Instrument panel lighting
I have recently changed my vehicle from a 2009 VW Touran to a 2017 VW Caravelle. On the Touran, the panel lighting came on when the sidelights were switched on. But on the Caravelle this doesn't happen until the headlight are switched on. Initially I thought this meant a fault in the system but, going onto the Caravelle and California Owners Club website, I found that this was a VW feature and there were several adverse comments about it. One poster pointed out that on a dull day, although lights were not required, the instrument panel could be in shadow and not readily readable. Had its lighting been linked to the sidelights, simply switching just them on would solve the problem. I know that switching on dipped beam would also solve the problem, but the jury seems to still be out as to whether headlights should be used during daylight hours, and I thought that the DRL's, which automatically illuminate when the ignition is switched on, were supposed to be the answer to this. Another poster claims to have found that a code can be changed so that the instrument panel is lit all the time - presumably when the ignition is turned on. Another owner, along with myself, decided not to "tamper" in case of messing up something else. When the car goes in for its annual service I will be asking for this to be changed if it is in fact possible.
Comments
-
It seems that many cars' instrument panels are always lit with the ignition which is probably the reason why you see people driving with no lights at all or just DRL (which are obviously just at the front). Why can't they all be linked to the lights like they all used to be?
0 -
I have not used sidelights for many years, can't see the point apart from parking at night. DRL'S only work on the front on the majority of cars and as far as dipped headlights are concerned they are a legal requirement during any time of reduced visibility during the day. If your newish car has auto headlights just leave them on "auto".
1 -
There are occasions when "auto" does not recognise the fact that dipped headlights must be used (mist,heavy spray etc.) Whilst on the subject,why do some drivers make the effort to turn on side (parking) lights but are unable to turn on their headlights?????
0 -
Quite agree MM. was behind an elderly lady one night flashing my lights as she had no rear lights, after a few miles i pulled next to her at traffic lights and pointed this out and she said they were on because the dash was lights were on. she didn't even know i was behind her flasing my lights for about 5 miles.
0 -
Apparently it's also illegal to drive with fogs on unless it's foggy.
0 -
They drive with their rear fog light on because they've forgotten to turn it from a few weeks before hand when there was a hint of ground mist one morning & they've absolutely no idea it's still on. Not helped by some car manufacturers that don't use a relay to knock the rear fog off when ignition or lights are turned off (or a mechanical means of doing the same)
0 -
On my last car, a BMW, the brake lights stayed on when the automatic handbrake came on so despite my bucket loads of common sense the driver behind had to look at my illuminated brake lights.
0 -
vorsprung durch technik
0 -
does that include front and back fog lights?
0 -
Use of headlights and fog lights in poor visibility conditions is covered by Rules 226 and 236 of the Highway Code:
“Rule 226
You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236).”“Rule 236
You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.”
0 -
My car is an automatic so I have to hold it on the brake or it would creep forward until it bumped against the vehicle in front.
Going back to panel lights, I did mention the problem of a dull day when the panel could be in shadow and not readily readable - you don't have time to saint too long when on the move - making sidelights acceptable when the use of headlights is not really necessary. At next service I will be asking for the panel lights to be programmed to come on with the sidelights.
My road lights switch does not have an "auto" setting.
0 -
Don’t you have a handbrake and N position, LT?
2 -
Is it the 7 speed DSG in your Caravelle ? if so it will have the auto hold function if you have an EPB, so no need to sit with your foot on the brake pedal.
0 -
My Caravelle is a 2017 with 7-speed DSG, but does not have auto-hold, neither does it have an EPB. It can depend on how long the wait is. Frequently, drivers in tail backs tend to start with a largish gap in front and then inch forward, which means the 'tail' is constantly on the move. As it is, the stop/start function kicks in and I don't feel inclined to keep shifting between D and N every few seconds. In most cases, the brake lights of cars in front of me remain on, and I do not find this a reason to complain about their brightness, so is it truly a problem to get het up about?
0 -
Who's het up? I thought we were just pointing out that you don’t 'have' to hold it on the footbrake.
Personally, I try not to dazzle the people behind with the currently popular ultra bright LED brake lights.
1 -
And 'MUST NOT' makes it law.
0 -
Personally, I don't have a problem with the brake lights of vehicles in front of me, and the incidence of drivers actually applying their handbrakes to extinguish them is a very low number - the majority just keep the footbrake pressed down. It is the oncoming headlights that are the cause of so much discomfort to drivers, as can be observed when reading any of the motoring-based forums. The worst situation for this is when, on a 2-way carriageway, there is an oncoming queue of vehicles and the angle of approach presents the offside headlights as a continuous string of glare. By comparison, rear brake lights are a walk in the park.
0
