Very dim instrument panel light

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jake75
Posts: 4792
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:33 pm
Location: Columbus, OH

Very dim instrument panel light

Post by jake75 »

I just got the airbag recall done.
But now the instrument panel is so dim that I can hardly see the speedometer.
Anyone know What could that be?

Also at 9 years and almost 47,000 miles had the transmission fluid and antifreeze changed.
Since the Chevy dealer had to get the AT fluid from the Toyota dealer I also had them get the Toyota coolant.
But I doubt that this had anything to do with the instrument panel brightness.
2009 Vibe 1.8L Carbon Gray AT Power Pkg 1/12/092003 Vibe 1.8L Neptune AT Mono Power Pkg 1/27/03 [sold 2/2/09]2007 T&C SWB 7/31/07 "Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich. Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke."
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joatmon
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Location: SMC MD

Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by joatmon »

I know you know but you know I had to ask, did you check the position of the dimmer control?
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jake75
Posts: 4792
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:33 pm
Location: Columbus, OH

Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by jake75 »

My T&C Van had that control, didn’t know the ‘09 Vibe did.

Where is it?
2009 Vibe 1.8L Carbon Gray AT Power Pkg 1/12/092003 Vibe 1.8L Neptune AT Mono Power Pkg 1/27/03 [sold 2/2/09]2007 T&C SWB 7/31/07 "Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich. Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke."
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ColonelPanic
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Location: South Central Indiana

Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by ColonelPanic »

They moved the dimmer control to the trip odometer reset button in the gauge cluster for the 2nd gens. Give it a twist and see if that helps.
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey. :lol:

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'21 Elantra Limited - 2.0L/IVT
'15 Escape SE - 1.6L EcoBoost (hers)
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joatmon
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Location: SMC MD

Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by joatmon »

ColonelPanic wrote:They moved the dimmer control to the trip odometer reset button in the gauge cluster for the 2nd gens. Give it a twist and see if that helps.
I did not believe you, and thought this was a pretty funny April Fool's joke, but having never been in an 09, I looked in the 09 owners manual, and sure enough (page 5-3) that's where the dimmer control is.

anyway, if its not the dimmer setting, I don't know what they might have done to screw it up, so I'd probably take it back to the dealer and make them fix it.
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jake75
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Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2003 1:33 pm
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Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by jake75 »

If there wasi a Dummy of the Month Award, I’d be a winner! That worked. How or why it got turned down is a mystery. All’s well that ends well thanks to you, ColonelPanic.
2009 Vibe 1.8L Carbon Gray AT Power Pkg 1/12/092003 Vibe 1.8L Neptune AT Mono Power Pkg 1/27/03 [sold 2/2/09]2007 T&C SWB 7/31/07 "Broke people stay broke by living like they're rich. Rich people stay rich by living like they're broke."
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joatmon
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Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by joatmon »

CP does, in fact, rule!

I think that DotM award goes to whoever designed the car to hide the dimmer control there
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ColonelPanic
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Re: Very dim instrument panel light

Post by ColonelPanic »

joatmon wrote:
I did not believe you, and thought this was a pretty funny April Fool's joke, but having never been in an 09, I looked in the 09 owners manual, and sure enough (page 5-3) that's where the dimmer control is.
Teehee. :D

It always struck me as a goofy location. A cost savings possibly, albeit at the expense of messing with the instincts of drivers who have been reaching for dimmer controls to the left of the wheel for decades.

Glad that took care of it, jake75!
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
Auto, Moon & Tunes, power package. 143k
Neptune/dying clearcoat/primer grey. :lol:

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'21 Elantra Limited - 2.0L/IVT
'15 Escape SE - 1.6L EcoBoost (hers)
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