@ EddyH and TomvRS:

Must admit I didn't think to adjust the brightness, but I know from eyetests that my eyes have focussing issues with black/blue anyway.

My last car had amber-on-black, which wasn't so bad but I can't comment on red-on-black. I do like the green-on-black of my Skoda though - I find it very easy on the eye! I think quite a lot of manufacturers use green for illumination, and I gather it's something to do with green being the easiest colour for the human eye to see which means that the dials don't have to be lit as brightly to be seen clearly. That could all be guff, though!

Sorry for writing on an old thread (was homeworking on the Sport model!) but people commenting about the green/blue lighting thing on vw/skoda and how it'd be interesting if they'd been the other way round may or may not know that the first THREE golf models ALL had green interior lighting (my recently sold Mk2 G60 had full blue LED lighting though which i'd done myself and did look VERY swish!), and I think it was the mk4 where they switched to blue. Not sure if this was to do with the fact that i think VAG had recently bought Skoda and green was always associated with Skoda if iirc?

Someone mentioned about brand recognition being the reason they colour coded the lighting for different makes, but if that's the case I don't know why they give red to both Audi and Seat then, both of which are classed in what I would say are the 'main four' of the VAG group.

Strange!

They probably ran out of colors when they bought Seat. Wonder what Lambo's have.

I prefer the green on my Octi to the blue of the Mk4 Golf before it. Much easier to read, and easier on the eyes. Just wish it had white needles, tho.

A bit of arsing around getting the cluster out (don't know, haven't even got mine yet, let alone starting horsing around with it!), but I would have thought it would be relatively simple to change it to white if you're any good with a soldering iron? Shoot, it might only be a green film over the top of the lens meaning it doesn't even NEED resoldering!

@ EddyH and TomvRS:

Must admit I didn't think to adjust the brightness, but I know from eyetests that my eyes have focussing issues with black/blue anyway.

I've got a similar problem - helps with me working in theatre and the abundance of blue lights back stage....

In my old Lupo I turned the dials right down and it seemed ok

Shoot, it might only be a green film over the top of the lens meaning it doesn't even NEED resoldering!

I guess I don't want white needles hard enough to take apart half of the dash, the soldering iron is not a problem.

I guess I don't want white needles hard enough to take apart half of the dash, the soldering iron is not a problem.

Yeah, you see I come from the world of modded Mk2 golfs where almost everything is a snip to get to and get off so I'm anticipating that nowadays it'd be a nightmare to do the equivalent but i'm hoping it isn't! Once Haynes bring out a manual and I can see how difficult it is to get it out, I may reconsider it cos white needles look pretty good in my minds eye as well!

Like the blue dials in my dads passat but i hate i the red maxidot/highline display, much prefer my whitey bluey skoda maxidot

I think they should use the same system as the Ford Mustang and let you choose what colour combination you want yourself with a switch.

I prefer the green backlighting.

Images found from german site...

Someone have been busy with soldering... Thats over 100 leds....

Looks like a bag of bl00dy liquorice allsorts to me - ridiculous!

Someone mentioned about brand recognition being the reason they colour coded the lighting for different makes, but if that's the case I don't know why they give red to both Audi and Seat then, both of which are classed in what I would say are the 'main four' of the VAG group.

Strange!

SEAT is orangy red where as Audi is a cherry red.

i drive a vw at work and hate the red maxidot, much prefer the green from skoda, althrough blue maxidots are a novelty.

not that you can see much of the dash lights here but i prefer the green too, much more relaxing on the eyes.

Sworrall, what's with the blue nav display? The buttons are Skoda green, but the "wallpaper"/colour scheme is blue?

My old Passat...

People used to comment on how lush it looked at night, but the blue is more tiring than green at night.

When driving at night I mostly miss the Saab 'black panel' button, that turns all light except speed off (even the rpm). Much more relaxing when nothing is bothering you on the displays.

Edit: But I am really happy that the display in Octy is green background:)

Don't know what Seat Auroan is looking at but my wife's '04 Leon display is blood red just like an Audi!

Can't agree with you there!

Noooooooo; The Skoda's 'green' instrument lighting is perfect and restful.

The Golf's blue make the car feel like some ... erm .... it's too late and I can't think straight ... but anyway I don't like the Golf's blue dash!!

The green reminds me of an era gone by - Austin Rover Metro's and the like

I like....you gotta have some balls to do that to your dash tho!

wonder if it was all rattly afterwards from disturbing everything

They will meet the Governments 'Green' policies cos they are green

I didn't think I would like the green coming from an Audi, Seat previously but i actually think it is the better colour. The Seat was almost difficult to focus on at night and the blue VW has the same effect for me.

Audi's Red and white though looks very classy though.

I can appreciate the chap who has changed all his. I did my motorbike a couple of years ago and it looks fab compared to the orangy standard. The surface mount LEDs are tiny and you can fry them in a split second! It's still do-able though

Have Skoda not changed to white on the last Superbs? Or did I dream that?

Don't know what Seat Auroan is looking at but my wife's '04 Leon display is blood red just like an Audi!

Can't agree with you there!

An 03 plate Seat Toldeo PD150 that I almost bought before I got a PD150 Bora Sport, the clock backgrounds and radio are an orangey red, nothing like the Audi red.

Now if the images attached don't show orange rather than cherry red then I'm colour blind.

Edited 22 July, 200817 yr by auroan

This is a picture of a new Seat Leon, which is exactly the same shade as SWMBO's '04 Leon... don't look too orangey to me. Of course, if you're comparing this to an old model then it probably does look that lighter shade, doesn't it grandad. Blimey, my Mk2 golf dash was green but it was absolutely duff compared to brighter modern technology and the wonder of LEDS!

The dials you're showing Auroan look like the 80/90's styling from an Audi 80! They look as if they'd light up very dim, just like my Mk2.