Just picked up my White GT yesterday. On the way home noticed that the dash speedo and tach do not seem to iliminate unless the headlights are on. Is this normal as they are kind of hard to see on an overcast day. It started to rain and I put the headlights on and the dash lit up great and you can adjust the brightness etc. so is there a way of having dash ilumination without headlights?

Just picked up my White GT yesterday. On the way home noticed that the dash speedo and tach do not seem to iliminate unless the headlights are on. Is this normal as they are kind of hard to see on an overcast day. It started to rain and I put the headlights on and the dash lit up great and you can adjust the brightness etc. so is there a way of having dash ilumination without headlights?

Uh, not to state the obvious, but, how many cars have you owned where the dash lights up without the headlights? I have never had a car where the instruments illuminated without headlights.

mac

it isnt so much the fact that the gauges dont illuminate without the headlights being on, but rather the gauges seem to sit back so far in the dash that they are really dark during certain times of the day (i notice it every morning around 7:30 am.)

My last three cars had the Optitron gauges which are completely blank when you get in the car but as soon as you put the key in the dash lights up

I think now it is as mentioned by Cashed, on the GT8 the gauges are well recessed so in certain light situations they can be hard to see

My last three cars had the Optitron gauges which are completely blank when you get in the car but as soon as you put the key in the dash lights up
I think now it is as mentioned by Cashed, on the GT8 the gauges are well recessed so in certain light situations they can be hard to see

Well, with electroluminescent guages, that is a given. I was strickly speaking of standard analog clusters.

mac

Many cars (not sure about GM) light up during the day for current production models.

This is part of the reason people drive around without their lights on at night IMO, as the think the headlights are on as the dash is lit.

Some that I can name, Lexus, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo, etc, not all are electroluminescent, many are LED backlit

BTW, the headlights will turn on automatically a few seconds after you turn the wipers on.

Thanks that's good to know Speeder

It may be common knowledge, I'm new so I don't know, but I just got my GT today and the salesman showed me something cool with the dash lights.
If you press both the "-" and the "+" at the same time, the dash blacks out completely, except for the speedometer and the center.
It's pretty wild to do at night b/c it feels like you have the lights off outside, too.
FFR...
kc

Many cars (not sure about GM) light up during the day for current production models.

This is part of the reason people drive around without their lights on at night IMO, as the think the headlights are on as the dash is lit.

Some that I can name, Lexus, BMW, Acura, Honda, Volvo, etc, not all are electroluminescent, many are LED backlit


A+++

i tend not to use the auto headlight function... i don't like DRL's, and prefer to simply have the parking lamps and fogs lit during the day...

so i never turn my switch from the parking lights placement... i'll flip it over to auto if it's dark outside and return it to parking lamps only when i shut the car off...

this keeps the dash lights going at all times...

BTW, the headlights will turn on automatically a few seconds after you turn the wipers on.

They do? Even after you hit the auto off? Never noticed, do the fogs also come on? Or is it like a DTL, just headlamps and no fogs?

Uh, not to state the obvious, but, how many cars have you owned where the dash lights up without the headlights? I have never had a car where the instruments illuminated without headlights.

mac

My Audis have this feature. The dash lights up without the headlights when you put the key in the ON position. And this is in cars with or without DRLs.

We just got a honda Odyssey and it's my first Honda. It has the clusters lit up all the time. It's hard to get used to - that used to be my indicator that the lights are on. Good thing the wife drives the van and I get my G8!

I second that DZL.

My 08 chevy 1500 work truck guages are always lit up, it is hard to get used too when I drive it all week during the day then getting the the G8.

holly revival of an old thread, this started back in April of 08.....all started with a post about stealth mode of the dash lights.

It may be common knowledge, I'm new so I don't know, but I just got my GT today and the salesman showed me something cool with the dash lights.
If you press both the "-" and the "+" at the same time, the dash blacks out completely, except for the speedometer and the center.
It's pretty wild to do at night b/c it feels like you have the lights off outside, too.
FFR...
kc


its called the nightpanel switch...
You can thank GM's swedish division for that one.

its meant to get rid of any glare you might get in a dark stretch of road