Rather surprised that the instrument cluster on our new Monte Carlo does not illuminate with the parking/side lights switched on (position 1), it only illumuinates when main beam is switched on (position 2). My Skoda dealer assures me that is correct, but I just want to check with you guys because in the handbook it says the instruments should come on with the parking lights, & I've never come across a car where that wasn't the case.

 

That is not your 'Parking Lights'.  

Parking Lights are when the car is stationary and the Ignition off and One Sidelight to the front and rear a single Rear Number Plate Bulb.

You put the indicator stalk down to the left or right.

(does the hand book have something lost in translation and on the UK Highway Code and terminology?)

 

Yes when you switch on Sidelights the Instrument Panel should illuminate,

just the same as when you turn on the Sidelights and Headlights.

Car was in with Skoda today, & they're saying the instrument panel should only illuminate with the headlights on, which I found hard to believe. They even brought out a mechanic who reckoned all VAG cars have been like this since 2008!!!! which I questioned as our 2012 Ibiza FR cluster lit up with the side lights.

My guess is it's the usual dealer thing of if it hasn't got a fault code they're completely lost. Really felt like I was being fobbed off.

 

 

This is what the Skoda Fabia III handbook says.

 

■ The instruments are also illuminated when the parking light, low or high
beam light is switched on. The brightness of the instrument illumination is set
automatically depending on the ambient lighting throughout. The complete
brightness of the instrument lighting can be set in the Infotainment » Operating
instructions Infotainment, chapter CAR - Vehicle settings.

Could some of you Fabia mkIII owners confirm whether or not your instrument cluster illuminates with the sidelights on please? N.B. our headlight switch doesn't have auto position.

Can i ask out if nosiness, do you drive with just Sidelights on?

Yep - Cluster lights do not come with sidelights -- only with headlights. 

Which makes sense - as we're not meant to be driving on sidelights.

 

One of my bugbears over here - the amount of cars that drive in fog or twilight, on sidelights - and those sidelights, on many cars, tend to be 3 degrees to the left-hand side of useless. 

Often - the chrome on the grille is brighter than the sidelights !  No joke.

 

Anyone notice the amount of current model Fiestas going around at nightime with just DRLs on - no tail-lights illuminated. My guess is the instrument cluster is illuminated (any body know for certain?) and driver assumes the full lights are on. I've seen two of these in the last week. Flashing and horn bips didn't invoke any "illuminating" response !!

As stupid as it is, the UK Highway Code and the Traffic Acts still tell you about lighting up between sunset and sunrise and covers driving in Towns with Street lights and Speeds limits (30 mph / 48km) and using Sidelights.

(and you see Muppets still that drive in Towns in the Dark with just Sidelights as well as those after lighting time and poor visibility with DRL's to the front only.) New Clios among the Worst Dazzlers after a MK2 Fabia vRS's DRLS, 

& even when they are reduced lit Sidelights.)

 

The EU and Construction and Use often just does not tie in with UK Highway Code & Traffic Acts.

Like Lights must work in Pairs other than Indicators, High Level Brake lights and the Single Rear Fog Light in the UK.

Yet there are Cornering Fog Lights, and DRL's that extinguish as you turn, even Fog Lights that come on and shine to the Front Automatically as you select Reverse even though a driver might be coming towards you.

(Annoyingly to some a driver can sit facing you to let you through roadworks / traffic lights or the likes at night time, and as you near them turn the steering wheel in preparation to move and not only are they sitting with Sidelights and Dipped Beam, 1 single Fog light comes onto the Drivers Side shining right at you, which is no big deal except maybe were people Upgrade Fog Light Bulbs.)

 

Sidelights are an odd one on Modern Cars, like why do the still have them,

and why do cars have sidelights that are on with headlights but not able to be seen because they are in beside the Dipped / Full Beam?

http://gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

Can i ask out if nosiness, do you drive with just Sidelights on?

Maybe at dusk or on a dull rainy day, but never after dark.

 

First car I've had with DRL's so it's new to me & I've just never come across a car before with an instrument cluster that doesn't light up with side lights. If the Skoda mechanic had explained that it's so you dont drive around DRL's after dark I wouldn't of questioned it further as obviously that makes sense..

I take on board what you & Dithane mention above about people driving around at night on DRL's. Just the other night I was behind a new Pug with no lights on & when I pulled up next to him to tell him I noticed his dash was all lit up, so he was obviously unaware he was on his DRL's.

Thanks guys I am enlightened.

Still a bit mystified as to why the car had 25 more miles on the clock than when I dropped it off this morning!!! All it was in for was the instrument cluster thing????

Edited 17 September, 201510 yr by pauldazzle

 

Still a bit mystified as to why the car had 25 more miles on the clock than when I dropped it off this morning!!! All it was in for was the instrument cluster thing????

 

Is it 12.5 miles to the shop to get the Hob-Nobs for the coffee break ??

Ask them straight why there was 25 miles extra on your car and tell them to forward you as a gesture the money for running an errand in your car.

 

Hire rate and fuel, so £25 should do it.

Sidelights are an odd one on Modern Cars, like why do the still have them,

and why do cars have sidelights that are on with headlights but not able to be seen because they are in beside the Dipped / Full Beam?

http://gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/lighting-requirements-113-to-116

 

Yep, Isn't it that they were "Marker" lights from an era when the headlights were more inboard, and the marker lights were on the wings to mark the outer extremities of the car ?

 

Like the marker lights on the front corners of caravans and wide trailers??

 

This is the piece in the "Rules of the Road" in Ireland  :

 

Use dipped headlights:

 

• just after the beginning (dusk) and before the end (dawn) of lighting-

  up hours,

• as long as they are needed to let you see clearly,

• when stopped in traffic,

• when meeting other traffic,

• in built-up areas where there is good street lighting,

• on continuously lit roads outside built-up areas,

• when following behind another vehicle,

• where there is dense fog, falling snow or heavy rain,

• when daylight is fading, and

• generally to avoid inconveniencing other traffic.

• It is good practice to use dipped headlights or dim/dip lights, where fitted, instead of only sidelights in built-up areas where there is good street lighting.

•  

 

 

I like Marker Lights and they make sense, and Orange / Yellow to the outer most point, and along the side of vehicles.

 

This short of time of year into winter,

Clio Long DRLS set as a pair about 12" apart near the middle on the front and where as the sun sets and a car comes up a street towards you must be the most noticeable of all Modern Cars with DRL's.

(many would say good the car is seen, but then it is not Daytime / Daylight any more and school kids etc crossing roads can be missed as these lights dazzle just as the Highway Code says not to.)

 

I have never understood switching Sidelights on and not going all the way to Headlights.

& i wonder every time i see someone on sidelights only if it will be the next MOT before they are aware 

only one to the front works so they have one daft wee light showing to the front because a bulb has gone.

Ask them straight why there was 25 miles extra on your car and tell them to forward you as a gesture the money for running an errand in your car.

 

Hire rate and fuel, so £25 should do it.

Don't worry I'll be on the blower to them tomorrow.

Wondered why the trip had been zeroed & the fuel gauge had gone down a segment, then when i drove off I noticed the mileage had gone up from 668 to 693!

I always thought that in a proper pea-souper you were supposed to flick down from dipbeam to sidelights with front fogs.... Having needed to drive at some weird and wonderfull times of the night and in very very thick fog i have done this myself a few times as when the dipbeam is on you are just dazzled.....

 

So i assume if i ever bought a Fabia III and had to drive at night in very thick fog i'd be unable to see how fast i was driving as my dash would be in darkness!!!!

 

 

Great idea!!!

 

Also not sure about the all VAG cars since 2008 thing...... The dash on my Superb is actually lit whenever the ignition is on.... It just dims slightly when the headlights are on.

I'm guessing it must be for DRL equipped cars as our 2012 FR didn't have DRL's & the dash lit up in the sidelight position.

Maybe..... As i say the Superb Dash is lit up at all times as soon as the ignition is switched on..... It also has DRLs.

Rather surprised that the instrument cluster on our new Monte Carlo does not illuminate with the parking/side lights switched on (position 1), it only illumuinates when main beam is switched on (position 2). My Skoda dealer assures me that is correct, but I just want to check with you guys because in the handbook it says the instruments should come on with the parking lights, & I've never come across a car where that wasn't the case.

hi, i own a white F3 Monte Carlo too, sometimes when the weather is cloudy, i can see there is backlight on my instrument cluster, but if i pass through a tunnel, ( position 0 to position 2 then position 0 ) sometimes the instrument cluster don't want illuminate by itself . i dont know how to set-up or modify this behavior :/ .i can ensure you you dont have to put the main beam on, to get the backlight under the needles ... i will investigate on this on mine .

Edited 20 September, 201510 yr by al3x360

On our car in daylight the dash is illuminated when on position 0 or 1, but in darkness or poor light it goes off & only comes on with position 2 selected. Seems absolutely hairbrained to me. Skoda obviously think there is a need to light the instrument cluster when there is enough ambient light for the dash to be seen, but not when it there isn't.

Edited 21 September, 201510 yr by pauldazzle

My needles on the clocks are lit when the switch is at 0 but as soon as the lights are switched to sidelights or full headlights everything else lights up including all switches etc, there's certainly nothing that goes off when the lights are on!!

On our car in daylight the dash is illuminated when on position 0 or 1, but in darkness or poor light it goes off & only comes on with position 2 selected. Seems absolutely hairbrained to me. Skoda obviously think there is a need to light the instrument cluster when there is enough ambient light for the dash to be seen, but not when it there isn't.

Hmmm that is very odd. Paul, have you tried checking what setting you have the 'Instrument Lighting' at on the Bolero settings under 'Lighting'? If you've got them on the dimmest setting maybe that's why it seems so... Dim?

I agree with Gazbull17: Ignition on, the needles on the dials are cunningly lit. No other instrument lighting is on,

But turn on the sidelights or the headlights and the running lights go off and the instrument cluster and all other controls and buttons are backlit.

My car is an SE Estate like Gazbull17 which I received in April this year.

One small point of interest is that I was surprised that the car was equipped with running lights because they were not mentioned anywhere in the brochure or internet advertising at that time.

You can adjust the instrument back lighting with the infotainment, like Dilz says, that might be worth a try.

This may be nothing to do with it but I think that in the olden days, if you left the parking (side lights) on and turned off the ignition, the dash lights went off.

I agree with Gazbull17: Ignition on, the needles on the dials are cunningly lit. No other instrument lighting is on,

But turn on the sidelights or the headlights and the running lights go off and the instrument cluster and all other controls and buttons are backlit.

My car is an SE Estate like Gazbull17 which I received in April this year.

One small point of interest is that I was surprised that the car was equipped with running lights because they were not mentioned anywhere in the brochure or internet advertising at that time.

You can adjust the instrument back lighting with the infotainment, like Dilz says, that might be worth a try.

This may be nothing to do with it but I think that in the olden days, if you left the parking (side lights) on and turned off the ignition, the dash lights went off.

 

 

All new cars now have to have running lights.... They can be disabled by the owner or dealer but they have to have them from new.

 

New cars that are of an older design don't have to have them though i believe.

All new cars now have to have running lights.... They can be disabled by the owner or dealer but they have to have them from new.

New cars that are of an older design don't have to have them though i believe.

Yep it's the law now. Daytime running lights are a must on all new cars.

Hmmm that is very odd. Paul, have you tried checking what setting you have the 'Instrument Lighting' at on the Bolero settings under 'Lighting'? If you've got them on the dimmest setting maybe that's why it seems so... Dim?

It's not dim. The cluster is backlit in all positions in daylight, but will only light up in twilight or darkness when on dipped/main beam (pos 2). I can totally understand why the cluster doesn't light up when on DRL's in poor light as obviously the rear lights aren't on, but I don't get why Skoda think that should be the case with sidelights on too. BTW I don't drive on sidelights in poor light.

What's really peaved me off was Capitol Skoda's technician claiming that all VAG cars post 2008 are the same as I know that isn't the case. Our 2012 Ibiza FR (px'd for the Fabia & sitting on Capitol's forecourt) & our neighbours 2013 A3 S-line both light up the instrument cluster when on sidelights regardless of ambient light conditions.

Well - we're not going to agree on this one !!!!

 

Having observed other cars, in oncoming traffic, over the years, I am quite clear about it - that on a lot of cars, the sidelights are hopeless. Have a look. It's sometimes even the case that you see the car (and its chrome-work) before even realising that they have the sidelights switched on.

Which means - they needn't have bothered even turning the light switch.

 

I believe they should be renamed - parking lights. As parking lights - marking the car on a dark road, for instance, then the instrument lights are not needed - and maybe even a nuisance. Which is what happens with the "euro" parking light - one side's sidelight illuminated by the indicator stalk with ignition off.

Were they called parking lights one time, anyway?

 

At lighting up time - when driving - for me - it's a case of: straight onto dipped beam headlights. Two clicks on the switch. End of. (which is what my auto-lights do now anyway)

 

Ciaooooo!