Steering wheel switch illumination

[Paul Prescott]

We have a 17 plate Yaris Icon CVT. The switches on the steereing wheel don't illuminate when the lights are on, which makes using them in the dark very hit-and-miss.

Our 64 plate Auris TS Icon Plus wheel is well illuminated, so I asked our servicing main dealer if there was a fault with the Yaris. "Oh no, sir, the switches aren't lit on the Yaris" was all I was told.

This seems unbelievable to me, as they become useless after dark! Can anyone on here confirm whether or not this is correct?

[stevecrvn]

My  2015 Yaris Hybrid is the same no steering wheel illumination but our 2015 Auris TS has .

[Mick F]

Our Yaris 2014 Hybrid Excel doesn't illuminate with the lights on. Sorry, but I don't see the issue here.

On the left is up and down audio volume, up down the preset channel change, and a mode button to swap DAP/FM/USB etc. On the right is open and close the phone.

All can be done whilst driving without taking your eyes off the road.  Why do you need the buttons illuminating?

Mick.

 

[Paul Prescott]

Hi Mick, I know it should be possible, but I can't feel any of the wheel buttons with my thumbs due to mild neuropathy. Every other driver control is lit, and the older Auris wheel is lit, so it seems to be a cost saving measure. Our wheel may have some different controls on it.

[Mick F]

Our Yaris isn't so complicated, so I sympathise somewhat.

These are what we have in ours.

Mick,

 

[Mick F]

PS:

How do you answer phone calls? 

Looks like you don't have a hand's free system?

Mick.

[Paul Prescott]

Touch screen. 🙂

[Mick F]

10 hours ago, Paul Prescott said:

Touch screen. 🙂

Oh dear! I wouldn't be happy with that at all!!  😱

It's bad enough talking on the phone whilst driving, but to take your eyes off the road as well is not good at all.  Having a button on the steering wheel is better.

Mick.

[flash22]

You only get the phone switch on the higher spec models, tbh it's a case of learning the controls and getting the muscle memory - for me it's the window switches there so dimly lit - on previous cars i have modded switches

[Graham47]

The most ridiculous thing I find in the Yaris is that the cvt gear-lever area is only illuminated when lights are on.

I find it difficult in underground car parks for example.  I know I should know the layout but, from rest, find a reassuring glance helpful.

[Catlover]

33 minutes ago, Graham47 said:

The most ridiculous thing I find in the Yaris is that the cvt gear-lever area is only illuminated when lights are on.

I find it difficult in underground car parks for example.  I know I should know the layout but, from rest, find a reassuring glance helpful.

Easy solved, turn your lights on.

[Graham47]

Shouldn’t need to in the middle of the day !

other manufacturers don’t seem to feel that’s a ‘solution’ ....

[FROSTYBALLS]

3 hours ago, Graham47 said:

The most ridiculous thing I find in the Yaris is that the cvt gear-lever area is only illuminated when lights are on.

I find it difficult in underground car parks for example. 

3 hours ago, Catlover said:

Easy solved, turn your lights on.

 

2 hours ago, Graham47 said:

Shouldn’t need to in the middle of the day !

 

.. but an underground car park will still be dark in the middle of the day. Its underground.

[stevecrvn]

4 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

.. but an underground car park will still be dark in the middle of the day. Its underground.

I never look at the CVT gear lever on mine just use the display on the dashboard

[Catlover]

4 hours ago, FROSTYBALLS said:

.. but an underground car park will still be dark in the middle of the day. Its underground.

Surely an underground car park will be lit thus giving some illumination. If not lit, then car lights would definitely be needed, thus gearstick illuminated.     
If car park inadequately lit, then turning the car lights on would seem to be a must, thus gearstick illuminated. Thats assuming driver knows where the light switch is 🙈
Apart from that, a manual car does not (normally) have any light shining on the gearstick, so it seems a bit of a luxury for a e-cvt stick to be lit.  Having said that, it’s a nice touch in my Prius, but if the bulb blew, I don’t think I would be in a rush to replace it.

 Now let me think, is it move stick to left or move to right, and  is it push forward for reverse and pull back for forward, or is it the other way round. Doesn’t really matter, because as Steve said (above) the display on the dashboard shows me.

[Sampleman]

Actually all Toyota Yaris with multifunction steering wheel do not have illuminated buttons. I found this very annoying when I got my 2016 Yaris brand new, but now I begin to get accustomed to it.

If you cannot cope with that, maybe I have an idea: Years ago I sat in an old 5-series BMW, and I saw that the dashboard was sort of illuminated, but I could not detect any light. Then I saw that the car had small, barely visible, red lights installed in the ceiling, and these lights gave the illumination for the dashboard. Maybe this could also be a solution for your problem: A small, focussed red light installed in the ceiling just above your forehead. It could shine on your steering wheel so that you can see the buttons.

My Yaris has makeup lights installed in the ceiling behind the sunshades, so getting electricity for feeding the light should not be a problem. I think, a skilled car mechanic could do that for you.


Best regards from Bavaria
Frank

[Sampleman]

Apart from that, a manual car does not (normally) have any light shining on the gearstick, so it seems a bit of a luxury for a e-cvt stick to be lit.

My 2016 Yaris Hybrid has a gear indicator in the liquid crystal display of the onboard computer, next to the speedometer. And when in neutral, the car beeps when I try to rev up the accelerator.


Best regards from Bavaria
Frank

[flash22]

Not looked at mine yet but maybe swap the bulb for a led on the gear selector, the led in the drivers door switch is dim as its under driven by 10-15 maH

[Paul Prescott]

Another lighting "issue" that I have, apart from the crappy headlights on the Auris, is that since owning a 1989 Camry, no other car has had an illuminated ignition switch. The Camry had a lovely green ring of light around the key hole, which made it so much easier to find in the dark. I seem to remember that there was also a light around the door lock which came on when you lifted the door handle; no remote locking on that car.  Of course many cars these days just have a Start/Stop button, which is lit. But cars with a traditional ignition lock seem to always have it in an area that's not lit up by the interior courtesy lights. At least on right hand drive cars...

[Mick F]

On 12/14/2019 at 2:40 PM, Paul Prescott said:

Of course many cars these days just have a Start/Stop button, which is lit. 

I didn't know ours lit up or not, so yesterday, I checked.  Yes it does.  I never knew that it was lit.

However, and it's a big however ............ you can't see the Start/Stop button when sitting in the driving seat.  I had to lean over to look as the steering wheel is completely in the way.

When you get in the car in the dark, the interior light comes on and you can see everything.  Even after sitting down and shutting the doors, the light remains on.  If you must see the button to switch on, you can see it if you lean over even if it's not lit.  This is before you press it and before the headlights are on.

Even then, you don't have to see it at all.  It's not like a key ignition switch where you have to find the hole for the key.  It's a big button, you couldn't miss it even if you were blindfolded.  Honestly, I never knew - or cared - it was illuminated at all until I read your post.

Mick.

[Mick F]

I was driving in the dark yesterday evening.  I paid attention to the controls and how they were lit.

It's pitch dark here, no streetlights for maybe half a mile, so the internals of the car were in darkness except for the lit things.

No, I cannot see the start button due to the steering wheel, but I can see headlight up/down control.

The gear selections are lit quite well (B D N R P) but I couldn't see the lever at all and therefore which slot it was in.  I couldn't see the knob or the shaft, so it's pointless.

Mick.