Turning on instrument lights with headlights

r0w3r

Guest
Anyone know if it is possible to switch off the instrument lights in a Mk1 Leon and only have them turn on with the headlights (as on most cars) please?

Does anyone know what Seat's thinking is with the instrument lights being permanently on when the ignition is on? Baffles me.

Must have an affect on fuel economy surely?:confused:
 

Leon.SJ

Naturally aspirated...
Oct 16, 2006
150
0
South Bucks.
Does that dial link the instrument lights to the headlights then? I thought it only dimmed the instruments, regardless of whether the headlights were on or not :shrug: I quite like that they're lit up all the time, but each to his own I guess!
Not sure if its possible to turn them off, but I would doubt it would have any significant effect on fuel economy, its only LEDs which are lit up and the current they draw must be minimal. Turning down the climate control would probably have a bigger effect!
 

RikH

Texas Cowboy
Oct 17, 2005
2,474
0
Yorkshire
it just dims the instrument and centre console lights
might work in daytime so you think they arent on but will be difficult to see what your doing at night when you cant see your speed properly

you'd forever be tampering with the dial

short answer, no you cant change it really-its one of those things
 

UncleFester

Grumpier by the day!
Apr 30, 2006
4,764
1
Milton Keynes
www.facebook.com
The only problem i have with lights that do that is when people leave motorway service areas, they assume because a: their dash lights are on and b: they can see where they're going that c: they must have their headlights on. I would have them all linked to photoelectric cells :)
 

lil3520

IBIZA 1.9 TDI SPORT 08
Nov 26, 2006
3,001
21
ALCESTER, WARWICKSHIRE
might dashboard lights only come on if the interior gets dark during the day, ie if i drive through a tunnel, or trees.apart from that my lights are not on during the day. works on a sensor.
 

Icecavern

Active Member
Jun 12, 2001
6,212
2
Berkshire, UK
www.icecavern.com
Anyone know if it is possible to switch off the instrument lights in a Mk1 Leon and only have them turn on with the headlights (as on most cars) please?

Does anyone know what Seat's thinking is with the instrument lights being permanently on when the ignition is on? Baffles me.

Must have an affect on fuel economy surely?:confused:

Why not have them on all the time?

As for the fuel econemy... You are joking right? I mean a few LED's is hardly using up much power.

might dashboard lights only come on if the interior gets dark during the day, ie if i drive through a tunnel, or trees.apart from that my lights are not on during the day. works on a sensor.

:doh:
 

RobM

Back from the dead...
Sep 27, 2006
4,982
3
Southampton
might dashboard lights only come on if the interior gets dark during the day, ie if i drive through a tunnel, or trees.apart from that my lights are not on during the day. works on a sensor.

Brilliant :lol:

Just have a think about this... are you sure, 100% sure, that it's not just a case of during the day the lights can't be seen as it's too bright in the car? Just like shining a torch on a sunny day. Think about it... ;)
 

dj_hektik

LEON 20VT FR
The dimmer switch is connected to all instrument cluster lights.

It would be easy to test which wire goes live when switching on the headlights, and you can connect a relay from that to the dimmer switch.

I did that with my Alpine HU but I can't remember which wire it was - basically the HU dims itself using the ILL cable (from the dimmer) but as the Leon dash lights are always on, i needed to connect it so the HU dims when the headlights are actually on ... if im making any sense
 

Icecavern

Active Member
Jun 12, 2001
6,212
2
Berkshire, UK
www.icecavern.com
It would probably be a simple rewire job to make the illumination to work with the lights. But I can't see the advantage other than maybe to remind you to switch on your headlights, but that's not such a difficult thing to remember.
 

Fidge

SEAT Enthusiast!
Sep 9, 2004
480
0
Southampton UK
Yeah, I've had the odd "oops, you tit" moment with that. The Leon is so similar to my old Golf, I sometimes forget I've changed cars, in the Golf the dash lights only come on when the headlights are on. :doh:

Thats why you have a green light that comes on on the dash display when your lights are on so theres no excuse! :headhurt:
 

jonnie5

Seat Leon FR+
Mar 14, 2007
342
0
Rosyth
I cant see how people can get comfused at night because of the dash lights being on all the time. It has a GREEN LIGHT in the middle of the dashboard to tell the driver that the lights are on. Anyone that cannot notice that the light is on isn't paying enough attension:p :lol:
 

jonnie5

Seat Leon FR+
Mar 14, 2007
342
0
Rosyth
Anyone who doesn't notice that the light isn't on, has probably only ever driven cars which didn't have a light :)

That's a lie, my old 106 had one, and maybe my really old Panda, but that was 6 years ago :) You're right though, I should have been paying more attention, I'll consider myself chastised!

:whistle: :) :) :)
 

satilaboy

Full Member
Jan 13, 2006
375
0
i used to forget to put my lights on all the time for the first month of having the LC because of the dash being lit.
 
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