Automation Instrument backlighting - autodimming wish

NickG · 23rd January 2007, 12:59

Does anyone else find that they're permanently tweaking the brightness of the instrument panel in order to be able to see it clearly? The problem is, it dims with headlights, but the amount of dimming required varies enormously with ambient light. I have a black Civic so I tend to put my lovely HID lights on most of the time if it's slightly dark to increase the visibility of the car - but this means I need the panel lighting quite high to easily read the speedo. When it's totally dark, I like the lighting quite low to get rid of the irritating reflection on the windscreen (and they're pretty blinding on full brightness anyway). It seems they didn't make the cowl over the rev counter big enough and the rev counter projects itself on to the top of the windscreen at night.

In normal cars with needles - you don't need ANY lighting to read them in daylight, so this problem doesn't occur. But in the Civic, I find myself altering the panel brightness really often and I wish they'd put a sensor in the panel which would permit the autodimming of the panel depending on ambient light rather than simply whether the headlights are on or off.

Anyone else agree?

Nick...

basegreen · 23rd January 2007, 14:03

Never felt the need to change them. I have it on full brightness no lights, and one off the full brightness with lights on.

Worst situation is daytime rain, where i'd have position lights.

czechplastik · 23rd January 2007, 18:30

I leave them full on day and night, don't find the reflection distracting.

MrEd · 23rd January 2007, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by basegreen

Never felt the need to change them. I have it on full brightness no lights, and one off the full brightness with lights on.

Worst situation is daytime rain, where i'd have position lights.

yeh me to lol its not really a bother in all honesty sometimes i forget to pout them back to brightest in the day, prob cos its so overcast atm. its obviously the price we pay for the funkiest dash on the planet lol

BrianAlbertsen · 23rd January 2007, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickG

. I have a black Civic so I tend to put my lovely HID lights on most of the time if it's slightly dark to increase the visibility of the car - but this means I need the panel lighting quite high to easily read the speedo. When it's totally dark, I like the lighting quite low to get rid of the irritating reflection on the windscreen

No problem here.
But I have a Scandinavian model with daytime running lights.
Even with Auto lights we have dipped beam on all the the time and when is dark enough and the light sensor "turns on the lights", the numberplate lights and the panel lighting dims

Copycat · 24th January 2007, 07:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianAlbertsen

No problem here.
But I have a Scandinavian model with daytime running lights.
Even with Auto lights we have dipped beam on all the the time and when is dark enough and the light sensor "turns on the lights", the numberplate lights and the panel lighting dims

I've tried using AUTO, and it doesn't seem to dim my dash lights even when it's dark outside. Maybe I should try it again when there's no light at all coming from anywhere.

Not a problem. I'm used to operating them manually.

Dr Dark · 5th February 2007, 09:37

You should be able to alter the brightness of the dash with the little control on the left hand side of the rev counter???

What you do is this (reads handbook):

1) NO LIGHTS ON - Twiddle the knob till you get what you want....

The car "remembers" that setting

2) LIGHTS ON - Do the same thing... Will remember that setting too...

I tried this on my car, there is a difference now when I turn on my lights at night, everything dims to where I set it (for daytime use, I didn't really drop the level too much)

Maybe LHD cars are a bit different, I don't know???

23rd January 2007, 12:59	#1 (permalink)
NickG Wheelnut Join Date: 8th January 2007 Posts: 62 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	Instrument backlighting - autodimming wish Does anyone else find that they're permanently tweaking the brightness of the instrument panel in order to be able to see it clearly? The problem is, it dims with headlights, but the amount of dimming required varies enormously with ambient light. I have a black Civic so I tend to put my lovely HID lights on most of the time if it's slightly dark to increase the visibility of the car - but this means I need the panel lighting quite high to easily read the speedo. When it's totally dark, I like the lighting quite low to get rid of the irritating reflection on the windscreen (and they're pretty blinding on full brightness anyway). It seems they didn't make the cowl over the rev counter big enough and the rev counter projects itself on to the top of the windscreen at night. In normal cars with needles - you don't need ANY lighting to read them in daylight, so this problem doesn't occur. But in the Civic, I find myself altering the panel brightness really often and I wish they'd put a sensor in the panel which would permit the autodimming of the panel depending on ambient light rather than simply whether the headlights are on or off. Anyone else agree? Nick...

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads for: Instrument backlighting - autodimming wish
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Computer No auto brightness adjustment for instrument panel	Pottsy	Bugs, faults and irritations	11	9th June 2007 17:42
Other my instrument panel looks like this! normal or not????	nstergi	Electronics	9	6th August 2006 09:09


This thread is about: Instrument backlighting - autodimming wish, it's in Electronics at the Honda Civic forum Civinfo; Does anyone else find that they're permanently tweaking the brightness of the instrument panel in order to be able to see it clearly? The problem ...

23rd January 2007, 14:03	#2 (permalink)
basegreen Super Moderator Civinfo guru Join Date: 15th April 2006 Location: noitacoL Posts: 2,896 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts iTrader: (0)	Never felt the need to change them. I have it on full brightness no lights, and one off the full brightness with lights on. Worst situation is daytime rain, where i'd have position lights.

23rd January 2007, 18:30	#3 (permalink)
czechplastik King of the rodeo Civinfo guru Join Date: 24th October 2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 4,675 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	I leave them full on day and night, don't find the reflection distracting.

5th February 2007, 09:37	#7 (permalink)
Dr Dark Wheelnut Join Date: 29th January 2007 Location: Oop Nooerth Posts: 86 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	You should be able to alter the brightness of the dash with the little control on the left hand side of the rev counter??? What you do is this (reads handbook): 1) NO LIGHTS ON - Twiddle the knob till you get what you want.... The car "remembers" that setting 2) LIGHTS ON - Do the same thing... Will remember that setting too... I tried this on my car, there is a difference now when I turn on my lights at night, everything dims to where I set it (for daytime use, I didn't really drop the level too much) Maybe LHD cars are a bit different, I don't know???