I haven't taken delivery of my new Prius yet but I was wondering if the display is too bright or distracting when you are driving at night? Thanks in advance.
There is a night mode that works quite well as long as the dash brightness reostat isn't turned up all the way.
I don't know if it's universal but mine has adjustment for brightness and contrast, 4 background colour choices and 3 brightness levels on a dash switch. If you dim it with the switch it automatically goes full bright when you turn off the head lights.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(patsparks @ Sep 18 2007, 09:48 PM) [snapback]514661[/snapback]</div> Yours is a button with 3 stage brightness settings. Ours is a rotary switch. Rolling it one way dims it until the speedo disappears (i.e. turns off), roll it the other way until it clicks sets it to daytime brightness (even if the lights are on).
I've always wished the speedo would go a little dimmer before disappearing. Also the reflection of the high-beam indicator reflecting off the windshield almost negates the advantages of having high-beams on, has anyone else noticed this?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(OutOfHere @ Sep 18 2007, 10:48 PM) [snapback]514646[/snapback]</div> Not distracting, but I wish I could dim it a wee bit more. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(benighted @ Sep 19 2007, 12:05 AM) [snapback]514671[/snapback]</div> Yes, on both accounts.
You set the dash light brightness twice, once when it's daylight, and once when it's dark and you have the headlamps on. The car remembers these settings. I'm not sure if the American cars work the same, because here in Canada we have automatic headlamps, but as it slowly gets darker at dusk, first the headlamps come on, then later, the dash lights dim as it gets darker out. I find I can dim the MFD as much as I need to at night. You can control it separately from the dash lights, but it is a relative control as it still dims with the dash lights. Rather nice, actually. I just wish my Scangauge would dim automatically.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Sep 19 2007, 10:55 AM) [snapback]514792[/snapback]</div> I drive with my headlights on at all times. I just leave the switch in the on position and never touch it. I would like it if the car could sense when it is bright out and turn the MFD and dash lights up to high, and then to low when it's dark, but it's not really a problem to use the little dial to turn them up and down when it's day or night. I've turned the MFD off at night quite a few times when I feel it's a distraction.
In my '06, I've found the rheostat for the dash lights works very well, and seems to control the MFD the same. What bugs the hell out of me is that the arrows for the turn signals do NOT dim at all under any circumstances. I also do leave my headlights on at all times. This works fine unless it happens that the passenger door is the only one opened after the power button is his (this can happen if, for example, you turn on the car without pressing the brake pedal, then turn it off and leave the car without opening the driver's door).
