How to have instrumental cluster to be always ON?
 

Just got my car 5% tinted last weekend. It looks awesome with the tint, but there's one problem.

During the day, I can't see anything on instrumental cluster except the digital speedometer with my sunglasses on. I always have my headlight stick to be at "Auto".

Is there any way to get around this and have the light to be on all the time?

Thanks for helping out a noob.

I think you can adjust the brightness with a scroll wheel located down and to the bottom left of the steering wheel. Near the headlight leveler.

Oh, I know what you are talking about. Thought that only changes the brightness of the light when it's on.

^This

Then I have to toggle back and forth between auto and parking lights!

Was wondering if there's a way to leave it at "Auto" and have the cluster light to be on all the time.

How come you don't just leave it at Auto?

I've never encountered a situation where it was too dark to see my gauge cluster without the lights on...

I had no problem before tinting the car.

But with 5% tint + sunglass + california sunlight, I can't see anything except the digital speedometer.

And this is why 5% tint is illegal LOL

I always turn my parking lights on during the day. I leave it in auto when I drive at night but during the day I still find it hard to see the instrument cluster with sun glasses on and 30% tint.... I also love having the strip of light around the headlights (can't remember what they are actually called...) on all the time because it looks awesome

Problem solved. :D

I think a better key fob will fix this problem right up.

First world problems.

lol tint on the front windows are illegal regardless of the % in LA.

its not that i must see the meters on the cluster to work the car, it's just that I like it lit up. :D

Yeah, I actually want that led line to be lit up as well all time. Guess there's no way to do that though. Meh.

http://www.bubblews.com/assets/image...1378640696.jpg

Should have bought a FRS.

Yes! :)

Love the look when it's lit up. That's all.

Not to mention the "smarter" Auto headlight feature makes for dumber drivers (in general, not directed to anyone here). I see more and more people driving without their headlights on at night, probably due to accidentally turning the lights to "OFF" one time, so they don't even think to turn them back to "AUTO" and drive around stupidly thinking the illumination from their DRLs is from their headlights.

I just don't trust auto - I know, I know, I know it unfounded but I don't like walking away from a car that still has it's lights on. My IS300 always creeped me out and I never used auto after the first time I got it off the lot.

I find it really annoying when people drive around without headlights on at night though... friggin' stealth cars...

Trust the machine, dude. You even have this as your profile picture.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/image...ine=1386306825

The light turns off itself like 15 seconds after you lock it.

There's a man in the machine :bonk:

The way I look at it is: that's 15 seconds of juice it's draining from my battery for no real reason.

Relevant:
http://www.iwfa.com/Portals/0/PDFDoc...201-1-2013.pdf

Not illegal. But best to keep it very light if you want to not get tickets for it.

3M Crystalline 70 all around (including front windshield):
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...27&postcount=4

-alex

Sorry man. I'm not that anal about it. :thumbup:

I've been driving for about 13 years with 5% tint on my front windows. Got 1 fix it ticket back in like 2006. I usually roll down the windows whenever I see a cop around. :D

The driving lights, I agree.

The boomerangs are not headlights, and would be subject to the above referenced law.

Whether it's relevant or not, that's entirely debatable. I'm just referencing the CA vehicle code so people don't get confused to what is law and what is not.

Example: if you are driving under conditions where you constantly have to use the wipers, you are required (by law) to turn on headlights. Do people actually do this? No.

-alex

Oh, it's called boomerang. That's cool.

That's something they should have taught you for the written test before getting your driver's license :paddle:

Perhaps you did learn it, but forgot that you did, hence you see it as common sense since it's a habit

It varies by state. Not law in WA but in many other states it's a requirement (or if visibility is low):
http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/headlight-use/

-alex

Damn... How the hell do you drive at night? I am worried for your safety :eyebulge:

It's not new to me. I've driving like this for more than 10 years.

For small local streets, you just roll down the windows. Not much of rocket science. :D

Do you have a friend who's good with electronics? There has to be a way to bridge some wires from inside the cluster itself so it's always backlit whenever it's powered on. It's quite easy to remove and with a multimeter, should be easy to spot which lead to tap into. Very simple project.

That is exactly what I need. Some type of DIY for this.

Yes, I suppose I can only speak for CA... now I'm doubting myself on whether it was even a question on the test or just something the instructor mentioned...

Techstream can adjust the sensitivity of the "auto" feature from what I've been told, but in this case, why not just cover the light sensor, so it thinks it's night all the time?

You sir.. are genius.

Where's that sensor again? Is it the one connected to rearview mirror?