[paradoxical3]

During the day when the lights are white, the speedometer and tachometer barely look lit up. Is there a way to increase the lighting intensity? Checked iDrive but couldn't find it.

[supersam]

there is an instrument cluster dimmer to the bottom left of the steering wheel.

if you're wearing sunglasses, this is where I like the kind that are less tinted on the bottom half of the sunglasses to allow good intra-cockpit lighting (gradient lenses)

[David1]

Polarized glasses also affect the cluster brightness.

[paradoxical3]

The dial is already maxed out, and what I realized is that the tach and speedometer are not lit up at ALL during the daytime. The headlights have to be on for the cluster to be lit up. This is incredibly stupid.

[TDM_macchina]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

The dial is already maxed out, and what I realized is that the tach and speedometer are not lit up at ALL during the daytime. The headlights have to be on for the cluster to be lit up. This is incredibly stupid.

Yes, I noticed the same thing. And even with the headlights on, the gauges are very dimly lit. Maybe there is a photosensor somewhere that keeps the backlight low.

[Viffermike]

Nope. No daytime backlighting on the main gauges. This is the case on all 2 Series cars. It's one of my biggest beefs about the model line -- in fact, I'd be curious to know of BMW deemed the M2 worthy of the other major interior lights that were left off compared to the 3 Series:

- Visor mirrors
- Center console
- Individual map lights

???

[paradoxical3]

It is absolutely ridiculous that a $60k performance car doesn't include .0002 cent LEDs to make the gauges easy to read at a quick glance.

[OrangeCrush]

Originally Posted by Viffermike

Nope. No daytime backlighting on the main gauges. This is the case on all 2 Series cars. It's one of my biggest beefs about the model line -- in fact, I'd be curious to know of BMW deemed the M2 worthy of the other major interior lights that were left off compared to the 3 Series:

- Visor mirrors
- Center console
- Individual map lights

???

I don't think the visors have lights. The other two are present.

I can see the gages just fine during the day. What's the beef here? Is it when wearing sunglasses or something?

[Viffermike]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

I don't think the visors have lights. The other two are present.

I can see the gages just fine during the day. What's the beef here? Is it when wearing sunglasses or something?

Try reading them in a dark parking garage, or inside a tunnel or under a wide overpass. That's when the lack of gauge lighting is most evident.

[paradoxical3]

Originally Posted by OrangeCrush

I don't think the visors have lights. The other two are present.

I can see the gages just fine during the day. What's the beef here? Is it when wearing sunglasses or something?

Sunglasses make it worse, but it's bad even without them. I can see them fine and have very good vision, but it would be an issue when looking at them for a split second like on the track. Low contrast is never better than high contrast when it comes to gauges, and the non-backlight gauges are pretty annoying to me. Let me put it this way - I never even thought about it in my X1 because they were backlit during the day. I immediately noticed it in the M2, and that's something that shouldn't happen.

And I wear sunglasses 90% of the time when I am in the car. The thing is, this is deliberate cost cutting by BMW and it shouldn't happen in an M car. Lighting the gauge cluster during the day would cost them under $1 per car. They do it in all of their more expensive cars.

[le panecito]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

Sunglasses make it worse, but it's bad even without them. I can see them fine and have very good vision, but it would be an issue when looking at them for a split second like on the track. Low contrast is never better than high contrast when it comes to gauges, and the non-backlight gauges are pretty annoying to me. Let me put it this way - I never even thought about it in my X1 because they were backlit during the day. I immediately noticed it in the M2, and that's something that shouldn't happen.

And I wear sunglasses 90% of the time when I am in the car. The thing is, this is deliberate cost cutting by BMW and it shouldn't happen in an M car. Lighting the gauge cluster during the day would cost them under $1 per car. They do it in all of their more expensive cars.

That's not cool and what a crap way to cut costs. I'm buying an M car and I expect everything to be top notch - makes things like this annoying.

[F87LUV]

I'm having the same issue. Even on a beautiful sunny day like today. It's not ideal for the display not to light up. I also noticed that my passenger climate control doesn't allow all three vents (lower, dash and upper) to emit air no matter how many times I hit the button for that combination but my side allows it. Anyone else???

[SW19]

When did BMW start adding daytime backlighting to the gauge cluster?My E46 M3 doesn't have it and I have never had an issue reading the gauge during the day.

[paradoxical3]

Originally Posted by F87LUV

I'm having the same issue. Even on a beautiful sunny day like today. It's not ideal for the display not to light up. I also noticed that my passenger climate control doesn't allow all three vents (lower, dash and upper) to emit air no matter how many times I hit the button for that combination but my side allows it. Anyone else???

I will check the vent thing, but I think I did actually notice something like that.

The problem with the gauges is that the font isn't truly white. It's an off-white which has much less contrast with the background. Really sucks. Look how vibrant the readable the fuel gauge is since it is lit up.

Typical modern BMW....make the easiest thing to read the efficient dynamics MPG readout instead of the tachometer. The main purpose of an instrument cluster is to see the speedometer and tachometer, and BMW has designed one that draws your eye to it last.

[F87LUV]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

I will check the vent thing, but I think I did actually notice something like that.

The problem with the gauges is that the font isn't truly white. It's an off-white which has much less contrast with the background. Really sucks. Look how vibrant the readable the fuel gauge is since it is lit up.

Typical modern BMW....make the easiest thing to read the efficient dynamics MPG readout instead of the tachometer. The main purpose of an instrument cluster is to see the speedometer and tachometer, and BMW has designed one that draws your eye to it last.

I drive an M2. Do they think I care about fuel efficiency? but I would like to know how fast I'm going.

[IDABMW]

I picked mine up from tint today. Noticed the same thing it's hard to read the speedometer with my sunglasses on. The dash with the lights on looks awesome.

[kirk67ss]

Originally Posted by IDABMW

I picked mine up from tint today. Noticed the same thing it's hard to read the speedometer with my sunglasses on. The dash with the lights on looks awesome.

Are your sunglasses polarized? I noticed this a year ago with my old BMW after I bought new polarized sunglasses....switched back to my old sunglasses and boom....no issue!

Just a thought....

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by paradoxical3

Sunglasses make it worse, but it's bad even without them. I can see them fine and have very good vision, but it would be an issue when looking at them for a split second like on the track. Low contrast is never better than high contrast when it comes to gauges, and the non-backlight gauges are pretty annoying to me. Let me put it this way - I never even thought about it in my X1 because they were backlit during the day. I immediately noticed it in the M2, and that's something that shouldn't happen.

And I wear sunglasses 90% of the time when I am in the car. The thing is, this is deliberate cost cutting by BMW and it shouldn't happen in an M car. Lighting the gauge cluster during the day would cost them under $1 per car. They do it in all of their more expensive cars.

Probably should take the elitist
" shouldn't happen in an M car " statement and change it to " shouldn't happen in any car".

It's an M car, not a maybach. And the backlighting is missing on all 2 series models, not just the M model

[M3 Adjuster]

Originally Posted by F87LUV

I'm having the same issue. Even on a beautiful sunny day like today. It's not ideal for the display not to light up. I also noticed that my passenger climate control doesn't allow all three vents (lower, dash and upper) to emit air no matter how many times I hit the button for that combination but my side allows it. Anyone else???

You have a passenger ?

Oh wait. Are you that dominant ?
Do you have to control the passenger side air too ? :

[Ex-MINI]

I don't suppose that this is something that could be coded, to always have the dash backlight on?

[F87LUV]

Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster

You have a passenger ?

Oh wait. Are you that dominant ?
Do you have to control the passenger side air too ? :

That was cold (no pun intended).

[IDABMW]

Originally Posted by kirk67ss

Are your sunglasses polarized? I noticed this a year ago with my old BMW after I bought new polarized sunglasses....switched back to my old sunglasses and boom....no issue!

Just a thought....

Yeah they are. I'll try what you said. Maybe I'll drive with the lights on all day lol.