Instrument Panel Dimmer

[sketchers356]

All of the cars that I have owned have a dimmer switch for the instrument lights. I always have it full bright making it easy to see all of the gauges. Does anyone actually use this?

[porsche4life]

I keep my corolla at less than half. The gauges are stupid bright in that car. Now everything else I drive is at full, I sometimes try to see if I can get the 944 to roll past max....

[Porsche-O-Phile]

My wife's Toyota also has the dimmer set to around 1/2 (Solara). I probably have it between 1/2 to 2/3 in the Mercedes - full bright is distracting. The P-cars get 'em full bright all the time (but never really get driven at night anymore so probably a moot point).

[968rz]

Most cars I have/owned were turned down, only the 968 is set bright but that's because they are dim to start with.

[porsche4life]

I think its a japanese thing to make them as bright as humanly possible. I swear that corolla can make you see spots if you aren't careful. Pretty much every German car I have ever driven was light in such a way that it didn't blind you. They are much easier on the eyes...

[wdfifteen]

I turn mine up to 11.

[spuggy]

I daily drive the 911 and turn the instrument lights down to about 1/3 so that they're not bright enough to be distracting on unlit roads. Set like that I can read them just fine on lit roads, so that's where it stays....

[968rz]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I turn mine up to 11.

Couldn't you just make 10 brighter?

[ZOO]

I like keeping them low while on the freeway -- easier to keep my night vision when travelling fast. I wish, however, that it dimmed all the lights equally.

[VaSteve]

I turn it way down on my bimmer. I was driving and unlit road and it was pitch black out. My gps has a blue light in the adapter...it was so bright I had to put tape over it. As I get older, I like less and less bright instrumentation. Now if I could just get that CEL to go off.

[ZOO]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I turn it way down on my bimmer. I was driving and unlit road and it was pitch black out. My gps has a blue light in the adapter...it was so bright I had to put tape over it. As I get older, I like less and less bright instrumentation. Now if I could just get that CEL to go off.

That's the one I wish would dim with the switch, too.

[UconnTim97]

On my 944, I have it set on the highest possible setting and that only gets me that way cool '80s movie mood lighting at best. On the GMC, I think it is set around 2/3 brightness.

[willtel]

Saabs have a blackout switch that turns off all the instrument lights except the vitals.

Originally Posted by Saabhistory.com

This function blacks out the instrument panel, apart from the speedometer. This reduces the risk of distraction while driving at night. All the systems still work in the background and the appropriate guage or lamp will light up when the driver's attention is required. A good example of our aircraft heritage.

[rick-l]

Dimmer switch? What is this night vision thing?

[javadog]

On rural roads and Interstates, I keep mine dimmed way down, as it greatly improves my night vision. That's a good thing, if you want to avoid deer and other obstacles,

JR

[vash]

i keep mine at a whisper. i have gotten used to it over the years, and it makes everything outside the car seem brighter. safer that way.

[Dantilla]

I live in a rural area that's very dark at night. Dash lights go down, otherwise they are too distracting.

When in town, they're back up again.

[pwd72s]

There have been threads complaining of the "too dim" dash light of the early 911. Also, threads of folks working to brighten the dash with L.E.D.'s, etc.

I like 'em dim...I turn the mustang's dash down to about 20%, also changed the color to green to match the radio lights. It's what's outside the car that I wish to light up at night...

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by UconnTim97

On my 944, I have it set on the highest possible setting and that only gets me that way cool '80s movie mood lighting at best. On the GMC, I think it is set around 2/3 brightness.

With the 944, you don't really get any illumination until it's completely dark outside. What an odd design.

[aigel]

Ditto on the rural areas / outside of town night driving. There you want dim instruments to keep your pupils open for anything on the road.

G