning icons flash on together so a failed LED stands out. It is the quickest no-tool way to separate a genuine gauge or sensor fault from a simple dead segment or burnt-out indicator on this first-generation C-HR.
Every Mk1 C-HR uses push-button start (ENGINE START STOP), so IGNITION ON is reached with the button rather than a key.
How to enter the test mode
- Sit in the car fully switched off, with your foot OFF the brake pedal, and the meter showing the odometer rather than a trip reading.
- Press and hold the trip/display reset switch — the “TRIP” control you normally use to cycle ODO, TRIP A and TRIP B.
- Keeping it held, press ENGINE START STOP twice without touching the brake. The first press gives accessory mode, the second reaches IGNITION ON — the warning-light state with the engine and hybrid system still off.
- Hold the reset switch for another second or two as the cluster powers up, then release.
The cluster runs its self-test: the needle(s) sweep to maximum and return, the LCD floods every segment, and the warning symbols cycle. Any pointer that stalls, a blank patch on the screen or a lamp that never lights identifies the faulty element.
How to exit
Press ENGINE START STOP once to power everything down. The cluster reverts to normal at the next ignition-ON and saves nothing from the test. It changes no settings, resets no trip totals and touches no service-interval counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it work on the C-HR Hybrid? Yes. The petrol and Hybrid C-HR share the AX10 cluster; on the Hybrid the hybrid-system power gauge sweeps in place of a rev counter during the test.
Why press START twice without the brake? Pressing the button with the brake down starts the car. Without the brake, it simply steps through ignition modes — two presses lands on IGNITION ON, which is what the test needs.
Will this clear the Maintenance Required light or fault codes? No. It only exercises the display. The maintenance reset is a separate procedure, and clearing trouble codes needs an OBD-II scanner on the dash port.
The needle sweeps but one warning lamp never lights — is that a problem? Usually a single failed LED in that indicator. The gauge logic is fine; only that lamp needs attention.
Can running the test damage anything? No. The car stays in ignition-ON only, the engine never cranks, and the meter test is a designed-in factory diagnostic.
If the self-test reveals a genuine warning rather than a dead segment, decode the underlying trouble code at autodtcs.com before booking any repair.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general guidance only. Always follow your official service manual and safety precautions when working on your vehicle. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or any damage resulting from the use of this information.
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