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Technical Dash lighting auto dimming problem- Dealer can't find the issue!

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Technical Dash lighting auto dimming problem- Dealer can't find the issue!

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Timit82

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Hello all,

I have a 2015 Fiat 500 Sport. The auto dimming of the instrument cluster works properly during the day. If I go into a tunnel, it dims down. When I come out, it brightens back up automatically. The problem happens when it becomes night, the dash dims down. I got home, go to bed, and in the morning I get back in the car. The dash lights are STILL dimmed all the way down from the night before, even though it's fully daylight out. Every morning I have to manually brighten the dash lights.

Any one ever hear of this problem?
 
Timit82 said:
Hello all,

I have a 2015 Fiat 500 Sport. The auto dimming of the instrument cluster works properly during the day. If I go into a tunnel, it dims down. When I come out, it brightens back up automatically. The problem happens when it becomes night, the dash dims down. I got home, go to bed, and in the morning I get back in the car. The dash lights are STILL dimmed all the way down from the night before, even though it's fully daylight out. Every morning I have to manually brighten the dash lights.

Any one ever hear of this problem?
Click to expand...

Haven't noticed in my 500 but I know a lot of cars do this deliberately. By making the speedo hard to see the car is hinting you ought to be putting the headlights on.
 
Kazetec, the lights are all the way dim the next day when I turn my car on and it's sunny out. It dims down at night and doesn't brighten back up during the day. I can't read anything on the display unless I manually brighten it every morning. It auto dims down, but doesn't auto brighten back up :-/
 
And the dealership is telling me there is no auto dimming feature!! They say "I don't know what you're seeing but there is no autodimming feature for the dash lights on this vehicle". Well, yes there is!!!
 
Timit82 said:
And the dealership is telling me there is no auto dimming feature!! They say "I don't know what you're seeing but there is no autodimming feature for the dash lights on this vehicle". Well, yes there is!!!
Click to expand...

2 options..

Show them the dimming feature using one of their demo cars to prove there is an issue with yours, or (my preferred option) go to a different dealership.
 
306maxi said:
Which part of the instrumentation are you having trouble reading?
Click to expand...

The entire thing. On the 2015 models, the instrument panel is completely digital. If you zoom into the picture I attached, you'll see that the car is on and the display is extremely faint. It's dimmed all the way down from the night before and I have to manually brighten it every day.
 

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Timit82 said:
The entire thing. On the 2015 models, the instrument panel is completely digital. If you zoom into the picture I attached, you'll see that the car is on and the display is extremely faint. It's dimmed all the way down from the night before and I have to manually brighten it every day.
Click to expand...

Its because your headlights are still switched on. Its not 'auto' dimming per-say, just dims with headlights are on, and undims when they're turned off, just like any other car (y)
 
Most Easterly Pandas said:
Its because your headlights are still switched on. Its not 'auto' dimming per-say, just dims with headlights are on, and undims when they're turned off, just like any other car (y)
Click to expand...

That's not true. Happens when headlights are on or off. Have to manually brighten it either way.
 
They automatically get dimmer when you are in a dark area and automatically get brighter when you exit to a brighter area. For example, a parking garage or tunnel. This happens with the light on or off. And in the morning they are completely dim and don't get brighter without me manually brightening them. That's not normal.
 
In my experience these sort of things seldom go wrong, I rather suspect this is how it's meant to work, or you're not saving the settings possibly.
 
Do you leave the headlights turned on when you leave it for the night? Is it worth turning them off when you leave it?

Strange Fiat don't know about it. Although possibly not a surprise. :rolleyes:
 
Noxide said:
Do you leave the headlights turned on when you leave it for the night? Is it worth turning them off when you leave it?

Strange Fiat don't know about it. Although possibly not a surprise. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I've tried turning the car off at night with the headlights on, with the headlights off. I've tried turning the headlight off after I turned the car of and vise versa. I've tried every combination of headlights being on/off and car being on/off in the day and night. Still have to manually raise the brightness every morning.
 
Timit82 said:
I've tried turning the car off at night with the headlights on, with the headlights off. I've tried turning the headlight off after I turned the car of and vise versa. I've tried every combination of headlights being on/off and car being on/off in the day and night. Still have to manually raise the brightness every morning.
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cm-50190-9511cbdf4410a9.jpeg


In all seriousness, that is weird. Doesn't sound like it should/it's user error if you've played with it that much.

Can you reset it?
 
Noxide said:
In all seriousness, that is weird. Doesn't sound like it should/it's user error if you've played with it that much.

Can you reset it?
Click to expand...

The dealer tried to update the software that controls the instrument cluster. That didn't do anything.
 
Last edited:
To be honost, i never heard of this to. Is it possible that you supply me whit the VIN of your vehicle? So i can check some things?
 
Found this while searching for something similar.

I have an issue where, with the headlights ON, the red illumination of the speedo and rev-counter seems to come on and off randomly. (it's either fully on, or fully off, as far as I can tell)

I can't figure out if it's related to road bumps (making/breaking a loose connection), or light levels (an auto-dim feature).

Has anyone had anything similar?
 
Rockburner said:
Found this while searching for something similar.

I have an issue where, with the headlights ON, the red illumination of the speedo and rev-counter seems to come on and off randomly. (it's either fully on, or fully off, as far as I can tell)

I can't figure out if it's related to road bumps (making/breaking a loose connection), or light levels (an auto-dim feature).

Has anyone had anything similar?
Click to expand...

It’s the ambient light sensor.
 
Do we know the location of the ambient light sensor on the 500? Would be a good place to start I agree.
 
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