Another Pet peeve

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

I thought the instrument panel was really cool. But there is a safety problem. At dusk, not dark enough to see your own headlight light but dark enough that others can't see you w/o your headlight lit, there's no indication that you don't have your headlight lit. Because Yarii instrument panel is always lit. With old school technology, you 'll notice easily that you can't see the instrument panel because its dark, and that's your cue to turn on the headlight. Yarii has no such cue. Almost got into a bad wreck today because of this. I now think Yarii instrucment panel is not very cool. Technology. One step foreward, two steps back.

[jpmck03]

Huh?



Next to the CEL... looks like a light bulb with light coming from it.

If it's illuminated... your lights are on. If it isn't... your lights are off.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

this ^

also you can dim the dashboard lights

yours is probably cranked up to the notch, making it full bright

roll it back halfway, then turn the headlights on ...instrument panel will dim

[Stove]

I can see mine just fine and it's set below 1/2 brightness. Turn it up so you can see your indicator lights. Sounds to me that the only safety issue in your car is the loose nut behind the wheel.

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

My grammer must be really bad because yall guys all missed my point.

Let me try it again with an example. I get into car when the sky is bright sun light. I drive and drive. Of course, my headlight is off because the sky is bright. The instrument panel is fully lit; this cannot be dimmed when headlight is off. After driving for many hours, the sky is loosing day light. Other people are starting to turn on their headlights. I'm driving and look down at the instrument and can see everything clearly. There's nothing to indicate my headlight needs to be turned on because everything looks good and bright, whereas in an old school instrument panel, everything would be dark and unseeable. I drive along, and a guy in other car only looks for bright headlight in this low light condition and drives in front of me. Ka-pang!

You get it now? Yarii need some kind of light sensor. When the outside gets dark, a bright red light will blink until headlight is turned on. I'm serious; I've almost gotten into a wreck twice because of this.

[Hershey]

" Sounds to me that the only safety issue in your car is the loose nut behind the wheel."

And members wonder why there's no activity .

[NZ-FE Vios]

Solution: turn the little knob at the end of the turn signal stalk all the way to the on setting before dusk. (haha, sorry)

My instrument cluster isn't always lit. Maybe they changed it in a later year than yours.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

Originally Posted by Connoisseur_of_fine_cars

My grammer must be really bad because yall guys all missed my point.

Let me try it again with an example. I get into car when the sky is bright sun light. I drive and drive. Of course, my headlight is off because the sky is bright. The instrument panel is fully lit; this cannot be dimmed when headlight is off. After driving for many hours, the sky is loosing day light. Other people are starting to turn on their headlights. I'm driving and look down at the instrument and can see everything clearly. There's nothing to indicate my headlight needs to be turned on because everything looks good and bright, whereas in an old school instrument panel, everything would be dark and unseeable. I drive along, and a guy in other car only looks for bright headlight in this low light condition and drives in front of me. Ka-pang!

You get it now? Yarii need some kind of light sensor. When the outside gets dark, a bright red light will blink until headlight is turned on. I'm serious; I've almost gotten into a wreck twice because of this.

the light sensor is called a 'driver'

how hard is it to turn the lights on ?

you want automatic lights, buy a controller and install one, or get a camry

How can this be a peeve or safety problem with the Yaris ?
fewer cars have automatic lights than those that don't

[Stove]

Originally Posted by Hershey

And members wonder why there's no activity .

Humor... deal with it.

I would still argue that it isn't a safety problem with the car (or any car that is set up similarly) but I understand that it is difficult to tell if the lights are on at times. During those times look for the headlight indicator in jpmck03's picture or just reach down and check the knob to see if your lights are on if you can't remember if you turned them on or not. I don't see how a warning light to remind the driver to turn their lights on is at all necessary.

[The Limo]

On my 07 sedan my headlight "light" on the dash is where the "cool" light on the dash is in the second post. Don't know if that is because it is a sedan or maybe a Canadian thing. I always check at dusk to make sure that light is on.
Roy

[jpmck03]

Originally Posted by Connoisseur_of_fine_cars

...After driving for many hours, the sky is losing day light. Other people are starting to turn on their headlights. ... There's nothing to indicate my headlight needs to be turned on...

Isn't the fact that it's getting dark out a pretty good indicator to turn your lights on?

Or maybe the fact that other drivers have their headlights on?

Originally Posted by Connoisseur_of_fine_cars

... there is a safety problem ... with Yarii instrument panel ...

I don't think that this is a flaw with the vehicle or a safety issue for Toyota to worry about...

Originally Posted by Connoisseur_of_fine_cars

Yarii need some kind of light sensor. When the outside gets dark, a bright red light will blink until headlight is turned on.

So, they need a light to remind you to turn your lights on when it's dark out?

What next, a light to remind you to turn your wipers on when it's raining?

Or a sensor that tells you that your back window is frosted over, so you should turn your defroster on so you can see?

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

^ some cars have all that stuff, they cost a biiiiiiit more than a Yaris...>$100,000

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

Arghh!!! I'm talking about at dusk.

[Connoisseur_of_fine_cars]

Originally Posted by NZ-FE Vios

My instrument cluster isn't always lit. Maybe they changed it in a later year than yours.

Mine is 2011. Mine is always lit. Looks like the Sedan yaris has the tradition instrument cluster, like a Camry. The LB Yaris has the fancy new always-lit instrument.

Camry


Sedan Yaris


LB Yaris

[eTiMaGo]

I look at my climate control knobs as a reminder that my lights are on or off...

[Altitude]

I think there's an app for that...

[w7ist]

You could disable your DRL so that you can't see as it's getting dark. That is halfway there to being more 'old school'.

[CrankyOldMan]

I've had way too many people pull out in front of me during the daytime, so I always keep my lights on. To compensate for the dimmed panel lights, I turn the brightness knob all the way up. Going past the bump at the top end puts the dash lights on full-bright, so they can be more easily seen.

I've made turning on the lights part of my pre-driving sequence, so I don't even think about it when I crank the car up. I.e. foot on break, clutch in, gears in neutral, key in, crank, clutch out, lights on, music on, check mirrors, adjust climate control, etc. etc.