2006 Corolla: Can't see speedo/tach in daylight

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arbilab

arbilab

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Joined
May 1, 2011
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Location
Ft Worth TX (Ridglea)
2006 Corolla:  In diffuse/squinty daylight, the instrument cluster is a black hole. 

Can't see the speedo.  Almost passed a cop.

 

A switch should force those lights on and the manual obliquely alludes to it but nothing happens.  The lights work correctly at night.

 

Anyone have this car, this problem, solution?
 
Rick,

I have a 2007 Honda Civic.  If I drive in the daylight with the headlights on its difficult to see the speedometer, kind of blacks out.  The speedometer is other wise fine.   In California its been the law since 2005 the if you have your wipers on for rain, in the daylight you must have your headlights on too. Many people seem to have never learned about this. but its supposed to increase visibility of your vehicle  during the rain or fog in the daylight.  

 

Anyway, I’ve never found a way around it, and have learned to pay special attention to the dash during the day if the lights are on because the speedo will be dimmer.  I think the problem is because the speedo has large digital numerals to display the speed.  When the headlights are on that also lights the back round of the whole dash display and digital numerals are washed out in the daylight,  too much light.

 

 I thought I’d hate the digital speedo when I first got the car, but quickly grew to like it very much.  Never a guess how fast I’m going.

 

Eddie
 
dont know about all vehicles....

but on Jeep/Chrysler, the dimmer switch has a few indents, from the bottom it is indented/off(this includes all interior lights if the door was open), to sliding from low to high intensity, then there is an indent to super bright for daylight use, and the next indent if for all interior lights to come on...

this varies from vehicle to vehicle as to what it controls....sometimes just the dash board, and/or radio, GPS, climate controls, etc....

probably best to consult the manual for your particular vehicles options...

note too, I have a HUD(Heads Up Display) that displays items on my windshield....this makes a world of difference as you dont have to glance down...this can be added to just about any vehicle for minimal cost

yogitunes-2021060609315904978_1.jpg
 
Nope and nope.  It's all the way up.  Even forced it in case it had a stubborn detent.  I've got a crick in my neck

from the 300-page manual.  Which speaks such generalities as "some models" and "some cars" without saying which is which.

 

Had to retire the 35yo Celica.  Too many booboos to fix practically.  No such problem, daylight found a way to light the gauges. 

Not this car.  Gauges down in a recess under an awning.

 

Asked google, got the usual gibberish.  Did find an obscure reference to a third push of the odo button, only thing I haven't tried.  Who's the genius that put the instrument lights under an odo menu?

 

Edit:  Did try the 3rd push of the odo button.  It just goes back to odo from 'trip 1' or 'trip2'.

[this post was last edited: 6/6/2021-20:11]
 
Does Toyota have solution, is your Corolla made in Canada?

Does your car have automatic daytime running lights? If not and made in Canada I wonder if in disabling running lights they created this problem. My opinion of always illuminated instrument lights is a solution for a non-existant problem. In Canada mandatory daytime running lights since at least 1990 but recently some car makers with always illuminated panels and too cheap to install automatic headlights on at night, and customers uninformed to know they must manually turn on at night, have created the scenario of people putzing slowly along the freeway because with the daytime bright panel lights and 30% brightness daytime running lights they can't see very well with all the glare in their face. I have even seen the odd semi-truck driver do this. Easy to tell because daytime running lights don't illuminate tail lights. Great example of flashy over practicality. Hope Toyota can sort this out for you.
 
I suppose

this issue is why later model vehicles have auto dimming/brightening clusters.
Mine has no H.U.D. windshield display, but I have no problem seeing the instrument cluster. Even when I overide the auto headlights and turn them off, it still dims until I back out of the garage.
I can also toggle the cluster to display a digital speed readout as well as the large dial spedo. Same for tach. I can move the display for the compass to show or not, turbo boost, Inteligent AWD front to rear ratio too. I can change the colors of the ambiemt footwell, cup holders, and door handle lighting from blue to red/green/aqua.
I realize not all can drive a newer vehicle with all theses features, and neither could I before. I had a '98 Malibu with auto headlights that in bear zero f. temps they would not come on manually either until the sensor on the dash heated up a bit.
 
Ford Galaxy

is the same you cannot see the speedo if the suns shining straight in the windscreen, It does however have Automatic wipers and lights if it detects rain it turns the headlights on even though it has permanent driving lights..

Austin
 

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