Sometimes they are bright. Sometimes they are dim.I have them adjusted all the way up. It seems there is no connection to the outside <SUNLIGHT>light affecting the brightness,

At night,though they are bright.

Logically, I would conclude that they don't come on that bright during the day...early evening,,. <EVENING>while on auto maybe set to on also....Just curious to the randomness of the dash brightness level.

Shane

 

It happened to me shortly after I recieved my truck. I was driving at night and the display dimmed down to where I could barly see it with the dimmer turned up all the way. After awhile it brightened up again. I mentioned it to my Son who is a Ford diesel tech., and he hasn't heard about any problem with the dimmer control on the 11s. It has never acted up since the 1 time. I posted something about it on here but nobody had an answer.

 

I have been having the same "issue". I cant seem to find a pattern. That being said, there has not been a time where I cannot see my guages.

 

Same here, still trying to figure it out. Did finally figure out to change the brightness don't push the switch completely up or down, just slightly to an indent. That only took about 4 months.

But yes, they do randomly change brightness. Only thing I have noticed is that it is only when the headlights are on and it is getting dark or overcast. It must be the sensor that is right at that point.

 

Remember the guy that got so bent out of shape over the dash lights he took his truck back and traded it on an F150?

Here is what I think, which may or may not be correct.

During the day light, you can adjust the brightness of the dash lights (gauges only I think, nav too if you have it). The system will remember where you have left the setting.

During the night, in Auto headlamp position (I have not tried it any other way) you also can adjust the brightness of the dash lights, gauges and also everything else that lights up. System will remember where you left the setting.

Finally, I think the two conditions are independent of each other. Wherever you set the brightness for daytime will not carry over into night when the lights come on.

Easy way to play with it is to cover up the sensor with a napkin or something so you can toggle back and forth from day and night. Those of you with garages, just turn the light in your garage on and off to go back and forth and play with it.

 

Not sure if it is related, but I noticed that during the day I can sometimes see the blue needles lit up and other times I can't. There is an option called windshield wiper - lamp auto on/off (or some such thing) and when I turn on the windshield wipers the headlights come on (I think) because the instrument panel lights seem to dim.

The lights are too smart for me to figure out and as long as I can see the gauges, etc.. I'm not going to worry too much. Haven't had them dim to the point that I noticed during night time driving.

 

This might sound dumb, but your not thowing your hat up on the dash and covering the sensor are you?

 

I know this is an old thread, but I'm having the same issue with my 2011 F250.

Essentially here's what I've found.

With the standard gauge package the Autolamp sensor is controlling the dash lights/gauge lights. No matter what headlamp or dimmer setting you're in the sensor will control the dash or gauge lights. This, as far as I can tell, only happens with the standard gauge package, with the LCD productivity screen the dash/gauge lights are always on. Therefore when it's bright enough out for the auto lamps to not turn on, the gauge lights are off and look very dim. Once the AUTO lights turn on the gauge lights come on and are probably really bright cause the dimmer was cranked all the way up to try and compensate for them being dim during the day. Problem is the autolamp sensor sucks and thinks it's still bright enough out at times when the lights should be on (dusk/dawn) and at those times it's near impossible to see the gauges.

You can take the truck to the Dealer until you are blue in the face and nothing will change because the truck is designed this way, aka the Dealer can't fix it. You can also press every button in the truck and change every option on the dash and nothing will change it (as far as I've found). So far here's the only fixes I've found.
1. Deal with it.
2. Cover up the sensor essentially disabling it.
3. Return the truck and get one with the LCD productivity screen.

That's the options I know of, I doubt Ford will develop a fix for it for no reason unless enough owners complain about it, and I don't know of any aftermarket fixes right now.

I ended up covering up the sensor in my truck with electrical tape and just turn the lights on or off manually. Actually most of the time I drive around with the lights on. I'd rather look stupid with the lights on than not see how fast I'm going. It wouldn't be so bad if the gauge lights would just stay on all the time like the LCD productivity screen does, but someone would have to figure out a fix for that.

 

this may or may not help since I have the LCD screen... but I know that when it's rainy or even at dusk, the truck will (in the auto lamp position), turn on the lights without dimming the dash. It has to get pretty dark before the dash gets dimmed. Even then, it seems to do it in stages. A little dimmer at sunset and very dim in the dark of night. When it's at that lowest (auto) adjustment, there's nothing I can do to make them brighter, except to switch off of auto, or turn the headlights off altogether. It was irritating at first, but I'm very used to it now. I haven't even noticed it in a couple months, to be honest. Hope that helps someone.

 

This has to be a stupid lighting design. I can not read my gauges during the daylight. Where is this sensor located?
I use my GPS to tell me the speed.

ken

 

Yes it is incredibly annoying and stupid. And I agree, that without those gauge lights on it doesn't matter how bright it is outside, I can't see them either. Especially with sunglasses on.

Sensor is located in the middle of the dash up by the windshield in front of the tray on the dash. Cover it with tape and use the lights as a normal car, that's the only way that I've found to get the dash lights on when I want them.

 

Thats exactly what I did too, tape it over and its all good

 

As mentioned I think there is a sensor (separate from just headlamps being on/off) that adjusts your dash lights based on the amount of ambient light around. My old Pioneer Nav system used to the same way, and these wierd Oregon gray days would really mess with it sometimes and give me some wierd blue tinted screen. Whens it really light out or really dark I don't seem to have a problem, but when its overcast then seems like the dash will sometimes will be bright and other times dim. Similarly my headlights get confused at times too.