Dashboard gauge lights

[jmh128]

Question: Am a new 2016 BRZ owner. On every other car I've owned, when driving during the day, the dashboard gauge lights become lit (usually white) and can be adjusted in their intensity.
On the BRZ, this does not happen…..no dashboard gauge lights until I turn on the headlights or parking lights. It's a bit annoying when it's too light outside to turn on the headlights yet but dark enough where the gauge lights are hard to discern.
So…is this normal for this car?

[acetothermus]

Sounds like someone turned the brightness down. There is a dial (like a scroll wheel on a mouse) on the dash right next to the head light levelling dial. Check to see if it's turned all the way down.

edit: looks like this...

[jmh128]

Originally Posted by acetothermus

Sounds like someone turned the brightness down. There is a dial (like a scroll wheel on a mouse) on the dash right next to the head light levelling dial. Check to see if it's turned all the way down.

edit: looks like this...

Thanks acetothermus. Yes I'm familiar with the brightness scroll. I always leave it in the maximum brightness position and at night, the red lights are very bright, as I prefer. But they don't have any effect on the gauges during the day. And I don't see anything in the manual about adjusting the lights during the day.

[dinoniel]

Theres no backlight on the dash during the day for the dials. Probably a cost saving decision as opposed to the lit and fully digital gauges we see on more expensive cars.

Side note: If you have the dimmer wheel turned all the way up (past the final "click") then your navigation screen won't go into night mode during the nighttime.

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by jmh128

Thanks acetothermus. Yes I'm familiar with the brightness scroll. I always leave it in the maximum brightness position and at night, the red lights are very bright, as I prefer. But they don't have any effect on the gauges during the day. And I don't see anything in the manual about adjusting the lights during the day.

During the day they are off and will never be on the car is built this way. If you set your headlight switch up 1 position it turns on your marker lights and tail lights but the headlights stay off. This also turn the dash lights on. Position 2 turns the headlights on in addition to all the other lights.

I tend to just turn the marker lights on and leave my headlights off at dawn and dusk, mainly because my 55W HID's are way to bright and I rather not be the **** blinding people.

[jmh128]

Originally Posted by dinoniel

Theres no backlight on the dash during the day for the dials. Probably a cost saving decision as opposed to the lit and fully digital gauges we see on more expensive cars.

Side note: If you have the dimmer wheel turned all the way up (past the final "click") then your navigation screen won't go into night mode during the nighttime.

Thanks dinoiel. Just the information I was looking for. I'm just glad there was nothing wrong with the car.

[ryoma]

the BRZ lights up the needles still with the lights off. what else do you need lit up? you also have a digital speedometer. I never even look at the analog speedo lol. I rarely even look at the RPM needle. but you should be able to tell when to shift with the sound of the car and by just making out how far up the needle is. there is really no need for the whole cluster to light up during the day

[Ashikabi]

You could rewire the switch if it bothers you that much

[jmh128]

Originally Posted by Ashikabi

You could rewire the switch if it bothers you that much

Hah! Thanks for the suggestion but am not about to mess with the wiring. Mainly, just wanted to know if it was normal that the gauges didn't light in daytime.

Thanks to all!