Dash lights....

hmm.. i never looked.. but iirc, it's pretty much solid plastic for the ring around the temp dial.

i'll check the switches too, but they'll be difficult if there isn't anything there already.

 

I too wish the window switches were all backlit! All backlit buttons are dim (EV and Eco buttons near the center console, driver window auto switch, and worse of all the steering wheel buttons). I know Toyota uses backlighting on other vehicles as a simple search shows the Land Cruiser and Avalon have them. When looking at those switches the door unlock and window lockout buttons are vertical while the Prius C are horizontal orientated. I have found backlit replacement panels but the Prius C has a different wire harness with less pin inputs.

Today I popped out the driver master window switch panel to see if there was a way to replace the 4 switches with "backlit ready" switches. Before I removed the panel I thought each switch would be separate and plug and play. This would be great as there are many individual backlit all-in-one switches on the internet. Nope!!! They are all built right onto the board. You can remove the tactile rocker, but not the entire switch and swap it out with another.


Here's a picture from the underside of the driver AUTO switch showing how the LED shines through. Its basically a rectangular tunnel from the circuit board up into the rocker switch. The other switches have no tunnel and certainly no where for light to shine through on the switch. I suppose you could drill a hole in each of 3 unlit switches, fit a translucent piece of circular plastic, smooth out the hole with a dab of lacquer or clear filler, then feed a pre-wired LED (somehow) up through the rockers. A lot of work for a small interior detail!



This picture is of the LED directly soldered onto the board. Its larger than what I expected but as we all witness at night...its not bright at all!


Topside with the armrest removed.


This picture shows how the entire green circuit board is attached to the white underside. You cannot divide the pieces into two. Its all one piece due to how all the power leads going directly through both.


If I were to undertake attempting to back light each switch (includes front passenger and both rear switches), I would also wire up the interior door handle with an LED (for all 4 doors) by drilling a hold either to the very left or very top inside of the handle and adding a LED. My 2013 Malibu has the door handle lit and its pretty classy...Yes the Prius C isnt luxury (neither is the Malibu) but I think these mods would be a nice touch and add some "homieness" to the straightforward Prius C interior.