Tonight I finally got round to playing with the brightness dial for the dial. I always have it set at max as that it what I have always done. Yes I've had the car for a while, but it never really crept into my current thoughts until tonight to give it a shot. From what I have read in the owners manual, what I would like to have done probably isn't possible but maybe someone has done a mod that wasn't overly time consuming and expensive. It's just an idea but thought I would throw it out there.

The first picture is the brightness of the dash where the little switch to adjust the brightness is clicked into position (i.e. permanently on brightness). Notice how the NAV unit is quite bright at night.



This second picture is with the switch just before it goes into the permanently bright "mode". Notice how the NAV unit at night time looks oh so much better.



Can you see where I am going with this? Is it possible to have the NAV unit as per the "night mode" but with the dials / gauges in full bright mode? Check the picture for what I mean.



It's probable that this can't be done, but thought I would ask just in case someone has done this mod on their RX. Incidentally mine is a 2003 RX330 (Australia) - which would be a 2004 RX330 in the US.

 

I have had a few of the second generation RX's....I believe that setting the dial to full brightness at night also disables the glove box lamp...at least it does on my 2009!

dentate
Oshawa, ON
Canada

 

if you want the night mode for your nav, you have to live with the dimmer dash board lights....

 

The final-click setting is for what some cars call "parade mode". The intent is to allow you to crank up the dashboard to full bright while you are driving during the day with lights on (e.g. overriding the lights-are-on-so-it-must-be-night dimming). Using it at night likely compromises your night vision a bit.

 

I have open up the gauges yet, this should be leds and you can always use high output led
and give it a try. I had my friend put high power super white led on my Scion before and it's heck of bright.