White dashboard too dim

[BMWMN1971]

I drove my new X5 this morning after picking it up last night and noticed the white lighting on the dasboard is too dim or basicaly not turning on. By "white lighting" obviously I mean the illumination of all the white elements on the dashboard. When you go under a bridge or tunnel it turns orange but other than that it is just a very faint and almost hard to read. The odometer, temperature, etc... all turn white but the speed and RPM lights look dead. Am I missing something?

[JustChris]

Is there still a dial to turn up or down the light intensity? In the Euro spec E70's used to be near the fog light switches and light cluster I think?

[BMWMN1971]

Dial is all the way up. It turns all orange when dark but no lights at all when clear outside. Again, the odometer, temperature, etc... All show in white but the speedometer and tachometer have not lights at all.

Originally Posted by ChesterX5

Is there still a dial to turn up or down the light intensity? In the Euro spec E70's used to be near the fog light switches and light cluster I think?

[NikonMan]

Bad rheostat ? Maybe post some pics ?

[BMWMN1971]

Here it is

Originally Posted by NikonMan

Bad rheostat ? Maybe post some pics ?

[NikonMan]

Does seem a bit dim to me - I won't have my X5 until late January at best so I can't help with a comparison - someone will chime in soon I would imagine ...

[tiburonh]

Originally Posted by BMWMN1971

I drove my new X5 this morning after picking it up last night and noticed the white lighting on the dasboard is too dim or basicaly not turning on. By "white lighting" obviously I mean the illumination of all the white elements on the dashboard. When you go under a bridge or tunnel it turns orange but other than that it is just a very faint and almost hard to read. The odometer, temperature, etc... all turn white but the speed and RPM lights look dead. Am I missing something?

Have you tried using the controller? I suspect there should be an option in the "settings" part of the menu that could solve your problem. Note this copy in the section of the owners manual (page 94) that talks about all the instrument cluster displays:

Brightness
Setting the brightness
To set the brightness of the Control Display:
1. "Settings"
2. "Control display"
3. "Brightness"
4. Turn the controller until the desired brightness
is set.
5. Press the controller.
The setting is stored for the remote control
currently in use.
Depending on the light conditions, the brightness
control may not be clearly visible.

[JustChris]

Hmm looks very wrong, like you say the LCD panel in the bottom is popping out at full brightness but the dials are hardly lit when 'white'. Dealer inspection?

[BMWMN1971]

That is my question: should they lit white of that is the way they should be?

Originally Posted by ChesterX5

Hmm looks very wrong, like you say the LCD panel in the bottom is popping out at full brightness but the dials are hardly lit when 'white'. Dealer inspection?

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by BMWMN1971

I drove my new X5 this morning after picking it up last night and noticed the white lighting on the dasboard is too dim or basicaly not turning on. By "white lighting" obviously I mean the illumination of all the white elements on the dashboard. When you go under a bridge or tunnel it turns orange but other than that it is just a very faint and almost hard to read. The odometer, temperature, etc... all turn white but the speed and RPM lights look dead. Am I missing something?

I pick mine up tomorrow morning, I'll snap a few pics of it (we have the same non-HUD cluster) and any others they have on the lot.

[BMWMN1971]

Tks, appreciate your help. Enjoy your new car!!!!

Originally Posted by riM3

I pick mine up tomorrow morning, I'll snap a few pics of it (we have the same non-HUD cluster) and any others they have on the lot.

[samboy37]

Hi
I picked up my m135i on Saturday and noticed the same thing. I thought that the dashboard was going to be white during the day and well lit. I went into the dealer today and they think it's just how it is- just a little disappointing really. Tried rheostat dial but made no difference
Any thoughts

[BMWMN1971]

I guess we just have to live with that. Interesting that I took the car to 2 different dealers and nobody had a clue if the dashboard should lit up in white during the day. The excuse is that the car is too new but they forget this dashboard is the same used on the 5 series. I gave up and will enjoy my car the way it is. I don't like the way BMW treat "early adopters" like myself. I got the car as soon as it came out and now there are rumors saying that in March the X5 will get all digital dashboard. Well, make a big change in a car just couple months after it is launched does not make sense to me. If you tell me the 2015 model will have that I am OK but completely change the dashboard only couple months after the car came out is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by samboy37

Hi
I picked up my m135i on Saturday and noticed the same thing. I thought that the dashboard was going to be white during the day and well lit. I went into the dealer today and they think it's just how it is- just a little disappointing really. Tried rheostat dial but made no difference
Any thoughts

[tiburonh]

Originally Posted by BMWMN1971

I drove my new X5 this morning after picking it up last night and noticed the white lighting on the dasboard is too dim or basicaly not turning on. By "white lighting" obviously I mean the illumination of all the white elements on the dashboard. When you go under a bridge or tunnel it turns orange but other than that it is just a very faint and almost hard to read. The odometer, temperature, etc... all turn white but the speed and RPM lights look dead. Am I missing something?

What a bummer that even the dealer can't figure this out. I'm grasping at straws here, but two other things to consider: (1) The owner's manual does say either the parking lights or the headlights need to be turned on in order for the instrument cluster dimmer to work. Have you tried that?, and (2) It's possible that during daylight the instrument cluster lights don't light up unless you have the day time running lights turned on. You've probably explored both of these paths already, but if not, let me know if they work. Good luck.

[acey81]

The regular cluster is not lit during the day. When on (during dark), it glows orange but during the day it is indeed "dead". You need the black panel / extended cluster in order to get the effect you want. The extended cluster is (in Europe) part of the HUD option.

I can't for my life figure out what BMW were thinking when they did this. Especially not informing the customers that that the clusters are different (no mention in it in the sales material in Europe at least).

EDIT: See this thread: http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=913641

[BMWMN1971]

Well, even the black/panel cluster won't lit up during the day. It will in the LCD piece but the speedometer and tachometer needles will still be "dead". My 10 year old Infiniti has a cluster that lights up during the day.

As I said before I gave up looking for problems and will only enjoy the car

Originally Posted by acey81

The regular cluster is not lit during the day. When on (during dark), it glows orange but during the day it is indeed "dead". You need the black panel / extended cluster in order to get the effect you want. The extended cluster is (in Europe) part of the HUD option.

I can't for my life figure out what BMW were thinking when they did this. Especially not informing the customers that that the clusters are different (no mention in it in the sales material in Europe at least).

EDIT: See this thread: http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=913641

[samboy37]

Thanks all
Bit of a shame and I must say a pretty big oversight on bmw's part. Should be a standard feature surely

[acey81]

Originally Posted by BMWMN1971

Well, even the black/panel cluster won't lit up during the day. It will in the LCD piece but the speedometer and tachometer needles will still be "dead". My 10 year old Infiniti has a cluster that lights up during the day.

As I said before I gave up looking for problems and will only enjoy the car

I just had a F15 X5 over the weekend with the extended cluster / black panel and it was lit white durin gthe day including the tachometer, speedometer and needles. Graned I live in Sweden and it's not very bright during the day. But it was lit white and not orange. It did indeed turn into orange during the evening.

I imagine it's totally unlit during total sunshine however.

[RickP]

BMW Lightgate </end corny US humor>

[Wardman]

Garbage! I turn my fogs on to make the cluster light up. It should not be this way and in US I don't think you can order the upgraded cluster without additional garbage you don't want. I tried to figure a way to keep fog lights on - but could not either. Anyone else solve this problem?

[Maverik259]

Umm what exactly are you upset about?

[alphaod]

Originally Posted by Wardman

Garbage! I turn my fogs on to make the cluster light up. It should not be this way and in US I don't think you can order the upgraded cluster without additional garbage you don't want. I tried to figure a way to keep fog lights on - but could not either. Anyone else solve this problem?

Yeah you can either get the HUD package that comes with the backlit instrument cluster or you get the full 6WB retrofit.