Instrument lighting

[terryirwin]

Have had my 2013 Auris 1.6 Econ for several months now and notice that if things outside darken such as heavy shade/tunnels the section on the instrument panel for the engine temp and mileage trip lights up/increases in brightness but everything else stays unlit/unseeable. ie I can`t see what speed I am doing. This seems a rather stupid design feature or has something failed?Many thanks for any info.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Have you tried adjusting the brightness of the instrument lighting?

[terryirwin]

Many  thanks. Had not made the connection. Have not driven it in the dark since getting it. Will try this tomorrow.

[JarnoSe]

21 hours ago, terryirwin said:

 engine temp and mileage trip lights up/increases in brightness but everything else stays unlit/unseeable.

In my mk1 Auris lights on the switches etc goes on when I turn the headlights on.

[terryirwin]

I don`t think I have explained myself adequately.

It is the behaviour of the small portion of the instrument panel integral with and below the speedo needle. It displays engine temp, trip mileage and outside temp. In normal daylight it is simply visible as everything else is with no lighting to it.

If I simply get into the car in the dark as I have just done this portion is lit up and the inside light in the car is on. I can`t tell whether the portion of the display is self luminous or is lit by a bulb.

In normal daylight this portion of the display is not apparently lit or brighter than anything else on the instrument panel.

In bright sunshine I sometimes find difficulty seeing the instrument readings because of the contrast with the blinding sun through the windscreen.

If I then go into a shaded stretch of road the eyes take time to adjust before the speedo etc become fully discernible. During this period  however the portion of the panel with engine temp etc is shining brightly as if lit up by a bulb. 

What is happening? Is it luminous or lit by a bulb?

[TomdeGuerre]

I had a look at mine Terry and the portion of the instrument panel you’re talking about is illuminated, looks like LED backlit flat panel. It comes on when I open the door and stays on with the interior light until they both gradually dim then go out.

With the engine “on” the panel is constantly lit ie it is illuminated to provide contrast just like a laptop, tablet or phone. That small backlit area operates independently of the main instrument panel lighting. When I turn on the lights it dims automatically. I’m not sure whether it has a fixed % of dimmer or whether it is controlled by the stepper switch which controls the brightness of the main instrument panel lighting display.

[terryirwin]

Many thanks Tom. I think it is certainly also connected to a sensor which reacts to the ambient light level. I really don`t see why they have done this.

If I want to see anything on the display in lowish ambient light without the lights being switched on the speedo/rev counter would take precedence. Why not have a lighting setup covering all the display? Is there possibly some option for that section of the display which would show more relevent info?

[Beekeeper D]

My instrument panel has a different layout design, but nevertheless does show the same 'split personality"! 

There are two different systems (at least) at play. 

The satnav/headunit screen and the 'information' screen between the dials have a bright (day) and a dim (night) illumination, controlled by a light sensor somewhere. Having the satnav illumination setup selected to 'auto' change between day and night levels, does result in the screens flashing quickly between the two levels when, for example, driving along a tree-lined road in strong sunshine. It is almost as though the light sensor was connected straight to the illumination - without being an input to the 'smarts' so that it could think about whether it was really dark (or in a tunnel) rather than just going under a couple of trees! 

It seems a very simple-minded implementation of the function, made more evident by the size of the satnav screen! 

On the other hand, my dials are constantly illuminated and maintain the same brightness when the satnav screen changes brightness. 

The satnav illumination switching seems to be independent of (and much more twitchy than) my auto headlamp switching. 

 

Perhaps it may be that Toyota have a different system for controlling instruments illuminated by LEDs and those illuminated by old-fashioned bulbs?