Hello all. Picked up a brand new Skoda Octavia TDI SE MK3 estate last week and I'm over the moon with it. I do however have an issue with the instrument/dash lighting fading in and out and want to know if it's a 'feature' or a fault.

 

I noticed it immediately this morning when I pulled out of my drive as I could barely read the instruments and the radio display looked dark (more noticeable because it's a horrible wet dull morning). I normally have the lights set to off with the running lights on, there are no auto lights in the SE. I have previously gone through the set-up menu and altered the brightness settings of the dash and radio. 5 minutes into my journey the instrument lights faded into life and up to full brightness then a few minutes later faded away to nothing again. It was the same story for the rest of my journey, and I did restart the car once.

 

When I flick the lights to on the dash lights up as it should and stays on but I'm pretty sure even in the off postion they are lit up? what's with the fading in and out?

 

Any advice appreciated. Thanks

 

 

 

 

The brighness automatically adjusts dependant on on ambient light, there's a light sensor in the speedo.  Once you've set it to what you prefer it will try to keep that brightness relative to ambient light.

 

The needles are always lit and the backlighting will come on automatically again dependant on ambient light, even with the headlights off.

Ah, ok, thanks. Just seemed a bit odd this morning given the dull weather that the dash spent most of time in darkness. It really couldn't make its mind up whether it should be lit up or not! any way to turn this feature off? 

Ah, ok, thanks. Just seemed a bit odd this morning given the dull weather that the dash spent most of time in darkness. It really couldn't make its mind up whether it should be lit up or not! any way to turn this feature off? 

 

No but if its set correctly then you should have any trouble.

It's a prompt to switch headlights on, instruments dim as it gets dark.

On a dull morning could be dimming on and off.

It's a prompt to switch headlights on, instruments dim as it gets dark.

On a dull morning could be dimming on and off.

Funny you should say that. I did think at one point 'is this the car telling me to turn the lights on?'

Edited 22 April, 201412 yr by Dan25730

It's a prompt to switch headlights on, instruments dim as it gets dark.

On a dull morning could be dimming on and off.

Not so sure about that, I have Auto lights and my dash does the same with the light switch in Auto and the headlights haven't been triggered.

 

I'm going with Neil's explanation - it is the limitation of an ambient light sensor shaded by the instrument cluster.

No but if its set correctly then you should have any trouble.

 

I too am puzzled by the way this brightness control works - on a dull day, when it does not seem dark enough to justify lights on, the instrument backlighting can be low or off. I know I can set the instrument/switch lighting brightness (as a percentage of max, I think) via the infotainment system. Is this the setting that is referred to here?

 

I also wonder if there is anything in the VCDS which would control this. I can't see anything in the list of tried and tested adaptations (although there are several in there that I would like to do).