When my headlights are on, my dashboard is dark

[charlotte96]

When I turned on my car the other night, I turned my headlights on and my dashboard went dark. When I turned my headlights off, my dashboard lights went on as brightly as the northern lights. So, I drove with the lights on, but couldn't see my speed, gas gauge, etc. Anyone have any advice before I drive this darn car to the far away place where I bought it? Thanks.

[galaxee]

Dimmer switch, to the left of your steering wheel. Turn the dial up and the lights should come back

[charlotte96]

That was the answer! Thank you. Sometimes I just don't know the vocabulary that the manual index requires. I appreciate the prompt and accurate diagnosis.

[galaxee]

No problem. It takes a while to get used to all the controls. Take some time to play around and see what each one does, it's part of the fun of a new car!

[Tideland Prius]

At least you now know how to drive in "stealth" mode

[NuShrike]

Actually, a good question is why isn't the interior display lights self-adjusting?

I don't remember getting blinded by a car when I turn OFF my headlights like I do with my Prius.

Maybe this can be the next hacking project. Maybe figure out if we can plug it up to the daylight-sensor pod.

[Tideland Prius]

it's just the IP and screen. In other cars, the IP is not illuminated when the headlights are off (electroluminescent gauges not withstanding) hence the lack of glare at night with the lights off

[Bill Merchant]

[font=Comic Sans MS:7bd9d6f48b]Hi Charlotte, I'm glad you and Galaxee solved the issue so easily.

Did you notice that if you roll the dimmer dial up all the way, it sort of locks in the top position? In that position, your panel and screen are in full bright mode, day or night. If you roll it back just a bit, when you turn your headlights on your screen will go into Night mode and reverse, so the open areas are dark and streets are light. It looks cool and the bright screen won't blind you, but the panel is still quite bright.

Enjoy your Pri![/font:7bd9d6f48b]

[DanMan32]

Ah, that's what NuShrike was talking about the interior lights not self adjusting and blinding.

The US cars don't have auto headlights/dashlights, like in Canada. So, we have a Day mode, which has a fixed, full bright dash intensity, and a night mode, where the dimmer wheel controls the intensity of the dash illumination. Going full up to detent puts the dash in day mode, as if the headlights were off.

Now the MFD normally follows the mode the dash is using, but it too has a separate override to keep it in day mode. If the dash is in night mode (headlights on, dimmer not in detent), then when you press the display button, a Day Mode soft button is revealed. Pressing that will put the display in day mode override. Note, the soft button disappears if the dash is in day mode. the only thing that doesn't seem to change when the display is forced into day mode, is the intensity of the backlight. It dims when the dash is in night mode.

The display has separate brightness and contrast (and I think color) for day mode and night mode, so you could effectively reverse the look of day and night mode.

[NuShrike]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DanMan32\";p=\"98721)</div>

Ah, that's what NuShrike was talking about the interior lights not self adjusting and blinding.[/b]

Right, the interior displays going into default day-mode when you turn off the headlights, regardless if it's actually night time. :P

Would be nice to override that with a light sensor connected to the headlight switch, so might as well wire up auto-headlights while at it.

Actually, I guess I understand this now.. These systems were designed either assuming you would have auto-headlights or you never turn them off at night.