dashboard instruments dimming on their own

Hi everyone, my first post

Tonight whilst driving with headlights on, the dash display (speed dial, rev counter, computer display) dimmed for a few seconds before returning to full brightness on 3 occasions. I have had the car just under a week now and not noticed this before. Is this a feature of some sort I'm not aware of?

Along those lines when I got back, I tried manually adjusting interior with the dimmer that is below and to the right of the steering wheel and whilst I saw the hazzard warning button etc dim I didn't see the dash instruments dim this way. Again is that the way it is supposed to happen?

The only other thing I did see tonight that I hadn't before was the amber coloured snowflake appear in the computer display as the temp tonight dropped to 4deg C up here. I kind of wondered if the dimming/brightening console was somehow connected to that....like a 'hey, did you know it was cold outside'.

Thanks for any advice.

Here is how to remove driver console

Hi, sorry I must have used the wrong terminology. By drivers console I meant the two dials and digital screen in front of the driver. It's that area that is dimming on its own. The dashboard

(03-04-2012 08:13pm)tintin_57 Wrote:  Hi everyone, my first post

Tonight whilst driving with headlights on, the dash display (speed dial, rev counter, computer display) dimmed for a few seconds before returning to full brightness on 3 occasions. I have had the car just under a week now and not noticed this before. Is this a feature of some sort I'm not aware of?

Along those lines when I got back, I tried manually adjusting interior with the dimmer that is below and to the right of the steering wheel and whilst I saw the hazzard warning button etc dim I didn't see the dash instruments dim this way. Again is that the way it is supposed to happen?

The only other thing I did see tonight that I hadn't before was the amber coloured snowflake appear in the computer display as the temp tonight dropped to 4deg C up here. I kind of wondered if the dimming/brightening console was somehow connected to that....like a 'hey, did you know it was cold outside'.

Thanks for any advice.

My interior display lights (both on the instruments and the centre console), at least sometimes, appear to vary with the ambient light (maybe they always do, and I don't always notice), but, when doing so, it is a steady process. My dimmer dims all the lights and works fine. I have seen the frost warning symbol and it didn't have any effect on the display lighting. Hope that helps!

Thanks. Could be the ambient lights I guess then as it was pretty much dusk when the issue came up. My dimming switch def doesn't have any effect on the instruments tho. Will check it out with the dealer tomorrow

(03-04-2012 09:34pm)tintin_57 Wrote:  Thanks. Could be the ambient lights I guess then as it was pretty much dusk when the issue came up. My dimming switch def doesn't have any effect on the instruments tho. Will check it out with the dealer tomorrow

Maybe yours are a bit too sensitive (insufficiently 'damped') such that they cycle a bit when on the cusp of changing over, and that's why they go on and off. Given the dimmer switch problem, it certainly warrants looking into.

I've noticed this too with lights on at dusk or in trees.

My BMW 325i used to do that too..freaked me out until i realised it was responding to ambient light and adjusting automatically to maintain maximum legibility, there was a tiny sensor next to a switch on the dash from memory and if i accidentally covered it the dash would dim...maybe thats whats happening

Just remembered a thread I started on this when I first noticed it!

http://babyrr.com/forum/Thread-Paradise-...oard-light

Thanks for all these replies. I'll give it another test tonight. I may have only tested the dimmer switch when parked when I got back with the running lights on only. Can't remember. A quick test with headlights on tonight as suggested in the other thread by PhilSkill will be in order.

One of those things, brand new car less than a week old and every issue seems a major one on the face of it.