some Dash Lights only go on at Night, can't be seen in the day time.

I renamed the thread and moved it from its original location to the bottom of the list so I wouldn't have to hunt for it so much.

> >>>> >>>>>>..... >>>> No they didn't. They had full 24 volt systems including the >>>>alternator on all diesel Cruisers. At least all the ones sold in >>>>Canada before 2000. To operate 12 volt accessories required a buck >>>>converter. I used to produce and provide a system to adapt them to tow >>>>12 volt trailers. I was also a Toyota service manager back then. >>>. >>> >>>Maybe you can help me then. I have a 2005 Toyota Solara and it has 3 >>>"meters" above the radio that, unless sunlight is shining right on them >>>through the back window, I can't read in the daytime. >>> >>>After dark, a backlight goes on for them and they're easy to read. >>> >>>These are the clock, the trip info gizmo (MPG, DTE, MPH, and ET), and >>>the outside temperature. >>> >>>Is is this the way it was designed, or is something broken? >>> >>> >>>I've been trying to rewire things so the lights are on all the time >>>whenever the car is running. >>> >>> >>>I know this is a 2005 car and the only date you mention is 2000, but >>>does any of this ring a bell? >>> >>> >>>I have the factory wiring manual for 2005 Solaras (plus the online >>>version for 2006). It seems to refer to all three meters as the Clock >>> >>>It uses a photocell on the dashboard to turn the speedo cluster and >>>other lights (glovebox; radio, AC, and seat heater buttons, shift >>>indicator) on when it gets dark, from the Taillight relay through the >>>Panel fuse (which is separate from the Taillight fuse). The wiring >>>diagram seemed to confirm that the car was designed this way, because it >>>shows a lightbulb labeled Clock in the saem circuit in parallel with >>> >>>So I found 12v that were on whenever the engine was running, at the Seat >>>Heater switch, and removed the Panel fuse and shorted the 12volts at the >>>switch to the Panel light wire at that switch. And now all the lights >>>go on all the time, EXCEPT the three I care about. >>> >>>When this didn't work, I used a heavy dark rag to cover the photocell >>>and I can trick the headlights into going on during the day, but >>>amazingly the Clock light isn't tricked. >>> >>> >>> >>>Any ideas what I should do next? >>> >>> >>>Posted and mailed >> I was out of the dealership by then, but a simple piece of duct tape >>over the sensor will turn the head lights on constantly when the >>engine is running. That SHOULD turn on the instrument lights.

Okay, I tried that and it did turn on the headlights and taillights. BUT the ones in question** didn't go on.

Yet up until the last time I drove in the dark, two nights ago, they do go on at night. I will try tonight and see if they still go on at night, but how that could be different from covering the photocell I don't know.

FWIW there are actually two photocells but I covered both of them. When I first got the car I asked on ToyotaNation or the other one what the second one was for, and if I got an answer, I forget what it was. Each as a domed plastic cover but one is 1/4" high or more and the other much shorter. I wonder why.

**(Most of the other lights are too dim to see during the daytime, but they work fine already.)

e-mail me the schematic / wiring diagram and I'll look at it

It will take a bit of time to extract the relevant pages from my 390 page wiring diagram. I'll work on it.

Does it get dimmer when the headlights are on? It should.

One thing only does dim and that's the little dot/light on the dash that shows what gear I'm in, and I think that's fair because the other lights are powered directly from 12v. I haven't tested when the headlights go on, but instead, I removed the Panel fuse and ran a jumper from the

12v-when-engine-on to one of the locations the Panel fuse powers**, and when I touch the jumper to that, the dot on the dash goes dimmer and when I remove it it goes back to full daytime brightness. That is reliable.

Sometimes!!! when I do touch the jumper that way, the "clock" lights go on, but unreliably and rarely. It will work, then 3 minutes later, it doesn't. And this testing was done at night (they weren't on to begin with I used to think because the panel fuse was out, but later I think they went on without the panel fuse or the hot-wire. I have to do more testing tonight. Prior testing was very confusing, so I hoped you'd just know the answer already, although I suppose it's very unlikely people would complain about something like this and that your service department would try to rewire a car that was working according to the Toyota spec.

In the daytime I've never gotten them to go on.

Do you think there's any chance, once I have the current operation totally clear and written down, if I wrote to Toyota, they'd tell me why it works that way, or even how to change it? I figure they'd ignore me or tell me to go to a dealer.

Most of the lights*** are powered directly from the battery when the Taillight relay is closed, via the Panel fuse, and they don't dim, but normally they only go on at night. I guess going on is the opposite of dimming.

**From the 12v that powers the seat heater switch to the light for the seat heater switch, so the wires are only a half inch away from each other. I thought it would be such an elegant fix, except it doens't work for the "clock" lights. It does light up all the other lights below***. ***The speedo cluster, glovebox, the buttons for the radio, heater/ac, seat heater switches, and the gearshift indicator on the center console.

And there is a light in the speedometer needle that changes in some way. I think it lights up at night. It's really all very nice except for my one complaint. I would have thought lots of people would complain and by 2006 they would have changed it. I have the digital version of 2006. It's harder to read than on paper, but I checked to the extent I could and haven't found any differences related to this. Maybe that they didn't change it would mean mine is broken, not misdesigned. But I still should be able to fix it.

I'll do more testing when it gets dark, which seems to be different from having the photocells covered.

It should >DIM when the headlights are on and be brigher during the day I think.

Yes, those gear indicator dots works that way.

Is this an orange/red light? or green?

In the speedo cluster, there's a little light for each gear. Park is green. I think the others are different.

2005 Toyota Solara (similar to a Camry)