# Speedometer not bright enough during the day, hard to read.



## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

Is there a way to make the numbers brighter, it was pretty light out, and the numbers were not lite enought. I had to turn the lights on to make them readable. 

I tried the panel wheel, but does not work with lights off. anyone know why.


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

u can tint your windows.........


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## cbugrun (Jul 14, 2012)

Babie said:


> Is there a way to make the numbers brighter, it was pretty light out, and the numbers were not lite enought. I had to turn the lights on to make them readable.
> 
> I tried the panel wheel, but does not work with lights off. anyone know why.


 Don't understand. I have no problem seeing my numbers in the day time without the need to turn the lights on.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

Are the illuminated all the time? It is as if not on at all today. Really weird today.


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## cbugrun (Jul 14, 2012)

Babie said:


> Are the illuminated all the time? It is as if not on at all today. Really weird today.


 
Yes mine are illuminated all the time. Must be something wrong with yours.


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## jpitzer4 (Jul 18, 2012)

cbugrun said:


> Yes mine are illuminated all the time. Must be something wrong with yours.


 Turn the backlighting up with the rolling switch on the dash panel


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## plex03 (Nov 10, 2011)

jpitzer4 said:


> Turn the backlighting up with the rolling switch on the dash panel


 What babie is referring to is the auto dimming feature on the backlit gauge lights (i.e. speedometer). 

They auto dim or auto brighten depending on the ambient light. I've been told the sensor is actually in the gauge dials but I can't confirm it. 

Babie and many others have complained about this as they seem to dim when you need them most and I too, have had to turn on my headlights on a perfectly clear and sunny day just to see the dials well. 

it is not corrected by the rolling switch.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

If I go from an outdoor road into a small stretch of a darker tunnel encased roadway, I 
will see that the bright illumination remains only for a short time, requiring me to 
put on my full headlights in order to get bright illumination again.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

plex03 said:


> What babie is referring to is the auto dimming feature on the backlit gauge lights (i.e. speedometer).
> 
> They auto dim or auto brighten depending on the ambient light. I've been told the sensor is actually in the gauge dials but I can't confirm it.
> 
> ...


 RIGHT ON, YOU SAID IT BEST 100% what I have experienced. When I start my car they don't lite up in the bright day, dial don't work to brighten.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

ridgemanron said:


> If I go from an outdoor road into a small stretch of a darker tunnel encased roadway, I
> will see that the bright illumination remains only for a short time, requiring me to
> put on my full headlights in order to get bright illumination again.


 But some going back in daylight, they won't readjust till u restart the car, I think another issue.


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## KNEWBUG (Sep 13, 2011)

had that experience yesterday in a multi story parking structure, the lines and the numbers fade away and only the needles glow in red. There is a sensor on the cluster that senes the light. Also had the experience in tunnels. it must be VW`S way of telling you to turn on the lights??? 







KNEWBUG


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

KNEWBUG said:


> had that experience yesterday in a multi story parking structure, the lines and the numbers fade away and only the needles glow in red. There is a sensor on the cluster that senes the light. Also had the experience in tunnels. it must be VW`S way of telling you to turn on the lights???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Makes sense. that is what my BF said. But I don't like it


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## VWTURB0 (Dec 9, 2011)

It is a feature to auto adjust based on the ambient light. The sensor is in the bottom right of the tach guage. You can test with a flash light shinning it in that spot You can see the sensor too.bTypically the lights work well if you have enough light in the car Usually non tinted windows other wise they slowly fade as not enought light hits the sensor. In the begining i thought it was defect but was informed by the service department that its part of the design. Like mentioned before its probably there to tell you when you need to turn on the lights.


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## puma1552 (Jul 6, 2012)

Guys, as mentioned there is a sensor in the tach to sense the amount of light, and the gauge backlighting adjusts automatically based on the amount of light detected, though the needles will always be illuminated. 

While you might think the backlighting should come on in the dark and go off in the sun, it works the opposite way. When you are in bright light, the backlighting comes on to make it easier to see the numbers, and when you go into a dark tunnel or wherever then they fade to off to indicate that you need to turn on your lights. It's the same idea with a laptop being used outdoors-when you use a laptop in the bright sun, you need to turn the brightness up so you can see the screen, same thing here.


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## Babie (Jul 22, 2012)

puma1552 said:


> Guys, as mentioned there is a sensor in the tach to sense the amount of light, and the gauge backlighting adjusts automatically based on the amount of light detected, though the needles will always be illuminated.
> 
> While you might think the backlighting should come on in the dark and go off in the sun, it works the opposite way. When you are in bright light, the backlighting comes on to make it easier to see the numbers, and when you go into a dark tunnel or wherever then they fade to off to indicate that you need to turn on your lights. It's the same idea with a laptop being used outdoors-when you use a laptop in the bright sun, you need to turn the brightness up so you can see the screen, same thing here.


 Thanks, gonna try it.


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## vdub10golf (Jan 23, 2010)

Babie said:


> Is there a way to make the numbers brighter, it was pretty light out, and the numbers were not lite enought. I had to turn the lights on to make them readable.
> 
> I tried the panel wheel, but does not work with lights off. anyone know why.


 There's a dimming switch that can make it brighter/dimmer if the lights are on. I noticed with mine if the lights aren't on the only parts that light up are the red needles (say if I go thru a dark tunnel or something.) But occasionally I'll go under an overpass and they'll be lit up with the lights off. Maybe something to do with being solar-charged??  

On my MK6 Golf I had before this, it was stated as a safety feature so that you'll remember to turn your headlights on at night.


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## plex03 (Nov 10, 2011)

vdub10golf said:


> ...it was stated as a safety feature so that you'll remember to turn your headlights on at night.


If the sun going down or the lack of sunlight at all doesn't tell someone to turn their lights on what the heck makes VW think that dimming the dash lights is going to help?

It's idiotic and they should be on all the time. With them recessed so far under that dash shroud it is tough to see the numbers even on the brightest of days.


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## vdub10golf (Jan 23, 2010)

plex03 said:


> If the sun going down or the lack of sunlight at all doesn't tell someone to turn their lights on what the heck makes VW think that dimming the dash lights is going to help?
> 
> It's idiotic and they should be on all the time. With them recessed so far under that dash shroud it is tough to see the numbers even on the brightest of days.


Haha that's what I always wondered too! But then again I daily see people driving at night without their headlights. 

Does anyone know if there is a way in VAG-COM around this to keep them on all the time?


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## Cadenza_7o (Jan 23, 2001)

plex03 said:


> *1. If the sun going down or the lack of sunlight at all doesn't tell someone to turn their lights on what the heck makes VW think that dimming the dash lights is going to help?
> 
> 2. It's idiotic and they should be on all the time. With them recessed so far under that dash shroud it is tough to see the numbers even on the brightest of days.*


1. A German engineer once told me, "You can idiot-proof the car but you can't idiot-proof the idiot".

2. My theory... "you can try to idiot-proof the car but NO ONE can idiot-proof a VW engineer."


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## TragicallyHip (Jan 25, 2011)

plex03 said:


> It's idiotic and they should be on all the time.


Yeah, but then you get the folks in Hondas (and others) where the instruments are lit up like a Christmas tree day and night, forgetting to turn on their head/tail lights at dusk. I've lost track of the number of drivers I see running nothing more than DRLs in the city at night.

I think VW's system is actually pretty slick, and I have no problems seeing the instruments in the day time.

Cheers,
Dave


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## silverspeedbuggy (Aug 8, 2001)

I don't think turning the headlights on will help: most cars will DIM the always-on dash lights when you turn on the headlights, not the other way around. All the cars I've had that have always-on dash lights dims them so as not to be glaring at you in the dark.

Just a thought...


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