Hi All.....
First post (and I admit it seems odd!). Picked up my new 2013 FX4 SCrew yesterday. My first Ford in over 20 years! And I love it. But......... Last night, I hopped in, inserted the key, and turned it to run (not start).The instrument cluster lights and the 4" data center lit up a very pleasing bright LED white. Both sets of lights stayed in this "bright" state. However, after starting the truck, the instrument lighting dimmed by probably 2/3rds. The 4" data center stayed just as bright, but the instruments were very (IMHO) dim. Utilizing the rocker dimmer switch, I could dim the data center lights, but this caused the instrument lights to dim to the point of shutting off. Raising the light level with the rocker / dimmer brought the data center lights back to full bright (at the point just before turning on the cab lights), but the instrument lights stayed in the very dim only configuration. This seems unbalanced and wrong to me, but before going to the services department and proving myself a fool, I thought I would ask the experts. Do your trucks do this too? Is the "bright" data center surrounded by dim instrument lights the normal factory config? If so, or in any case, actually, is this a configurable parameter for the service department?

 

So, more investigation and still no solution. The MFD Auto Dim toggle gas no effect on the dash lights, only the MFD. Also now noted, when I use the rocker / dimmer switch, any move down from full bright will make the dealer installed Ambient Light Kit lights start to continuously pulse on a 1 second on /off cycle. And that ain't right! Scheduled into the dealer on Tuesday, so I will share when back.

To any 2013 FX4 owners out there......are your instrument lights dim in your opinion? Does the 4" data center illumination stay full bright even when the instrument lights change to auto dim at night?

To the F150 electrical experts out there......As I mentioned, this is my first Ford in many years. No shop manuals / schematics (yet), so I do not understand the concept of the auto lights, auto dim circuitry. If I am unhappy with what the service guys have to say, is there a way to remove the instrument lights from the auto dim circuit (jump a relay, etc...)?

5 days old and 1500 miles on the FX..... Other than the lights, I am loving this truck!

 

Thats what a warranties for! They must of F'd something up when they installed your ambient lighting!

 

Well, I got my FX4 back an hour ago. Big thanks to the service department at Sam Galloway Ford in Ft Myers, FL!!!!! It took 3 days, but all is well....
The shop foreman (Brian?) took over the ticket when the first tech didn't find the problem. As it turns out, there is actually a TSB for what happened. The original dealer installed an Ambient Lighting Kit. The tech there hooked the LED controller to the downstream side of the instrument dimmer. It should have been hooked up to the parking light supply wire. The TSB states that any load added to the downstream side of the multifunction light switch can cause a larger than designed load on the switch and ruin it. That is what happened here. New light switch, new ambient light kit (installed to the correct power source) and all is good.
This could have gone a few ways. The original dealer is in Ohio. The truck and I are now in Florida. The repairs could have been layed on me to sort who pays for what, and how to accomplish that. Instead, the folks at Sam Galloway stepped up, handled all the associated paperwork, and gave me back a working truck. With the business end of the deal completely transparent to me. Bravo to all concerned!
Speaking to the Galloway folks, the dealer in Ohio did the right thing for them too, agreeing to reimburse Galloway with no arguments.
So, here is a success story about the Ford Warranty program.....

 

Happy to hear they got you fixed up Cap.