jlineman

I tinted the front windows on my 2010 s-crew to match the factory tint on the other windows and now have trouble seeing the instrument cluster. Even at the factory level of tint the instrument cluster is very reflective and dark. With the windows down there is far more reflection than on my previous 2003 s-crew. I have rigged around the little photo cell on the dash so that in the day time I can turn on the headlights and the dash lights come on but when you turn on the headlights in the day time the lights for the odometer and the area that has the direction, temperature and radio gauges dims. Don't know of any way around this except for removing the tint. I like the truck but whoever came up with the instrument cluster and control island lighting is an idiot!

Mlkx4

You do know that you can adjust the brightness of your dash light dont you?......

ftrucktough

I might be missing something, but my gauges are very easy to read on cloudy/rainy days with tinted front windows, with no lighting... When the instrument lighting comes on, the odometer display, etc... dims because it will be dark enough then to see the dimmed display. If you tape over the light sensor, it thinks it is pitch black out and will dim the displays.

If the instrument lights are not coming on, it isn't that dark. If it was so dark that it is hard to see the instruments, you'd have no problem seeing a dimmed odometer display.

Some Lexus vehicles, and some others I'm sure too, have very bright instruments at all times. Are some of you making a switch from something like that? We should all be happy the instrument lighting is nothing like it was in the 60s. In pitch black conditions there would just be a faint green glow from behind the gauges and that's about it.

Maybe I'm not getting it; someone want to take a picture with what they are seeing? Without flash, of course.

Ray21

Mine would seem dim sometimes also... I simply turn the dimmer **** until it clicks on the interior lights and then set it to the brightest position. Worked for me.

jlineman

You say you click on the interior lights and then set to the brighter position? Is there a setting for a brighter position OR are you simply turning on the interior lights and then backing the switch off just to the point of turning the interior lights off ?

jlineman

I have a painted bottle cap over the sensor because if you don't, on a cloudy day when you want to run your headlights the dash lights won't come on. I have a XLT ...is yours a platimum addition with white gauges?

jlineman

How do you adjust the brightness of the dash lights other than full to the right just short of turning on the interior lights with the dimmer switch? Am I missing something?

ftrucktough

Right. That's all I know of. Which makes it good to NOT block your light sensor and when it senses that is is fairly light out, it will keep the displays bright even when the headlights are on.

There was a good question, what kind of guages do you have? My FX4 gauges are highly visible without being lit unless it's actually night time. I can see mine perfectly with tinted windows in the rain without headlights/dashlights.

ftrucktough

Mine looks just like the ones in this picture... a bright red needle over a light gray background... very very visible, without being lit up... is yours different?

Ray21

This.