Instrument lighting problem

[minime911]

Hi,

Today I called my dealer in order to find out if there is a way to get the speedo / instrument lighting switched on all the time as soon as I start the engine.

I think that the instrument is too dark if you drive the car during day time when the main lights are switched off.
I don't want to drive all day long with the lights on as this is an unnecessary waste of energy.
Besides this, even if the main lights are on, the dashboard lighting switches itself on and off depending on the solar strength that shines from outside into the instrument. This however is not happening with a delay but really can be annoying at certain times of the day at sunset when it's shining from the back of your car into the instrument.
The instrument lighting then starts switching on and off and really looks broken.:(

The dealer could confirm that this is a common 500 Fiat problem that has been reported and complained by many customers.
Apparently Fiat is working on this but there is no new SW yet.

Has anyone different info?

Greetings:

minime911

[.Lefteris.]

I dont have a problem, at least not yet!

[Cadbury]

Didn't even know that the dashlights came on without main lights on:( or they were solar powered. I have got tinted rear window and white speedo so haven't noticed anything.

[minime911]

Hi,

Well, during the last month I didn't realize it either as it was mainly dark outside going to and coming from work, but it starts doing this when the sun is very low shining from the back or from the side into the instrument.

Somewhere in the upper part must be a solar sensor and that one switches the thing on and off.
It's doing this really on a few degrees of change in driving direction.

It's not a defect but just a bad (faulty) design, too much freedom given to software and design engineers that have not been sitting in the car while doing this.:mad:

Greetings:

minime911

[ewandougie]

On mine the instrument pod lighting comes on with the headlights, and the dash lights (CD player, climate control etc) are lit depending on the sun light.

[Cadbury]

I honestly have never noticed this.... I must drive with my eyes shut lol

[wreckmaster]

I havet noticed this either. But we have to drive with lights on 24/7. Illegal to switch them off. All new cars sold in Norway has to be equipped with automatic daytime driving lights:icon_thumleft: But I have noticed that when you turn your lights down to parklights the rear lights switches off:eek: Why do they do that?

[VilleV]

EU legistelation says (paragraph E-48 I believe) that its not mandatory to have the tail lights on when using these "daylights" / DRLs. I´m a bit lost with english words here, but this paragraph also makes using daylights legal in those EU countries where its illegal to use headlights during daylight, and in those countries where you should have driving lights on all the time.
But Since Norway is not in the EU I have no idea weather or not they are legal there. Finnish road traffic code doesnt recognise them so therefore they would be illegal, but because all eu citizens must be equal an EU law is "ranked higher" than a national law when they are in a conflict. Hope you understood...

[wreckmaster]

Hi Ville!
I am not sure if I understood but in the EU I can drive with only the "park" light switched on? I dont need the rear lights? My lights are always turned on = all 4 lights in the front is on(except foglights) and the rear lights are also on. If I drove with just the front "parking" lights on and the rear lights switched off I would be pulled over by the police and given a ticket.....lol

[VilleV]

Hi Ville!
If I drove with just the front "parking" lights on and the rear lights switched off I would be pulled over by the police and given a ticket.....lol

These "parking lights" are the DRLs (daytime running lights), which you can turn on or off from the computer menu, and its not required to have the tail lights on simultaneously with them. Therefore Fiat has apparently desided not to have tail lights on with DRLs, but for example Audis have tail lights on with the led DRLs. The 500 doesnt have traditional "parking lights" at all. And this EU paragraph E-48 makes them legal, so indeed you can use them when you are driving in EU area.

But then again, every EU country has their own traffic laws too and for example finnish laws dont say anything about the daytime lights which would basicly make them illegal. But my friend asked about this from the finnish parliament and got an answer, that any EU legistelation is considerd to be superior to national laws if they are in conflict (eu citizens must be treated equally). So according to this it should be legal to use them in every EU country, but I quess you can never know beforehand how local police is going to view it. But if you were fined and you would complain about it you should win your case.

Edit: in my avatar I have only the DRLs on...

[Cadbury]

How laws differ by country. And how confusing.

In the UK, our 500s can have the 'daylights' (DRL) on but the back do not come on. I would prefer to have the back on aswell. It is not compulsory for DRLs. However, on a motorway it is different, it is compulsory (but not adhered to) to have dipped lights on (front and back).

Our 500s have parking lights (front and back). You switch the lights on after the ignition is turned off and both front (little ones) and back are lit.

[ewandougie]

I think Daylights are becoming compulsory in the UK and possibly the EU although they haven't said if its just from lights, or front and back,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/3075189/EU-resurrects-daytime-running-lights-plan.html

[wreckmaster]

We have this law for safety reasons. You actually see a car much earlier even in bright sunshine if the light are on. On my part time job we imported some US tow trucks which where equippet with only front DRL`s. We had to make them work on the rear lights also before we could get plates for them:icon_thumleft: I can`t see any reason not to have all lights on. The car ain`t any more enviromentally dangerous if you drive with lights on...