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Instrument Lights - Let's Contact Toyota

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by keymusic, Nov 9, 2016.

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  1. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    Thanks but I abandoned it because I couldn't get any help from Toyota after countless tries. And it's really not the most important thing to me. But my Crusade was certainly not hopeless or ill planned.
     
    #41 keymusic, Aug 9, 2017
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  2. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    Didn't mean to sound snarky.
    I personally love a hopeless cause.
    I'd charge that windmill...until the sunset and my dash lights dimmed.
     
    #42 The Electric Me, Aug 9, 2017
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  3. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    Didn't read through the entire thread, but on the Gen III, the light sensor on the dash is part of the climate control system, mainly to adjust blower speed based on light intensity. It has nothing to do with dimming the instrument cluster lighting. This may have changed on Gen IV, so I won't speak to that...
     
    #43 RRxing, Aug 9, 2017
  4. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    Sorry but that's not correct. The ambient light sensor may be part of the climate system, but it also worked to keep the instrument lights bright if you turned on the headlights and it was bright outside. I had a 2013 & 2015 Two model and it worked that way in both of them. That's why I was disappointed to find out my, and all other, 2017 Two models don't do this. If my gen 3's didn't do that, I never would've even known about it. And just to reiterate, I checked a 2017 Three model, and it did work. And the reason I said earlier I had a 2011 and 2015 model is because I actually had a 2011, 2013, and 2015 all Twos. I think it's possible that the 2011 did not to do this, but the 2013 and 2015 definitely did.
     
    #44 keymusic, Aug 9, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2017
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    do you think toyota purposely cut out some parts to save money on the II?
     
    #45 bisco, Aug 9, 2017
  6. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    I doubt it since the light sensor is there and I can't imagine the electronics to run it would've been very expensive. It just seems like some very strange oversight, especially since it does specify in the manual that it does have that feature.
     
    #46 keymusic, Aug 9, 2017
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    if you need the sensor for climate, can't lose that. maybe somethings disconnected or programmed incorrectly, but why only II?
     
    #47 bisco, Aug 9, 2017
  8. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    I know, it doesn't make any sense. And by the way other than some people saying it, I honestly don't know anything about the ambient light sensor having anything to do with the climate control system in a 2017 Two.
     
    #48 keymusic, Aug 9, 2017
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    me neither.
     
    #49 bisco, Aug 9, 2017
  10. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    Not likely something disconnected. The dash lights on my 2017 Two also dim when headlights are turned on during the day.
     
    #50 Prodigyplace, Aug 10, 2017
  11. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    I'll only speak to the 2010 IV, but I won't have access to my reference materials until tonight...
     
    #51 RRxing, Aug 10, 2017
  12. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    From the 2010 New Car Features...

    Function of Ambient Light Sensor.png
    Ambient Light Sensor Location.png
     
    #52 RRxing, Aug 10, 2017
  13. liquidtenmillion

    liquidtenmillion Active Member

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    I can vouch for the climate system being effected by the light sensor, in both my 2015 and 2017.

    If I am sitting in my garage running the AC and then drive the front of the car out about 3 seconds after the light sensor is exposed to light the fan speed will increase. Back it into the garage and it will decrease again after a few seconds.
     
    #53 liquidtenmillion, Aug 11, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2017
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  14. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    #54 keymusic, Aug 13, 2017
  15. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    It's not referencing a solar panel...
     
    #55 RRxing, Aug 13, 2017
  16. keymusic

    keymusic Active Member

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    I assumed "detects the changes in the amount of solar energy and outputs them to the air conditioning amplifier assembly" was referring to the solar energy coming from the solar panels. Is it referring to solar energy coming from the sun?
     
    #56 keymusic, Aug 13, 2017
  17. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    No US Gen 4 Prius have a solar panel option. It adds too much weight, I suspect.
     
    #57 Prodigyplace, Aug 13, 2017
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  18. RRxing

    RRxing Senior Member

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    It's referencing the amount of solar energy impinging on the "Automatic Light Control Sensor" on the dash, which sends a signal to the air conditioning amplifier, which automatically adjust the climate control blower speed. Bright, sunny day, more air flow, cloudy day, less air flow (assuming you leave the climate control system in Auto.)
     
    #58 RRxing, Aug 13, 2017
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  19. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    In my Gen 4, the ambient light sensor will dim the instruments only if the instrument illumination setting is not on max brightness. Setting the illumination to full overrides the sensor.
     
    #59 kithmo, Aug 14, 2017
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  20. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace Senior Member

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    I told my salesman I thought their placement of the inspection sticker is partially blocking my sensor. He said they had no issues with that. I will try to have it relocated in October when it is replaced.
     
    #60 Prodigyplace, Aug 14, 2017
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