My First Complaint About The Z

G Fo12ce · 12-16-2009, 09:33 PM

This complaint probalby won't hit home with many of you, at least I think. I drive home from work at night through a canyon road (Silverado Canyon Road). It's 2 lanes and there are no street lights. I use the high beams for that half of my commute because I've seen dead animals all the way up to a deer. I can go an alternate route but it's a few more miles and longer.

Has anyone noticed how damn bright the high beam indicator lamp on the dash/tach is? It's borderline unsafe. I'd say it's brighter than the shift light only more annoying becase of course it's on as long as the highs are. The crappy thing is it doesn't dim with the dimmer switch either. I wonder if there is a TSB for it lol. I'm going to ask the dealer. I'm sure there is probably a way to dim it with a resistor or something but what a hassle.

Zsteve · 12-16-2009, 10:36 PM

You should be able to lessen the brightness of the displays with the controls on the right hand side of the tachs I think.

G Fo12ce · 12-16-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zsteve

You should be able to lessen the brightness of the displays with the controls on the right hand side of the tachs I think.

Negative. That's the first thing I tried when I saw how blinding it was and the dimmer has no effect on that light....

m4a1mustang · 12-16-2009, 11:04 PM

Duct tape.

TARDCORE · 12-16-2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

Duct tape.

fixes everything

WhiskeyHotel · 12-16-2009, 11:13 PM

I noticed this the other night. It's so bright it casts shadows in the car.

DIGItonium · 12-16-2009, 11:55 PM

It's nowhere near as bright as the Hondas.

kenchan · 12-17-2009, 12:21 AM

you should drive with your vanity and map lights turned on to lessen the contrast.

G Fo12ce · 12-17-2009, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DIGItonium

It's nowhere near as bright as the Hondas.

Well my wife up until recently had an '03 CRV, and after I sold my M3 I was borrowing my neices '97 Accord (she's away at college) until I got my car and they were not even close to as bright. I could probably flip my tach around and pull someone over with that blue light...

DIGItonium · 12-17-2009, 01:01 AM

Haha... nah, I meant the 2004+ Hondas with LED gauge clusters. Man those things will make your face glow at night. In my gf's '06 Civic, the green indicator for HVAC is extremely bright at night it overpowers the backlighting.

G Fo12ce · 12-17-2009, 01:08 AM

It doesn't help that the cool feature of the cluster moving with the steering column aims it right at yours eyes either...

hoodust · 12-17-2009, 01:12 AM

Still pretty ghetto, but instead of duct tape... a nice, "tasteful" square of electric tape might night be SO noticeable :shrug:

Depends on how much/often it bugs you and how much you want to spend on a workaround (I'm suggesting the absolute cheapest/laziest route here of course). At least it's easy to undo!

FricFrac · 12-17-2009, 01:19 AM

Tint your gauge cluster

Yea I hear ya -its very bright - a little too bright but I can live with it.

hoodust · 12-17-2009, 01:28 AM

A series of pulleys and mirrors so you could pull someone over with it would be cool...

Well I got a long highway drive late at night in my future (x-mas) so I'll return to this thread with my input on this. I can respect a person being bothered by "the little things" and intrigued that this is the first complaint you have

G Fo12ce · 12-17-2009, 01:36 AM

OK to be honest I can deal with it but even in your periferal vision it's amazingly (in a bad way) bright. To the point that I'm going to make someone dealer/Nissan aware at least of my feedback and I'm a pretty tolerant person. Any other quirks the car has I'm ok with and I otherwise love the car so far.

Hoodust, even cheaper why don't I just put my left thumb over the light and use my knees to steer on shifts lol. Save the tape altogether! I'd be curious to know just for the hell of it if it bugs you too. Come back and post like you said.

12-16-2009, 09:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
G Fo12ce Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 996 Drives: Sold! Rep Power: 52	My First Complaint About The Z This complaint probalby won't hit home with many of you, at least I think. I drive home from work at night through a canyon road (Silverado Canyon Road). It's 2 lanes and there are no street lights. I use the high beams for that half of my commute because I've seen dead animals all the way up to a deer. I can go an alternate route but it's a few more miles and longer. Has anyone noticed how damn bright the high beam indicator lamp on the dash/tach is? It's borderline unsafe. I'd say it's brighter than the shift light only more annoying becase of course it's on as long as the highs are. The crappy thing is it doesn't dim with the dimmer switch either. I wonder if there is a TSB for it lol. I'm going to ask the dealer. I'm sure there is probably a way to dim it with a resistor or something but what a hassle. __________________ Nismo Suspension: New Owners Check Here!

12-16-2009, 10:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
Zsteve A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: TX Posts: 3,298 Drives: the 2 balled club Rep Power: 22	You should be able to lessen the brightness of the displays with the controls on the right hand side of the tachs I think. __________________ 2010 LS3 C6 Silver coupe corvette

12-16-2009, 11:04 PM	#4 (permalink)
m4a1mustang A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 55,385 Drives: on two wheels Rep Power: 6962	Duct tape. __________________ - Steve Zs & Coffee - Saturdays at 10AM in Fairfax, VA and Columbia, MD (Click the banner!) LIKE us on Facebook!

12-16-2009, 11:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 42	It's nowhere near as bright as the Hondas. __________________

12-17-2009, 01:01 AM	#10 (permalink)
DIGItonium A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 3,800 Drives: 09 Z34-TT 6MT Rep Power: 42	Haha... nah, I meant the 2004+ Hondas with LED gauge clusters. Man those things will make your face glow at night. In my gf's '06 Civic, the green indicator for HVAC is extremely bright at night it overpowers the backlighting. __________________

12-16-2009, 11:13 PM	#6 (permalink)
WhiskeyHotel Track Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 530 Drives: 2015 GT-R PW Premium Rep Power: 17	I noticed this the other night. It's so bright it casts shadows in the car.

12-17-2009, 12:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141521	you should drive with your vanity and map lights turned on to lessen the contrast.

12-17-2009, 01:08 AM	#11 (permalink)
G Fo12ce Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 996 Drives: Sold! Rep Power: 52	It doesn't help that the cool feature of the cluster moving with the steering column aims it right at yours eyes either... __________________ Nismo Suspension: New Owners Check Here!

12-17-2009, 01:12 AM	#12 (permalink)
hoodust Base Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phoenix Posts: 138 Drives: 370Z PG A7 Rep Power: 15	Still pretty ghetto, but instead of duct tape... a nice, "tasteful" square of electric tape might night be SO noticeable :shrug: Depends on how much/often it bugs you and how much you want to spend on a workaround (I'm suggesting the absolute cheapest/laziest route here of course). At least it's easy to undo! __________________ 2009 370Z Sport Coupe Platinum Graphite 7-Speed Auto

12-17-2009, 01:19 AM	#13 (permalink)
FricFrac A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Victoria, BC Posts: 1,481 Drives: 370Z 300ZX 280ZX 240 Rep Power: 228	Tint your gauge cluster Yea I hear ya -its very bright - a little too bright but I can live with it. __________________ '09 370Z - '93 300ZX Vert - '83 280ZX - '83 280ZXT -'81 280ZXT stroker - '72 240Z - Stillen CBE, HFC, G3, Grounding Kit, Sways // Swift Spring // H&R 15mm // 5% Tint // Clear Bra //

12-17-2009, 01:28 AM	#14 (permalink)
hoodust Base Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Phoenix Posts: 138 Drives: 370Z PG A7 Rep Power: 15	A series of pulleys and mirrors so you could pull someone over with it would be cool... Well I got a long highway drive late at night in my future (x-mas) so I'll return to this thread with my input on this. I can respect a person being bothered by "the little things" and intrigued that this is the first complaint you have __________________ 2009 370Z Sport Coupe Platinum Graphite 7-Speed Auto

12-17-2009, 01:36 AM	#15 (permalink)
G Fo12ce Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 996 Drives: Sold! Rep Power: 52	OK to be honest I can deal with it but even in your periferal vision it's amazingly (in a bad way) bright. To the point that I'm going to make someone dealer/Nissan aware at least of my feedback and I'm a pretty tolerant person. Any other quirks the car has I'm ok with and I otherwise love the car so far. Hoodust, even cheaper why don't I just put my left thumb over the light and use my knees to steer on shifts lol. Save the tape altogether! I'd be curious to know just for the hell of it if it bugs you too. Come back and post like you said. __________________ Nismo Suspension: New Owners Check Here!

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