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some Dash Lights only go on at Night, can't be seen in the day time.
I renamed the thread and moved it from its original location to the
bottom of the list so I wouldn't have to hunt for it so much. >On Tue, 11 May 2021 22:35:56 -0400, Clare Snyder > >wrote: > >>On Tue, 11 May 2021 16:42:39 -0400, micky > >>wrote: >> >>>In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 09 May 2021 00:32:57 -0400, Clare Snyder > wrote: >>>..... >>>> No they didn't. They had full 24 volt systems including the >>>>alternator on all diesel Cruisers. At least all the ones sold in >>>>Canada before 2000. To operate 12 volt accessories required a buck >>>>converter. I used to produce and provide a system to adapt them to tow >>>>12 volt trailers. I was also a Toyota service manager back then. >>>. >>> >>>Maybe you can help me then. I have a 2005 Toyota Solara and it has 3 >>>"meters" above the radio that, unless sunlight is shining right on them >>>through the back window, I can't read in the daytime. >>> >>>After dark, a backlight goes on for them and they're easy to read. >>> >>>These are the clock, the trip info gizmo (MPG, DTE, MPH, and ET), and >>>the outside temperature. >>> >>>Is is this the way it was designed, or is something broken? >>> >>> >>>I've been trying to rewire things so the lights are on all the time >>>whenever the car is running. >>> >>> >>>I know this is a 2005 car and the only date you mention is 2000, but >>>does any of this ring a bell? >>> >>> >>>I have the factory wiring manual for 2005 Solaras (plus the online >>>version for 2006). It seems to refer to all three meters as the Clock >>> >>>It uses a photocell on the dashboard to turn the speedo cluster and >>>other lights (glovebox; radio, AC, and seat heater buttons, shift >>>indicator) on when it gets dark, from the Taillight relay through the >>>Panel fuse (which is separate from the Taillight fuse). The wiring >>>diagram seemed to confirm that the car was designed this way, because it >>>shows a lightbulb labeled Clock in the saem circuit in parallel with >>> >>>So I found 12v that were on whenever the engine was running, at the Seat >>>Heater switch, and removed the Panel fuse and shorted the 12volts at the >>>switch to the Panel light wire at that switch. And now all the lights >>>go on all the time, EXCEPT the three I care about. >>> >>>When this didn't work, I used a heavy dark rag to cover the photocell >>>and I can trick the headlights into going on during the day, but >>>amazingly the Clock light isn't tricked. >>> >>> >>> >>>Any ideas what I should do next? >>> >>> >>>Posted and mailed >> I was out of the dealership by then, but a simple piece of duct tape >>over the sensor will turn the head lights on constantly when the >>engine is running. That SHOULD turn on the instrument lights. Okay, I tried that and it did turn on the headlights and taillights. BUT the ones in question** didn't go on. Yet up until the last time I drove in the dark, two nights ago, they do go on at night. I will try tonight and see if they still go on at night, but how that could be different from covering the photocell I don't know. FWIW there are actually two photocells but I covered both of them. When I first got the car I asked on ToyotaNation or the other one what the second one was for, and if I got an answer, I forget what it was. Each as a domed plastic cover but one is 1/4" high or more and the other much shorter. I wonder why. **(Most of the other lights are too dim to see during the daytime, but they work fine already.) > e-mail me the schematic / wiring diagram and I'll look at it It will take a bit of time to extract the relevant pages from my 390 page wiring diagram. I'll work on it. > Does it get dimmer when the headlights are on? It should. One thing only does dim and that's the little dot/light on the dash that shows what gear I'm in, and I think that's fair because the other lights are powered directly from 12v. I haven't tested when the headlights go on, but instead, I removed the Panel fuse and ran a jumper from the 12v-when-engine-on to one of the locations the Panel fuse powers**, and when I touch the jumper to that, the dot on the dash goes dimmer and when I remove it it goes back to full daytime brightness. That is reliable. Sometimes!!! when I do touch the jumper that way, the "clock" lights go on, but unreliably and rarely. It will work, then 3 minutes later, it doesn't. And this testing was done at night (they weren't on to begin with I used to think because the panel fuse was out, but later I think they went on without the panel fuse or the hot-wire. I have to do more testing tonight. Prior testing was very confusing, so I hoped you'd just know the answer already, although I suppose it's very unlikely people would complain about something like this and that your service department would try to rewire a car that was working according to the Toyota spec. In the daytime I've never gotten them to go on. Do you think there's any chance, once I have the current operation totally clear and written down, if I wrote to Toyota, they'd tell me why it works that way, or even how to change it? I figure they'd ignore me or tell me to go to a dealer. Most of the lights*** are powered directly from the battery when the Taillight relay is closed, via the Panel fuse, and they don't dim, but normally they only go on at night. I guess going on is the opposite of dimming. **From the 12v that powers the seat heater switch to the light for the seat heater switch, so the wires are only a half inch away from each other. I thought it would be such an elegant fix, except it doens't work for the "clock" lights. It does light up all the other lights below***. ***The speedo cluster, glovebox, the buttons for the radio, heater/ac, seat heater switches, and the gearshift indicator on the center console. And there is a light in the speedometer needle that changes in some way. I think it lights up at night. It's really all very nice except for my one complaint. I would have thought lots of people would complain and by 2006 they would have changed it. I have the digital version of 2006. It's harder to read than on paper, but I checked to the extent I could and haven't found any differences related to this. Maybe that they didn't change it would mean mine is broken, not misdesigned. But I still should be able to fix it. I'll do more testing when it gets dark, which seems to be different from having the photocells covered. >It should >DIM when the headlights are on and be brigher during the day I think. Yes, those gear indicator dots works that way. >Is this an orange/red light? or green? In the speedo cluster, there's a little light for each gear. Park is green. I think the others are different. 2005 Toyota Solara (similar to a Camry) |
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