General Blinding full beam indicator on dash! How to dull?

[Jamie KC]

Slightly dramatic title, but this is how my wife reported it to me!

Twas only a couple of weeks or so ago that I drove our Panda in the dark dark for the first time, and when I flicked up the full beams I marvelled at how bright the blue full beam indicator on the speedo was.

A week later my wife arrives home, after driving it in the dark dark for the first time, and declares that she won’t be using full beam as she was “blinded” by the dashboard light, and would rather leave them off…

This may have been compounded further by the upgraded LED interior light bulbs I have fitted that “caught her in a spotlight” when she opened the car door to get out

So, how easy is it to get into the clocks to add a filter over the full beam indicator on the dash please?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I have the same issue I simply stuck a small bit of black electrical tape onto the clear ‘glass’ of the speedo so that most of the symbol was hidden. Enough remains to be able to see the warning light is on (and it passed the MOT like this) but the bulk is hidden.

 

[Panda IIs]

I have the same issue I simply stuck a small bit of black electrical tape onto the clear ‘glass’ of the speedo so that most of the symbol was hidden. Enough remains to be able to see the warning light is in (and passed the MOT like this) but the bulk is hidden.

Similar solution; search "transparent {insert colour of choice} sticky tape" or some window tint film?? I have some blue transparent tape that I think was used for composite vacuum bagging. Effectively sunglasses for the symbol

 

[varesecrazy]

Indeed.. Bright enough to be seen in Mediterranean sunshine : Way too bright at night

I had my mk1 fiesta dash out and put a square of masking tape over the blue lens.. Looked neat, as unseen

Roll on 25 years the 169 panda had a square sponge.. for demisting.. I would put it in the binnacle at night

312 very similar

I too would like access to mask the innards.
(Strangely the panda seems worst..)
Punto is at top of dash so rim of wheel masks it..
Not sure about the 500.. But not as Bright is likely

In the pandas.. I found I SEE More on dip beam,
than with 2 forward and 1 rear facing lights on high beam

 

[The Panda Nut]

My Mrs used to work in a boo sellers, and They used to use tinted sellphane tabs. This is one of its two Achilles heels. This at night, and awful reflections in the screen in the day. You wonder how they could not have noticed while doing all that development test mile.

 

[Jamie KC]

My Mrs used to work in a boo sellers, and They used to use tinted sellphane tabs. This is one of its two Achilles heels. This at night, and awful reflections in the screen in the day. You wonder how they could not have noticed while doing all that development test mile.

Clearly they only did testing during the daytime on middling days, when the sun was up, but not bright enough to cause those horrific reflections.

The dash glare on the screen is another issue I’ve got to tackle. It’s pretty shocking! Dash mat perhaps, but gotta be something that doesn’t hold moisture. There doesn’t appear to be anything tailored for the Panda that I can find.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Clearly they only did testing during the daytime on middling days, when the sun was up, but not bright enough to cause those horrific reflections.

The dash glare on the screen is another issue I’ve got to tackle. It’s pretty shocking! Dash mat perhaps, but gotta be something that doesn’t hold moisture. There doesn’t appear to be anything tailored for the Panda that I can find.

Yes Im looking but why on earth did they do it, its actually dangerous on occasion.

 

[Jamie KC]

Yes Im looking but why on earth did they do it, its actually dangerous on occasion.

Spent the commute pondering making my own basic cover, alcantara seems easy enough to work with, could be made to tuck in at the front and velcro at the back.

But realised may not be possible due to passenger airbag. I assume it pops out the top of the dash when deployed?

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I just have a big bit of black felt (the soft cotton material) laid on the drivers side, cut to fit around half the demist vent and held by a small bit tucked into the phone holder. Didn’t need to do passenger side. And yes, the airbag comes out of the top of the dash. Mines made worse by being a heated screen, which in certain light adds to the glare.

 

[tomdee]

I don't find any issue with blue indicator of high beam, but the P A N D A lettering being reflexed all over the screen is quite anoying. My solution is to wear polarized sunglasses during the days more prone to those reflexes.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I don't find any issue with blue indicator of high beam, but the P A N D A lettering being reflexed all over the screen is quite anoying. My solution is to wear polarized sunglasses during the days more prone to those reflexes.

Yup - that’s the best solution of all

 

[The Panda Nut]

Yup - that’s the best solution of all

Have you noticed what this does to the view of the radio display!

 

[varesecrazy]

Yup - that’s the best solution of all

I might try those at night...

 

[tomdee]

Have you noticed what this does to the view of the radio display!

In my case it does almost nothing (radio is prior Uconnect), but smartphone on dash must be on portrait mode only. Never the less, the cloudy skies are allways more beautiful

 

[Jamie KC]

Sorted this today. Various parts of dash to come out before could remove clocks, but as today was a “wire pulling to HU day” it seemed the best time to tackle it.

Radio out, and the two bolts for the plates that secure the radio catches. Also steering wheel upper cowling. Then gently pull the radio surround from the radio aperture. It unclips easily here, and most of the way across the clocks, until you reach the final clip on the upper right corner of the surround. Once you reach this pull for all your worth. It’ll feel like it’s gonna break, but with both sets of fingers as far into that corner as poss, pulling straight out as opposed to at an angle, it’ll eventually release! Release plug from back of hazards/switches assembly.

Once all the panels are out of the way unscrew the clocks, wiggle them out (with steering wheel adjuster slammed to the bottom), get hand behind and release harness. Remove cowling from central LCD display, then 6 black tabs need gently levering to pop the clock cover from the rear unit.

Then I took a bit of limo tint, folded it so it was eight layers thick, peeled the dial back and taped it between the full beam cutout and the LED.

The end result was perhaps a little too attenuated!

But the wife will be happier, and use the main beam now.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Good to know it *can* be reached. But, for now I’m happy with my bit of tape stuck over the outer ‘glass’ of the speedo

 

[Jamie KC]

Decided that I may as well benefit from the dulling too, but as we are rather different heights an internal measure was called for, other wise it would have been a large bit of tape!

 

[Panda IIs]

Sorted this today. Various parts of dash to come out before could remove clocks, but as today was a “wire pulling to HU day” it seemed the best time to tackle it.

Radio out, and the two bolts for the plates that secure the radio catches. Also steering wheel upper cowling. Then gently pull the radio surround from the radio aperture. It unclips easily here, and most of the way across the clocks, until you reach the final clip on the upper right corner of the surround. Once you reach this pull for all your worth. It’ll feel like it’s gonna break, but with both sets of fingers as far into that corner as poss, pulling straight out as opposed to at an angle, it’ll eventually release! Release plug from back of hazards/switches assembly.

View attachment 432536

View attachment 432539

Once all the panels are out of the way unscrew the clocks, wiggle them out (with steering wheel adjuster slammed to the bottom), get hand behind and release harness. Remove cowling from central LCD display, then 6 black tabs need gently levering to pop the clock cover from the rear unit.

View attachment 432538

Then I took a bit of limo tint, folded it so it was eight layers thick, peeled the dial back and taped it between the full beam cutout and the LED.

View attachment 432540

The end result was perhaps a little too attenuated!

View attachment 432544

But the wife will be happier, and use the main beam now.

Great insight of getting at the clocks - thanks!

 

[The Panda Nut]

As we seem to have a panel light bulb gone This may be on the cards while fixing that.