Dash Lights

[PonySHO]

Has anyone noticed if the dash lights go dim when they turn on the headlights? Mine do that most of the time, but occasionally, they stay just as bright. Once, on a long trip, I had the headlights on and my dash lights were going dim, then went bright and back again by themselves. I brought this to the attention to the dealer when I brought it in on another issue. They just said on the work order, "Could not duplicate." Today's a pretty overcast day and the dash lights are staying just as bright when I turn on the headlights, consistently. I was at the dealer and showed them this for now since they normally go dim. There's nothing in the manual about this that I could find.

 

[mjhpadi]

Sorry, Mike my dash lights stay at whatever setting they are set. My wife likes them very dim, and I like them much more on the bright side. However, they do not vary at all from where they are set. Hope you can get yours' resolved without too much hassle...Good Luck.

 

[SHOrod]

I've noticed this on mine and as best I can tell it's based on ambient light. If the outside light is dark enough that the auto lights would turn on, but I have turned them on manually, then the instrumentation lights dim. I've never run in to a situation at night where the instrumentation lights got brighter, it's always been right on the verge of sundown (or when driving under a tree canopy, etc.) and they dropped in intensity.

-Rod

 

[PonySHO]

Thanks Rod, I was wondering if ambient light had anything to do with this issue. I never use the auto-headlight switch. Is that rectangular bubble thingy right between the windshield defroster vents a light sensor? I guess I could cover it up next time my dash lights are dim and see if it makes a difference. Thanks mjhpadi for the response also.

 

[mjhpadi]

SHORod, I stand corrected my dash lights and Nav screen do dim when the headlights come on. However, with the ambient (colored lighting) it does not affect the dash lights.

 

[rtmarc]

When he said ambient light he is not referring to the multi-colored ambient lighting system. There is a sensor in the middle of the dash that is an ambient light sensor. It's the same on this car as it is other Ford vehicles. See SHOrod's description:

If the outside light is dark enough that the auto lights would turn on, but I have turned them on manually, then the instrumentation lights dim. I've never run in to a situation at night where the instrumentation lights got brighter, it's always been right on the verge of sundown (or when driving under a tree canopy, etc.) and they dropped in intensity.

 

[SHOrod]

Correct, I was referring to the outside/exterior/environmental ambient light, not the interior "ambient" mood lighting.

-Rod

 

[way2evil]

This is normal. Sometimes my dash will dim when the lights go on, and other times they will stay bright. It has to do with how much sunlight the light detector on the dash senses.

 

[PonySHO]

I take the outside light sensor is right in between the defroster vents, right?

 

[JRA2000TL]

What you describe has taken place in every kind of vehicle I've ever been in. When the exterior lights come on, the interior dash/cluster/panel lights seem to dim a bit more. I think it's normal unless the new SHOs have some type of different setup.

 

[SHOrod]

The difference here is, if it's still bright outside and the headlights are on (manually), the instrumentation/illumination lights will be the same intensity as if the headlights were off. Once the outside light gets to the threshold where the automatic headlights would turn on, the instrumentation/illumination lights dim to the set "nighttime" intensity, even if the headlights were already on. It's not purely a function of the position of the headlight switch like the old school cars.

-Rod

 

[PonySHO]

What you describe has taken place in every kind of vehicle I've ever been in. When the exterior lights come on, the interior dash/cluster/panel lights seem to dim a bit more. I think it's normal unless the new SHOs have some type of different setup.

This is true, on older vehicles, the dash lights will dim when you turn on the headlights due to a decrease in voltage. However, I've had the dash lights stay bright even when I turn on the headlights. From what people have been saying, I'm beginning to believe the dash lights are being affected by the ambient light sensor on the top of the dash. I think they go dim when the ambient light is low or at night time and stay bright when there is a lot of ambient light, but I have yet to verify this. Thanks guys for all your input... the dash lights issue was bothering me

 

[way2evil]

I take the outside light sensor is right in between the defroster vents, right?

Yep, thats it.

 

[Race Coach]

No night time illumination below the Nav?

Is this normal? None of the buttons below the nav light up at night.

 

[N8rfastback]

no thats not normal....

at night you should have all the buttons lit up

 

[Race Coach]

Do I feel dumb

Thanks, N8rfastback.

That got me to look into things a little deeper. Here's what I discovered so far:

1) I have a Canadian car with Day Time Running Lights.

2) With the lights in the "O" position, I run into the problem listed previously. I thought this was some kind of "always on" position. Apparently it is actually an "OFF" position. However, because of Canadian laws, when you engage "DRIVE", the lights come on anyway. That's why I thought I was driving with the lights on, and couldn't figure out why my console lights would not illuminated.

3) With the lights in the "A" position I get the illumination I wanted.

So, I feel quite stupid.

My lights are now in the "AUTOMATIC" position.

 

[hamrtyme]

no thats not normal....

at night you should have all the buttons lit up

i'm not sure but i will check... but i thought depending on what function you were using only those buttons lit up?

 

[Showgun]

Thanks, N8rfastback.

That got me to look into things a little deeper. Here's what I discovered so far:

1) I have a Canadian car with Day Time Running Lights.

2) With the lights in the "O" position, I run into the problem listed previously. I thought this was some kind of "always on" position. Apparently it is actually an "OFF" position. However, because of Canadian laws, when you engage "DRIVE", the lights come on anyway. That's why I thought I was driving with the lights on, and couldn't figure out why my console lights would not illuminated.

3) With the lights in the "A" position I get the illumination I wanted.

So, I feel quite stupid.

My lights are now in the "AUTOMATIC" position.

Sounds about right RC. Where in On are you?
I'm in Cambridge.

 

[Race Coach]

South Mississauga, near Oakville.
Nice mods! Mine is still stock