Keep Instrument panel lights from dimming.

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cpt104

New member
Does anybody know how to keep the instrument panel lights from dimming when the head lights are turned on? I would like mine to stay brighter at night.

Thanks for any help.
Carl
2004 4Runner, V6, Limited Edition
116K Miles
 
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cpt104 said:
Does anybody know how to keep the instrument panel lights from dimming when the head lights are turned on? I would like mine to stay brighter at night.

Thanks for any help.
Carl
2004 4Runner, V6, Limited Edition
116K Miles
Click to expand...

Hey Carl :welcome:

I have an aftermarket radio setup and my harness does not include a dimmer wire pin, so my light don't dim when the headlights turn on on the stereo. If you want the radio to stay brighter, you can snip the dimmer wire. I believe it's an orange wire in the HU harness.

As for the gauges, have you messed with the Rheostat (dimmer) at all? If may just be that it's turned down. It's a little wheel to the left of the steering column near the AC 115 / Center Diff Lock switches,
 
Yeah, check the dimmer, if they're dimming when the headlights are coming on, do you have hid's? Could mean that your battery or alternator are on the brink or the hid's are drawing to much power
 
I don't have dashlights until I turn my headlights on. The needles might be lite but I'm positive the gauges faces aren't lite until I turn the headlights on. I wonder if that's something they changed after 2003.
 
TRDCal said:
I don't have dashlights until I turn my headlights on. The needles might be lite but I'm positive the gauges faces aren't lite until I turn the headlights on. I wonder if that's something they changed after 2003.
Click to expand...

Nope. Turn up the Dimmer? I have dashlights in my 03 limited
 
My 2006 has the guage cluster lit always, nothing I can do about that. They also dim when i turn the headlights on. It really doesn't bother me though.
 
Gauge cluster.

NJshadow93 said:
My 2006 has the guage cluster lit always, nothing I can do about that. They also dim when i turn the headlights on. It really doesn't bother me though.
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This is what I'm referring to. I should have been more specific. I would like my gauge cluster not to get dimmer when the lights are turned on. They look much better (imo) at night not dimmed. Yes I know about the dimmer wheel and it also does work when the head lights are turned off.

Thanks for all of the replies.
Carl
 
TRDCal said:
I don't have dashlights until I turn my headlights on. The needles might be lite but I'm positive the gauges faces aren't lite until I turn the headlights on. I wonder if that's something they changed after 2003.
Click to expand...


I've got an '03 Limited as well & no cluster illumination until I turn on my lights too. Didn't even know about that TSB...:noidea:
 
Been here before............... still no answer.........

TSB must be with SR5/Sport models without the Optritron gauges........ ?????

Anyway, I asked this very question a while ago.......

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/[email protected]#post568280

Looks complicated to do, but I'm sure it's doable. You would have to "trick" your gauge cluster that when your lights are turned on, they don't dim.

Here's a picture:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-g...hes-window-*steering-wheel-22.html#post920794
 
Last edited:
TRDCal said:
I don't have dashlights until I turn my headlights on. The needles might be lite but I'm positive the gauges faces aren't lite until I turn the headlights on. I wonder if that's something they changed after 2003.
Click to expand...

interesting, my 03 sport the lights only came on with the head lights, my 08 they're on on the gauge cluster all the time. Never knew there was a TSB
 
cpt104 said:
Does anybody know how to keep the instrument panel lights from dimming when the head lights are turned on? I would like mine to stay brighter at night.
Click to expand...

I wish the samr thing. Not just at night but the dash lights dim whenever the headlights are turned on even during the day. The dimmer has no bearing on this behavior.
 
TRDCal said:
Limiteds have Optitron gauges? What does that mean, sounds cool anyways.
Click to expand...

hahaha, it does sound cool. Anyway, Optitron gauges are what were typically found in Lexus cars; where you see a black screen (instruments) when the car is off and the needles and numbers/marks light up via back-lighting when the vehicle is turned on. Anyway on the 4Runner Limited model, it has (according to the sales brochure) Optitron gauges, but I think it's more of a "pseudo-optitron" b/c when the truck is off, you can see the gauges and numbers (no black screen).

In other trims (SR5/Sport), the gauges are backlit, but the needles aren't. In Limited models, the gauges (numbers, etc) are a tad different, but the needles are backlit.
 
CookieRoe said:
In other trims (SR5/Sport), the gauges are backlit, but the needles aren't. In Limited models, the gauges (numbers, etc) are a tad different, but the needles are backlit.
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I wonder if all years of the 4th gen Limited have them. Either way I do find my gauges sexy lol. I like how the needle is like a laser pointer with that little red dot on the gauge face...pretty fancy. And all this talk about making them brighter makes me want to do the TSB to my truck.
 
to refresh this thread, it doesn't work on Limited (I just tried) On other models, yes. Limited have the aforementioned "Optitron gauges" and are evidently different.
 
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