The car is a 2105 Octavia Mk 3. My issue is that

* In daylight, when I turn on the side lights the speedo and rev counter illuminate (as does the rectangular panel in the middle). Actually also when I turn on the ignition.

* In the evening, when I turn on the side lights the speedo and rev counter do not illuminate (but the rectangular panel in the middle does). When I turn on the headlights they do illuminate

 

In short, when I can see the speedo easily its lights come on and when I cant see it easily the lights dont come on.

 

Surely this is not what the handbook means when it says "Brightness of instrument cluster lighting is set automatically depending on the ambient lighting" especially when the rectangular panel in the middle is uniformly bright throughout

 

I've read through 

 

but am not really much the wiser as to why the lights behave like this and why it cannot be changed

 

So, please, is this behaviour by design and can it be changed?

TFAI
 

 

Reported to Mods to move to correct model section

This is designed to work this way by VW to force the driver to put le headlights on when dark and not letting him drive at night with only the side lights. 

Well maybe but . . . . .

 

If that were the case, why are the instrument lights on brightly in the day time?

Easier to force drive to put headlights on by only putting the  instrument lights on when the headlights are on.

Edited 13 June, 20178 yr by RIncewindwiz

I just leave my headlights on auto and it all seems to work together fine with the brightness of the dash waxing and waning to match the ambient light levels pretty well.

Edited 14 June, 20178 yr by Item

8 hours ago, RIncewindwiz said:

Well maybe but . . . . .

 

If that were the case, why are the instrument lights on brightly in the day time?

Easier to force drive to put headlights on by only putting the  instrument lights on when the headlights are on.

 

It is unfortunately they way they are set from the factory - there is nothing wrong with yours.

Switching the sidelights on has no effect on the instrument lighting, it has only 2 states.

 

1) lights off or side lights on = variable light output depending on ambient light level (can go from full brightness in bright sunlight to OFF in darkness)

2) headlights on = variable light output depending on ambient light level (can go from full brightness in bright sunlight to a minimum preset brightness in darkness)

 

This changed so if your car was a 2013 / 2014 and some of 2015 then side lights move to number 2

From 2015 onwards it operates as above.

 

Good news is you can change it with VCDS or similar

See this thread

 

Edited 14 June, 20178 yr by xpower

Thanks for that.  

No. 2 sounds so much more sensible especially if you can adjust minimum brightness

 

I don't have VCDS so I'll lean a little harder on my dealer (who has been adamant that this cannot be changed!)

1 hour ago, RIncewindwiz said:

Thanks for that.  

No. 2 sounds so much more sensible especially if you can adjust minimum brightness

 

I don't have VCDS so I'll lean a little harder on my dealer (who has been adamant that this cannot be changed!)

I suspect you can lean as hard as you like but they won't budge.  Dealers are not really interested in doing custom coding of things that Skoda hasn't authorised.  And for good reason.  They don't want you back at their door if it goes Pete Tong.  I believe they also don't use VCDS so in all likely hood they probably can't change it even if they wanted to.

On 13 June 2017 at 21:46, mailme said:

This is designed to work this way by VW to force the driver to put le headlights on when dark and not letting him drive at night with only the side lights. 

 

Exactly. I love this new feature that will hopefully stop idiots running around with only front sparklers when they should have proper lights on.

 

I found myself recently wondering about the full instrument dials being lit up sometimes when was running side lights on a very slightly gloomy day.

 

Just put on AUTO FFS!