[FnoFFen]

The instrument panel changes automatically dependent of the ambient light. E.g. the display for milage, outside temperature and clock change from white to orange when it gets darker. With darker times, especially up here in north, the color is orange more often now.

I don't like the orange color of the small numbers. It is harder to see. I can get it brighter by increasing the overall light in the instrument panel, but I find that the light for speedometer and rpm-meter gets too intense then.

Is there a way to adjust at what level of ambient light the lighting in the intrument panel switches from white to orange? I would prefere the orange light only when it is pitch dark outside.

[AP]

it can be coded, seen on forums ,not something I've done personally though

[AP]

try this. If I can post a URL

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=696777

This assumes you are happy with coding / e-sys

[wrickem]

I've been around BMWs and BMW forums for a long time, and I always thought the "switch" in dash colors happened when the headlights turned on! Man, there's still so much for me to learn.

[martin mustang]

The change is down to how dark out side hence linked to the what lights are on, when I 1st got the car I thought it was down to when putting the gear on sport mode, I guess I was wrong but love the bright white one shame BMW does not offer the option like Ford with the Mustang a choice of up to 7 colors all available to the driver.

[drnat]

It is when the autoheadlights come on - eg going through tunnels etc. Mine seems much slower to react than my previous BM or the M5 that I was borrowing. Less of an issue in seeing the spedo if have HUD (though the colour of that also changes) but is really irritating - I turn the lights to 'manual' and then auto again when lighter as takes ages to respond.

Have you tried using modern for ambient lighting - this may help but will probably to be too dim too?

[FnoFFen]

Coding! Seems like nothing I would be doing. "Make my own cable"

No no - that's not for me.

Hope I can get my dealer to do it.

[JamRWS6]

Originally Posted by martin mustang

The change is down to how dark out side hence linked to the what lights are on, when I 1st got the car I thought it was down to when putting the gear on sport mode, I guess I was wrong but love the bright white one shame BMW does not offer the option like Ford with the Mustang a choice of up to 7 colors all available to the driver.

I hope that they would never offer such a ridiculous 'option'.

[martin mustang]

Originally Posted by JamRWS6

I hope that they would never offer such a ridiculous 'option'.

I am not sure if you ever experienced other colours, I find the Blue one in VW's fare more nicer.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by martin mustang

I am not sure if you ever experienced other colours, I find the Blue one in VW's fare more nicer.

i don't think that reply was necessarily because you were wrong, it was that you mentioned ford and bmw in the same sentence. lol sometimes that causes one to lash out regardless of the logic presented.

anyway, the real reason you're incorrect (no offense) is because bmw has put thought into the color and has selected one that is less intrusive at night. it's also the color used for some airplane cockpit instruments. bmw made airplane engines quite some time ago so i'll give this one to them.

finally, some ppl equate changing colors inside or outside of the car to being a ricer. that's open to opinion though so i will leave that alone.

hope that helps

[steve-p]

Originally Posted by drnat

It is when the autoheadlights come on

Actually it's not, because as the light starts to fade at the end of the day, the headlights tend to come before the gauges change to orange. They are both using the ambient light sensor, but they do not seem to be linked, so must have their own activation point.

I had a slightly different issue the other day when driving home in bright sunlight. Everything was entirely normal until the whole instrument panel just went blank, the only things left being the physical rings and needles, just like when it's switched off. If it hadn't been for the HUD, which was still working, I wouldn't have known what speed I was doing. The next day it was working fine again, so hopefully it was a one off glitch and not the sign of an impending fault.

[v12]

Originally Posted by FnoFFen

Coding! Seems like nothing I would be doing. "Make my own cable"

No no - that's not for me.

Hope I can get my dealer to do it.

I can help.