compass/temp display

In the daytime when the sun is out I can't read the temp/compass display
as it is just too dim to see.
At night its ok.
It does not change brightness whether the headlights are on or off.
Am I the only one with this issue?
Asked the dealer and all I got was DUH never heard of that problem.
Thanks, Merle

 

with or without sunglasses?

Welcome to TW

 

Mine started to get too dim to see, then stopped working completely, try this

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/18497-overhead-compass-temp-fix.html

 

Ditto. If your sunglasses are polarized, perhaps that's the problem? Otherwise, no I've never seen that. Mine doesn't change brightness with the headlights, but it's pretty easy to read.

 

The point is the display is a lot dimmer than for instance the clock.The clock is way brighter than the compass/temp display.
Is this normal or just my truck.
Merle

 

The clock is definitely brighter. Even the background of the clock glows orange, whereas the compass/temp background is black, and the writing is definitely a few notches down the brightness meter.

 

It is an LED display, not LCD.

Polarized sunglasses will not dim it (at least more than the normal dimness of the glasses.

Take it off the roof and check the resistors. You may need to resolder one.

 

Sounds like a plan.
Thank you.
Merle

 

I wouldn't touch it if it's still under warranty. Compare your truck to one on the lot. It sounds normal. Mine can be hard to make out sometimes as well.

 

Warranty on these is one of those things that is pretty much a waste of time, since the problem is so common but easy to fix.

2 seconds of solder and you will never have a problem again for the life of the truck. Much faster to just fix it yourself, and a much better fix than a new one that likely will develop the same issue.

EDIT: Mine is NEVER hard to make out. After I did the resistor fix, it always shines bright, even mid-day.

 

No its not... Its a vacuum Florescent display.

 

Except I believe the OP's complaint is really normal operation and I haven't heard of any issues with '09 and newer displays. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Sorry, it does actually look like a VFD rather than LED. Either way, it does not depend on a backlight, polarizing filter, and LCD changing polarization. There is no concern about polarized sunglasses.

Like LED, it is a direct light emission display, at no particular polarization.

 

Mine definitely dims when the headlights are on, probably as it's supposed to be due to contrast.

The biggest problem I have with my '09 is that I get a lot of reflections on that shiny surface and can't read the display behind it. I've tried Scotch tape to knock down the glare but no joy all characters are blurred to unreadable. then. Sure hate to take that amber face off.

I noticed the 2012 doesn't have the display there. They probably put it forward on the dash or cowl...where it should have been all along.

Whit