Dimly lit dials

[Andmurph]

Evening all,

I’m struggling to see the speed and rev counter dials at dawn and dusk. Especially around the time the car changes from day to night mod. I can’t see the orange needle indicator or the numbers. The rings and LCD displays are lit up properly and easy to read but in certain light the contrast isn’t there to see the speed or rev counter. Typically the camera adjusts to see everything clearly!


Are these LED lit in a 2010 V70 SE LUX of halogen bulbs? Has anyone tried installing brighter leds/bulbs?

I do wear glasses with strong prisms but my corrected sight is very good way beyond what was needed to retain have and pave license. The lack of contrast and dim lighting is causing me a challenge though.

Many thanks

[Tatsfield]

The main dials on your model and on mine do not have illuminated needles and with the dash lighting at comfortable low levels that don't distract from driving on dark roads it isn't easy to see the needles which are red. Colouring them white might have helped. Illuminating them so that they light up from light conducted within the needle would have solved the problem. I believe that in later models Volvo solved the problem by fitting digital dials that are illuminated by their very nature.

[Andmurph]

Thanks!

I always have the lighting as bright as possible. They’re not exactly bright. Are they lit by W5W bulbs? I could try W8W or Classic car LEDs if so?

Cheers.

[Olaf Els]

Try a HUD! I share your problem with the visibility of the needles. In my case it's because I'm colour-blind. I changed the background colour of my dials, but that didn't improve the situation enough.

My solution was to fit a HUD speedometer, which sits on the right-hand corner of the dash and provides a very clear reflection onto the windscreen. It plugs into the OBD2 port to get the speed signal and 12v power. Mine is just a speedo as I am not so bothered by rpm. I have a GPS version in another vehicle without an OBD2 port and it works just as well apart from in tunnels.

HUDs are inexpensive and easy to fit. The vehicle speed can always be seen without taking your eyes off the road and onto the dash panel. I can't recommend them highly enough.

[Andmurph]

I hadn’t considered a plug in HUD. That could be an option though. I think I’m going to give brighter bulbs or LEDs a go first as they can always be dimmed.
What an incredibly non Swedish piece of design work.

[apersson850]

Earlier models, like the 700/800/900 had needles lit from inside. Probably got too expensive.