digital dash help

[TRFanatic]

Hello all,

when I turn my lights on the dash numbers go very dim. When I turn lights off, it goes back to normal.

Any ideas??

Thanks alot for your help.

Ravi

 

[Paul Clark]

I think it's supposed to do that, as when the lights are on it must be dark outside so you don't need so much illumination to see the dash stuff.
Mine do the same thing.

 

[TRFanatic]

I think it is supposed to happen to a certain extent but I can't see mine at all in the daytime and barely at night.

Ravi

 

[oehm]

Dont you have a dimmer switch to the left of the steering wheel? I do and I can adjust the dash light and radio light so that it is extremely bright to barely visible.

 

[6SENSE]

Originally posted by TRFanatic
I think it is supposed to happen to a certain extent but I can't see mine at all in the daytime and barely at night.

Ravi

I know EXACTLY what your talking about. I posted a question about this a couple of years ago. I have never found a reason or a fix for it, besides just sending it off to Casper's. Ive tried switching the dimmer switch assembly with no luck. It is annoying when I want to turn on my parking lights during the day time and have to put up with a pitch black dash. If you figure it out please post back. Good luck!

 

[turbofish38]

I dont think there is any way around it. If you disconnect the display from the headlamp switch than you will have to adjust the display when it is dark and vice-a-versa. I dont seem to have a problem with mine but again I dont run around with my lights on in the daytime. Are you driving with the lights on as some type of poor guys DRL? GM makes some DRL kits to retrofit our older cars but unfortunetly the standard kit wasn't made for digital dashes. Maybe the standard kit can be modified to work? TRs with digital dashes use the same headlamp and interior dimmer switches as the analogs.

 

[6SENSE]

Its not just to drive during the daytime with the lights on. There is something legitimately wrong with the unit. When dusk hits and it starts getting dark and everyone else has there lights on if I turn mine on I still cant see the digital read out very well. Only when at night (and the sun is all the way gone) does the dash look right. Light outside and lights on = completely blacked out dash.
As far as driving with lights on during the day time. Especially when your car is clean, it just plain looks good [adds something] having the parking lights on. I dont do it as much as I used to, but say Im cruising somewhere on the weekend [which also doesnt happen much anymore] I sometimes get the urge.

 

[Paul Clark]

Speaking from ignorance here, as I don't know how the dash display is set up - but could it be something as simple as a few bulbs which are shot?
If a digital dash doesn't even use bulbs, then please hit delete quickly.