Display dimming randomly

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grazuncle2
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Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

I have noticed just this past week. (Since the service but doubt a connection) that the dial (speed/rev counter) lighting getting less bright during a drive and went off when parking up at home..

I don't know if there is a setting for altering brightness of the light cluster.

Anyone else had this?
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

update. after testing more.

when getting in the car (having opened the door) i get the door open graphic *bright white'. close the door it goes all dark.

ignition on and only the RED needle indications are lit up (rev and speed needles/pointers) anything white of the display is still off.

Further testing/messing about and Aaah .... turn the light switch to AUTO and everything is bright. turn the dial past Auto to side or beam and all dark again (except RED)

at least I know the white part of the display 'can' work ok.

Still confused as the cause
SRGTD
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by SRGTD »

VW’s with conventional analogue dials have had to feature for many years. There’s nothing wrong with your instrumentation display - it’s designed to work that way. There’s a light sensor that detects reducing levels of ambient light and when light levels reduce below a certain level, the instrumentation dials dim down automatically, acting as a prompt for you to turn your lights on so you can see your dials again and other drivers can see you because you’ve turned your lights on.

You’ll particularly notice it if you’re driving in bright, sunny conditions and you enter a dark tunnel, a dark multi storey car park, or your own garage (if you park in a garage) you’ll see the instrument dials dim down, just leaving the needles illuminated. However, if you have your lights set to ‘Auto’, your lights will come on automatically when the sensor detects poor light levels, so your instrument dials should always be illuminated.
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

Thanks for the reply..

It's strange that after having the car 5 months never noticed this before.. although it was a dull day today.

I'll have to get the car out of the garage and hope that having the lights on (with engine running?) i get some dials or I cannot drive the car in the dark.. I'd have lights but not display (I am guessing that is illegal?)

I'm going to try it out now.. Thanks SRGTD
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

OMG!

The trials of changing from a 15 year old vehicle (may as well have been 50 years) to something around 2 years old!!!!

Following SRGTD's advice and pointers I took the car out of the garage.. it is very dull here presently and it is as he said... fortunately the Auto setting gives me both headlights and a display...

The dashboard brightness is not totally off, although it did seem like that. I also checked the manual.. Why didn't I do that before? Because I never realised that modern cars actually did this kind of stuff.. wrong assumption I agree.

Thanks SRGTD (and UK-Polos.net) Phew.. panic over :shock:
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

Well I thought it was sussed.

Out in bright daylight and the display is still dark unless lighting switched to Auto.

I wonder if the light sensor is obscured..I just don't know where it is to check.

Ideas?
Johntheo1
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by Johntheo1 »

A bit strange alright, on a bright day, with auto lights off the display should stay bright, if you the then drive under a canopy of trees or something like that, then the display will gradually start dimming, its telling you that you require your low beams on, which will come on , when you select Auto and the display will light up again and obviously stay lit in daylight but the low beams will automatically switch off.

You can do a little test which may help, with auto selected, if the display is dim in broadl dayight then flick on the high beams, if they also come on then you have a problem, probably the sensor.
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

Thanks for the top Jonathan.

It's dull as ditch water here right now..

I'll try it in the morning.

Ps Anyone know where the sensor is on this model..

I tried a search but only find the rain sensor location on older Polo by the rear view mirror🙄
SRGTD
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by SRGTD »

grazuncle2 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 2:13 pm Well I thought it was sussed.

Out in bright daylight and the display is still dark unless lighting switched to Auto.

I wonder if the light sensor is obscured..I just don't know where it is to check.

Ideas?
In the previous generation Polo the sensor was integrated into the instrument cluster. I’m assuming it’s also in the instrument cluster on the current Polo - sorry, I can’t check in my car as it doesn’t have the analogue instrument cluster.

In this YouTube video of a VW instrument cluster, it’s near the 7 on the rev counter;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diX0XHYx5AA

I’ve taken a screen shot at 1min 31sec of the video and you can just see it in the area where the green arrows that I’ve added are pointing to;
10017340-350E-4C90-86C6-CB7A4E3085A7.jpeg
10017340-350E-4C90-86C6-CB7A4E3085A7.jpeg (283.7 KiB) Viewed 2180 times
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

Fantastic!

Thanks
SRGTD
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by SRGTD »

grazuncle2 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 4:16 pm Fantastic!

Thanks
Be aware that it’s not a current model Polo in the YouTube video as the video is from 2012 which predates the model of Polo you have. So the light sensor in your car may be in a different position.
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

The strange thing is... I have never noticed it dim before in the 5 months I have had it..

I know I have not driven in the night with the car.. Yes.. At all. What with illness, lockdown and only 'day' trips out. Perhaps with the darker days drawing in is a factor and not knowing the function existed!?

I could clean the display panel but doubt it's even dusty ☺️
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

..I decided to go out to the car in the garage with a bright torch and aim it at the display panel to try and wake up the lighting.. LOL

it might sound a disappointment but I found the display fully bright and switch not on Auto (car still under cover in the garage but door open) I even tried covering the dial facia to no avail.. LOL however it makes me think this is intermittent; the worst kind of fault!

The light outside was particularly bright though.. I'll have to wait till dark.
Harrihealey02
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by Harrihealey02 »

If the lighting switch is set to auto, the display should be bright and only dim when the headlights come on. If the switch is on side lights then the whole display apart from the red pointers will be dark.
grazuncle2
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Re: Display dimming randomly

Post by grazuncle2 »

Thanks

it's not on Auto
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