# Dash board LED screen dims occasionally?



## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

I've started to notice an unusual thing on my 2002 325i dash. Very rarely, maybe once a week I look down to the odometer area (orange LED type display) and even though the lights are on, that odometer area is only dimly lit. If I watch it, it suddenly goes bright again (normal brightness).

Has anyone else experienced this? Any solutions?


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## OBS3SSION (Oct 1, 2002)

Yes, and I sometimes wonder if Twilight (my car) is playing with my mind because I only see it dim in my peripheral vision.


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## Magna (Jan 4, 2002)

i noticed that once in my old car 2000 323i


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## Freaky_Monkey (Mar 7, 2003)

Mine's been doing that too. My dealer thinks it's the active alternator, when it senses different power requirements and is playing catch-up with the current power-drain required to run the car and accessories.


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## Cliff330i (Feb 18, 2002)

I get that as well, though infrequently. I don't know what it is. One time I swear I heard some "shorting out" type of sound but there seems to be nothing wrong with my cars electrical system.


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## Mathew (Feb 8, 2002)

It's normal.

Something about the car trying to balance the electrical system.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

See if you can make it happen. Get a little flashlight and shine it over the light sensor by the light switch and see if you can't get the same thing to happen.


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## Ferg (Feb 12, 2004)

Also....and I don't know if this applies to your situation....but if you're wearing sunglasses that are polarized (as I do), the polarization can blank out the digital parts of the guage cluster at certain angles. I thought my radio had died one day while I was sitting at a red light. I was leaning to the right, with my elbow on the center console, and once I straightened up, the digital display popped right back into view as if someone hit a switch. Didn't take too long to figure out it was the polarized glasses that were the culprit, due to the angle of my head when I was looking at the radio. 

I notice this a lot during the late afternoon/early morning when I have my sunglasses on. As I look to the left and right -- like when pulling into an intersection -- I sometimes get a glimpse, peripherally, of the digital guages fading in and out.


Ferg


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## Magna (Jan 4, 2002)

Mathew said:


> It's normal.
> 
> Something about the car trying to balance the electrical system.


Oh that's good to know! it happened to my old car and since i was trading it in, i didn't really concern myself, but knowing it's normal is good news!!!


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## Soupcan325i (Sep 17, 2003)

I thought I caught my car winking at me but haven't been able to prove it yet...


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## Desertnate (Mar 11, 2002)

doeboy said:


> See if you can make it happen. Get a little flashlight and shine it over the light sensor by the light switch and see if you can't get the same thing to happen.


When my car was new it was funy to go through forested areas that offered contrast. The LED's would brighten in the bright sunlight and then dim when I went into a period of shade or clouds, only for it to catch itself and then have to brighten the display again. Since I believe it is on a timer it won't change immediatly, and those type of conditions really get it out of synch.

These days I think that little sensor is just tired. It rarely changes the contrast unless I turn the headlights on. When the contrast does change, it appears to do it at random.


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## Bavarian (Jun 15, 2002)

Ferg said:


> Also....and I don't know if this applies to your situation....but if you're wearing sunglasses that are polarized (as I do), the polarization can blank out the digital parts of the guage cluster at certain angles. I thought my radio had died one day while I was sitting at a red light. I was leaning to the right, with my elbow on the center console, and once I straightened up, the digital display popped right back into view as if someone hit a switch. Didn't take too long to figure out it was the polarized glasses that were the culprit, due to the angle of my head when I was looking at the radio.
> 
> I notice this a lot during the late afternoon/early morning when I have my sunglasses on. As I look to the left and right -- like when pulling into an intersection -- I sometimes get a glimpse, peripherally, of the digital guages fading in and out.
> 
> Ferg


LOL how true! Also it still seems unusual to me how when you look at any window of a car, it seems to have those "light blotches", eh?

As for the dimming, I have noticed this happening in my car a few times as well. But my old A6 did that, too - so it's not something that's specific to your car or mine, or the E46 even!


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## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

*[phew]*

Well I am glad to hear so many others have noticed this.

I thought I was going crazy. I'm going to play with a flashlight and the light sensor to see if that affects it.


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## Blax (Apr 8, 2004)

*Good way to show this*

So I tried with a flashlight which did not produce the effect so well. Best way to get the dash lights to dim is turn the lights on during daylight hours, and put your finger on the light sensor in the middle of the light switch cluster. Hold it there and the lights will dim. Take it off and the lights will get brighter again.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

Blax said:


> So I tried with a flashlight which did not produce the effect so well. Best way to get the dash lights to dim is turn the lights on during daylight hours, and put your finger on the light sensor in the middle of the light switch cluster. Hold it there and the lights will dim. Take it off and the lights will get brighter again.


That's normal. (I think... :eeps: )


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## pony_trekker (May 26, 2003)

*It's an AUTO DIM FEATURE!*



Blax said:


> I've started to notice an unusual thing on my 2002 325i dash. Very rarely, maybe once a week I look down to the odometer area (orange LED type display) and even though the lights are on, that odometer area is only dimly lit. If I watch it, it suddenly goes bright again (normal brightness).
> 
> Has anyone else experienced this? Any solutions?


There's a little white dot near the light control that senses the driver's light conditions. If the light is brighter, the LEDs get brighter; if the light gets darker, the LEDs get darker. Put your finger on the dot and see what happens.


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## Desertnate (Mar 11, 2002)

doeboy said:


> That's normal. (I think... :eeps: )


I believe it is...if you just flash a light at the sensor it won't adjust immediatly. From what I have observed the lighting has to change and stay that way for a short period of time. If it didn't could you imagine that little device trying to keep up as you drove along a tree of building lined street with lots of shadows? It would go nuts.


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Soupcan325i said:


> I thought I caught my car winking at me but haven't been able to prove it yet...


My car slapped my @ss.  As soon as I get it on film, I'm going to file a CAL...


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## karrickk (May 5, 2003)

*radio and AC display too*

I had this happen to me twice already. First I notice the Odometer area dim, then I look over and see the radio display is dimmed as well. 2 secs later, everything reverts to normal.

During these occurances, my low-beams are on via automatic light detection.

Anyone have a definite cause/solution?

Thanks.


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## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

When my radio in my 318ti starting doing that the dealer replaced the entire HU because the display was going bad. Apparently the display is not dealer serviceable. I really hope that is not the issue with all of your cars.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

Well, looks like this is another feature BMW is going to take away because the owners are clueless...


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## karrickk (May 5, 2003)

Kaz said:


> Well, looks like this is another feature BMW is going to take away because the owners are clueless...


Well I dunno why they'd want to keep a feature that dims ur lights for <2 secs anyway...

**NEW FEATURE - Your BMW will now "blink" it's interior lights when it detects low interior ambient light!!


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

karrickk said:


> Well I dunno why they'd want to keep a feature that dims ur lights for <2 secs anyway...
> 
> **NEW FEATURE - Your BMW will now "blink" it's interior lights when it detects low interior ambient light!!


I think you may be misunderstanding the whole point behind that feature a little.

It is so that the brightness of the dash illumination adjusts based on ambient light levels... for example... if you're driving through a dark tunnel... you don't need the dash lights blaring at you so it dims.... when you exit the tunnel and reach daylight... it increases the level again so you can still read the displays in the daylight. The car is adjusting dash illumination for you so you don't have to muck with it. Kind of a neat feature I've always thought.... If you drive under an object that casts a shadow long enough, it could happen to be dim for a long enough time where it would dim for < 2 secs... at which point you've emerged from said shadow and it brightens up again.... :dunno:


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## karrickk (May 5, 2003)

I've driven in tunnels at which point the low-beams automatically come on, but I see no difference in dash brightness (I have mine set to full brightness via the knob next to the headlight switch).

Also, the 2 occurances of the dim dash light where during the day on the open road. The dimming is very significant, to the point where the lettering is barely visible.

So I'm pretty sure this isn't due to the said feature...



doeboy said:


> I think you may be misunderstanding the whole point behind that feature a little.
> 
> It is so that the brightness of the dash illumination adjusts based on ambient light levels... for example... if you're driving through a dark tunnel... you don't need the dash lights blaring at you so it dims.... when you exit the tunnel and reach daylight... it increases the level again so you can still read the displays in the daylight. The car is adjusting dash illumination for you so you don't have to muck with it. Kind of a neat feature I've always thought.... If you drive under an object that casts a shadow long enough, it could happen to be dim for a long enough time where it would dim for < 2 secs... at which point you've emerged from said shadow and it brightens up again.... :dunno:


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## Jspeed (Dec 23, 2001)

Yes, I've noticed erratic radio display dimming a few times. I'm well aware of the auto-dimming feature of the displays but this is a real issue as it happens when there is ample ambient lighting.


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## RSPDiver (Jul 14, 2004)

I recently read (possibly in these forums) that the alternator runs in cycles. It was a discussion about underdrive pulleys. I noticed this the other day, with my stereo up and my lights on, running at lower RPMs. I depressed the clutch and reved lightly, and it brightened up. Then, a couple of seconds later it dimmed. I accelerated, and after a couple of seconds it brightened up again, staying that way for a while. It wasn't annoying (maybe mildly distracting), but it seems to be caused from the dash display (and stereo display) lighting running on a lower priority power "grid". Nothing to be alarmed about, I would guess, but keep an eye on it in case it's seriously dimming.


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## kevlmx (Sep 16, 2003)

*Re:*

I've had the same problem. I too thought I was losing my mind. I brought it to the dealer and they ended up replacing the actually switch assembly for the headlights. It's been months since the repair and so far I have not noticed any dimming.


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

Ferg said:


> Also....and I don't know if this applies to your situation....but if you're wearing sunglasses that are polarized (as I do), the polarization can blank out the digital parts of the guage cluster at certain angles. I thought my radio had died one day while I was sitting at a red light. I was leaning to the right, with my elbow on the center console, and once I straightened up, the digital display popped right back into view as if someone hit a switch. Didn't take too long to figure out it was the polarized glasses that were the culprit, due to the angle of my head when I was looking at the radio.
> 
> I notice this a lot during the late afternoon/early morning when I have my sunglasses on. As I look to the left and right -- like when pulling into an intersection -- I sometimes get a glimpse, peripherally, of the digital guages fading in and out.
> 
> Ferg


Polarized sunglasses do it. LED works based on polarized light. If you tilt your head with ploarized glasses on, the screen will go blank.

Steve


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

NH-SHICKS said:


> Polarized sunglasses do it. LED works based on polarized light. If you tilt your head with ploarized glasses on, the screen will go blank.
> 
> Steve


I think the latest software updates fixed that.


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

Blax said:


> So I tried with a flashlight which did not produce the effect so well. Best way to get the dash lights to dim is turn the lights on during daylight hours, and put your finger on the light sensor in the middle of the light switch cluster. Hold it there and the lights will dim. Take it off and the lights will get brighter again.


I don't think that is a sensor. It is an LED. I believe your vehicle miliage is stored in the light switch as well for fault tolerance. It is some sort of indicator if you miliage has been tampered with.

I could be all wrong, but I did read that somewhere.

Steve


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## NH-SHICKS (Nov 3, 2003)

swchang said:


> I think the latest software updates fixed that.


I don't think this is a software issue. It is just how polarized glasses and LCD's reflect light.

Steve


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## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

NH-SHICKS said:


> I don't think this is a software issue. It is just how polarized glasses and LCD's reflect light.
> 
> Steve





www.x5world.net/navfaq.htm said:


> Benefits owners have seen from Version 22:
> 
> The brightness is much better, and you can see the NAV display with polarized sunglasses.
> The white lines mapping your route to a destination disappear immediately when you turn off guidance.
> The white lines mapping your route to a destination disappear after you reach your destination.


I have polarized glasses (Maui Jims) and can see mine.


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## doeboy (Sep 20, 2002)

NH-SHICKS said:


> I don't think that is a sensor. It is an LED. I believe your vehicle miliage is stored in the light switch as well for fault tolerance. It is some sort of indicator if you miliage has been tampered with.
> 
> I could be all wrong, but I did read that somewhere.
> 
> Steve


If your car has auto headlights you may have an LED on the left of the rotating switch. The clear looking dot to the right of the switch is a light sensor.

One of the places mileage is stored is in the Light Control Module, but the tamper indicator is a dot that will appear in your OBC display if it has been activated.


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