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Instrumentation Lighting at Night

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by buckaroo, Dec 2, 2011.

  1. buckaroo

    buckaroo Junior Member

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    The night instrument lighting at night is a bit sparse in the Prius v. It is much darker in there than I thought and I may have to supplement it with some other lighting. Not used to that part of it. It is a small concern and I can probably have some mini-LEDs in there but it is a bit disconcerting for me right now.
     
    #1 buckaroo, Dec 2, 2011
  2. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    Have you tried adjusting the instrument panel dimmer wheel to your lower left? You can push it all the way up until it clicks and it will convert back to daytime light levels that is plenty bright at night.
     
    #2 jdcollins5, Dec 3, 2011
  3. buckaroo

    buckaroo Junior Member

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    Yes. Still not bright enough.
     
    #3 buckaroo, Dec 4, 2011
  4. dz302

    dz302 Prius Rookie

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    Amazing, because when mine is all the way up, it's too bright for my personal taste, so I turn it down.
     
    #4 dz302, Dec 4, 2011
  5. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    The only time that I can keep the dimmer all of the way up is right at dusk or dawn. At dusk, I have to cut it back as soon as it is really dark outside as it is way too bright for my taste.
     
    #5 jdcollins5, Dec 4, 2011
  6. 66Zoomie

    66Zoomie Junior Member

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    I agree completely. Drove it at night last week and noticed three "areas of deficiency:" a) the shifter is so dark that the pattern can't be seen unless one of the lights above the mirror is turned on [yeah, I know, there are only two choices - R and D - but having owned this Prius v only a couple of weeks, it's still new to me!]; b) the panel light rheostat in front of the left knee isn't lighted at all, and turning on a light above the mirror doesn't help one bit; definite design oversight there; and c) neither the driver or the passenger footwells are illuminated, and they should have at least an led in each side.
    If someone else agrees and comes up with a relatively easy fix with mini-LEDs, please tell us!! 66Zoomie
     
    #6 66Zoomie, Dec 4, 2011
  7. buckaroo

    buckaroo Junior Member

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    I am going to look for some mini-LEDs to address the lower left side of the drivers' cockpit. I hate that I have to do that. You would think Toyota would have noticed that. Would like to draw the power from the vehicle itself but not going to mess with the vehicle due to warranty concerns. May speak with dealer about a possible fix.
     
    #7 buckaroo, Dec 4, 2011
  8. Feri

    Feri Active Member

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    That's odd because footwell lights were standard on Ausiie 2010 Gen IIIs
     
    #8 Feri, Dec 5, 2011
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Hmm, that's weird. On the regular 3rd Gen Prius, the shifter is illuminated by an overhead LED light, that's why it has no backlighting. There should be one on the v.

    Also, I thought footwell lighting was available on higher trim levels (it is on the 3rd Gen Prius Four and Five models)
     
    #9 Tideland Prius, Dec 5, 2011
  10. civicdriver06

    civicdriver06 Active Member

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    What about the mirror controlls,are they illuminated ?
     
    #10 civicdriver06, Dec 5, 2011
  11. BlizzardPearlV

    BlizzardPearlV Junior Member

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    My Touring and tech package has footwell lights. They are sort of an amber colour. Also when my shift knob is sitting in its resting position there is back lighting that I believe lights up the shift pattern. You lose the lighting once you move the shifter but you can just reference the shift pattern on the instrument cluster too if you are unsure. Its the exact same pattern.

    If I have a gripe its that the instrument panel is centrally mounted. I would much prefer it if it was mounted infront of the driver.
     
    #11 BlizzardPearlV, Dec 5, 2011
  12. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Oh so it is backlit? Right I forgot it's now a horizontal shifter, not a vertical one. oops! So it works the same as the 2nd Gen Prius.

    I don't recall Toyota ever illuminating their mirror controls (except the power folding button)
     
    #12 Tideland Prius, Dec 6, 2011
  13. buckaroo

    buckaroo Junior Member

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    I don't recall that the mirror controls are lit. I spoke with the dealer and he recommended an aftermarket shop that could help me. I am going to get some type of LED lighting installed lower by the floor, kinda like theatre lighting for the front and back areas that has a dimmer control.
     
    #13 buckaroo, Dec 6, 2011
  14. civicdriver06

    civicdriver06 Active Member

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    #14 civicdriver06, Dec 6, 2011
  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    #15 Tideland Prius, Dec 6, 2011
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