Dim clock and climate control lights

Anyone else find that the clock and climate control lights are sometimes too dim while driving during the day. I would say that 50% of the time these lights are too dim. It’s like the ambient light sensor thinks it’s nighttime and switches these lights to “night mode”. The rest of my interior light like my instrument cluster are set properly and adjust automatically for day/night driving.


I have adjusted the light brightness all the way up just before the adjuster wheel “clicks” into the always full bright setting (day or night).


My vehicle light are in the Auto position, 2021 4R.


As far as I know there are no other way for us to adjust these lights right?


Reading through the owners manual there seems to be a way for the dealership to adjust the ambient light sensor in section 8-2 “customization” p.551 titled “meters” (in my book).


The way I read it you can adjust the light sensor dimming sensitivity from -2 to +2 and/or the brightening sensitivity from -2 to +2. The factory setting for both are set to “standard” (I’m guessing this means 0). So I was going to get my dealership to adjust the brightening sensitivity from the factory setting of 0 to +1 or +2.


Before I go and do this I want to make sure there is nothing I’m missing.


Thanks

 

Just want to double check if your 2021 have an automatic sensor to adjust the instrument lights?

My 2018 TRD Offroad does not have a automatic light sensor. So if I turn my headlights on during daytime the headunit and instrument cluster thinks its night time. I had to install an aftermarket light sensor.

If you have an "Auto" position in light stock you are most likely to have this sensor on the dash to adjust the lights and run the headlights or not depending on the outside light.

Also hope nothing is blocking / got unplugged that light sensor on dash for it to go nuts going into night mode in daylight.

Here's my video and not sure if you are talking about the same thing?
https://youtu.be/ozlauIjifeo

 

You can adjust that yourself with the Carista phone app and an OBD2 dongle.
https://caristaapp.com/

 

My 2019 ORP does not have an auto position on the headlights switch. I did install a sensor on top of the dash that I purchased from Toyota. If I have the headlight switch in the parking light (with DRLs on) position, it dims the clock. During the day, I can't tell if the climate control is lit up anyway, and I could care less about the clock - it is always wrong anyway.

 

Ya I think I got the automatic light sensor on mine from the factory (see pic below).




The head unit is functioning properly. It switches into night mode when it dark out and daytime mode when its light out regardless of the vehicle headlight being on or off.


These are the problem lights (see pic below).

 

If you turn headlights on during the day, can’t you just spin the brightness adjustment knob all the way up until it clicks and have full brightness without needing the sensor?

 

This is what my headlight switch looks like (see pic below). I almost always have it in the Auto position.

 

Correct. You can dial it all the way up to where you feel a lock kinda feel on that switch for daytime mode all the time.

 

Yes, that’s what I do.

 

Although you have something that looks like the Light Sensor, if your T4R is anything like my 2021 SR5 Premium - all you have is a dummy plug and not the real sensor. (To check, simply pry the part up gently from the dash and disconnect it. Look inside and see if there's an actual sensor attached.) I too was frustrated with dim dash lighting and infotainment screen whenever I turned my headlights on during the day. I live in New York State and by law here, one has to turn your headlights on any time you're using your windshield wipers. Every time I did that, I could hardly see anything on the screen.

The fix - for me at least - was to buy and install Toyota Part Number 89121-0E060 in place of the dummy plug. The part is not cheap, but the fix is true plug and play. No more dim screen and dash lights when my lights are on!

 

Weird, i turn mine down.

 

Lots of people get the aftermarket one on eBay for like $15. They say it works.

 

That's what I thought, and I bought the Amazon version (which has a different Part Number) for under $20. Unfortunately, it didn't work due to the fact that it had a different connector on it. And, since I'm a stickler for OEM parts, I decided to bite the bullet.

 

That doesn’t change the light for the clock and climate controls though.

there are times when I want to turn my parking lights or low beams on when it’s raining/overcast so I can be seen better by other motorists, but the p clock and climate controls are way too dim unless it’s dark out. The wheel dial you’re talking about only affects the instrument cluster

 

Thanks for all the info. I'm still trouble shooting this. Ill report back when I get this sorted.

 

I believe I have the OEM light sensor from the factory in my 4R off-road premium.


Before you read further I need to define how I differentiate between day-time mode and night-time mode.

Day-time mode = Audio/Navigation system display has a white background

Night-time mode = Audio/Navigation system display has a black background

I know there are other lights that auto adjust between the modes but this is an easy way to tell what mode the vehicle is in.


Full disclosure: I did not take out the light sensor and inspect it as you had mentioned.

What I did instead was I put a piece of clothing over the light sensor (to block out any light) and the system switched over to night-time mode. If there was no light sensor installed nothing should have happened when I covered the sensor.

Secondly, when I’m driving during the day and turn on my headlights the audio/navigation system display stays in day-time mode vs going into night-time mode like it does if you do not have the light sensor installed.

 

From what I found the only difference between having the brightness turned full bright (all the way up right before the detent) vs turning the wheel past the detent (to the stop) is that you are forcing the vehicle interior lighting system to stay in day-time mode all the time (if you turn the wheel past the detent to the stop). It has no effect on interior lighting auto adjustment within each mode (where my problem is).



The issue that I am having rests solely in the day-time mode part of the system.



From what I have figured out, when the system is in this day-time mode the interior light still self adjusts to account for varying ambient lighting condition between bright and “a dimmer setting”. This auto switching from bright to this dimmer setting (within daytime mode) is happening too soon. For example, if I’m driving through a shaded area (during the day) the system switches to this dimmer setting within day-time mode. No different then if I were to turn on my headlights during the day, the system will stay in daytime mode but dim the interior lights. This auto switching is happening too soon and I wish the system waited until it was a little darker outside before switching to this dimmer daytime mode setting.

 

I would agree. Sounds like you have the sensor.

 

The Carista app (and an OBD2 interface dongle) gives you some control over the dimming and undimming levels. At least it does for pre-2020 models.

 

Pull the sensor?

 

Do your headlights turn on or stay off when this happens? Because when the headlights turn on, everything inside gets dimmer (even if the touchscreen stays in daylight mode)
If they turn on, you can change in the settings how sensitive the headlights are to turn on when it gets darker. So if they don't turn on when there's shade, your interior lighting should not dim either.

With carista, I believe you can also change the instrument lights dimming sensitivity but I don't know if that's just for the instrument cluster or the clock/climate control also.

From what I understand, the clock/climate control dimmer is synced with headlights on/off. The instrument cluster is synced with the infotainment touchscreen which can be changed with the dial on the left of the steering wheel

 

The head unit has its own adjustability outside of the other parameters, so it wouldnt factor into what youve got going on. DRL or headlights on during the day will affect those for certain.

 

I can confirm @Honz 's description of the different modes based on my own experiences. Radio + clock + climate control adjust based on the light sensor independently of whether the headlights come on (at least in auto mode). Saw it multiple times on the recent road trip - clock, climate control, radio would dim while the sun was still up but low in the sky and there was a noticeable time separation before the headlights turned on.

 

I think you might be onto something here! Maybe it has nothing to do with the actual light sensor sensitivity itself (like I was previously thinking) but rather the sensitivity of the automatic headlight turning on and off forcing the clock/climate control lights to dim.

I am not 100% sure if my headlights are on or off when the clock/climate control lights dim (touchscreen still in day-time mode). I’ll try and check next time this happens and safe to do so.

If my headlights do turn on you mentioned this can be changed in the settings. Can you elaborate how this can be done?

Is this what you are referring to “Automatic light control system”?

 

yes I think so. Try putting it on the lowest settings (-2) and see if it helps?


Menu (physical button) then:
Set up, vehicle, vehicle customization, light settings, headlight auto on sensitivity

 

I also get frustrated with the dash lights. I tried a replacement auto light sensor off Amazon, no difference (maybe even darker) on my 19 SR5 premium. part #89121-50020 maybe got a bad one. Turned headlights on and tried covering up the sensor and had no change on the dash lights unlike the video on u-tube and yes I had the dimmer switch on but below the lock.

 

A few years ago a survey was done of 4Runners by trim and model year. The light sensors do not work in all models. Not all have the necessary wiring.
According to the table below the sensor doesn’t work in the 2019 SR5P. Some folks made a wiring harness change to get it to work.

 

Thanx for the info, will just live with it, will have adjust the lights manually, day and night. Small price to pay for an otherwise great truck. Don't trust my wiring skills enough to mess with it.

Why would they bother with putting a wired light sensor on the dash and not wire it into the system? Also I've wondered why the fellows on u-tube that replaced their sensors seemed to have fairly new vehicles and why the sensors quit working so soon. I assumed they (like me) bought theirs used and that they never worked properly.

 

I have a 2018 SR5 Premium , no auto switch for my lights . If I put in the sensor on my dash will it help the dimness also on the display ?

 

I can't say for sure on your year. And even if it did, I believe yours takes a different part number / sensor than mine. I believe @ElectroBoy has a spreadsheet with what years and models take which sensors.