[Nahoa]

Is there any illumination of the main dials/gauges when the headlights are off? Mine seem awfully dark when driving through the shadows of dense trees (but not dark enough to activate the headlights).

Just noticed this now; don't know why. Is it the way it is, or has something stopped working on my car? I seem to remember watching the dash flip from illuminated white to red when going in and out of darker places, but don't recall what the deal was. Perhaps that was only with the headlights on?

[Dr Stig 2]

I have the same issue with the Z4.
Love to know if there is a solution.

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by Nahoa

Is there any illumination of the main dials/gauges when the headlights are off? Mine seem awfully dark when driving through the shadows of dense trees (but not dark enough to activate the headlights).

Just noticed this now; don't know why. Is it the way it is, or has something stopped working on my car? I seem to remember watching the dash flip from illuminated white to red when going in and out of darker places, but don't recall what the deal was. Perhaps that was only with the headlights on?

If the headlight switch is in the center "12:00 o'clock" position everything except the daytime running lights is off (and always stays off). If you have the switch set to the auto position at "11:00 o'clock", and the car goes through a dark enough area, the headlights and dash illumination will activate. If you were seeing the dials turn red, then your headlights should also have been turning on.

Manual says:

Automatic headlamp control
Switch position : the low beams are switched
on and off automatically, e.g., in tunnels, in twilight
or if there is precipitation. The indicator
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.

A blue sky with the sun low on the horizon can
cause the lights to be switched on.
The low beams always stay on when the fog
lamps are switched on.

Personal responsibility
The automatic headlamp control cannot
serve as a substitute for your personal judgment
in determining when the lamps should be
switched on in response to ambient lighting
conditions.For example, the sensors are unable to detect
fog or hazy weather. To avoid safety risks, you
should always switch on the lamps manually under
these conditions.

Mine are pretty sensitive. In moderate rain or if it's very cloudy, the lights will usually turn on.

[Nahoa]

But the dials have zero illumination when the headlights are off?

[Want the thrill]

I have mine set to the auto position and the dials are white and easy to see. They then turn to red when the headlights come on as you mentioned Nahoa.

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by Nahoa

But the dials have zero illumination when the headlights are off?

Correct. The dials use a bright white paint and the only internal lighting is via monochromatic red LED's (640 to700 nm) so the dials appear red when the dash lighting is on. There is no "white" lighting other than the direct or scattered ambient light available in the cockpit.

If you switch your headlights on while the car is in bright sunlight, the dials will still appear to be white. The red LEDs are in fact on, but the ambient light is so much brighter that you don't notice the red illumination. Obviously, when no significant amount of wide spectrum (white) light is available, then the dials appear to be red.

That may be what you were observing when driving through shadows. The lack of ambient light let you see the red lighting, which probably had been on all the time anyway.

You can test this by switching on the lights when it's dark and then shining a small, white LED flashlight on the dial faces. The red light will disappear.

[Dr Stig 2]

Dont know if it is the same for the X3 (I'll find out in October) but when I switch to manual on for the lights my dynamic headlights in the Z4 dont function - they just point straight ahead.

ie you only get dynamic headlights when you use the auto switch on the headlight dial.

This is supposed to be the override so that you can drive without the dynamic headlights if you want to.
(I think it should be an iDrive option like they use for the Auto High Beam function)

Is it the same on the X3?

[Nahoa]

Cool deal. Thanks much for the additional details!!

[pastahhman]

ok.. I think I must be on the same crazy train.. I would swear that the gauges are illuminated white during daylight and turn red when dark, or dusk... I remember when I test drove the car that this was a clear feature.. no one seems to be able to tell me for sure.. even the dealer... Ive have a 2011 X3 3.5...
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