Disabling Button Illumination?

Yeah. Like me, bought mine as a lease turn in. No manuals. But I did download them.

 

You held the switch until the illumination progress bar on the center display made it all the way to the left?

I imagine the Body Control Module behind the OBDII port controls illumination. Since the switch that adjusts illumination is literally a switch, then it's likely the BCM programming that determines what the low-end or "floor" value for illumination can be in the instrument cluster and any other place that can be dimmed with that switch. Maybe it can be modified with the proper programming tool. Maybe not. Possibly the LEDs in the cluster are replaceable... If so, maybe you can increase the resistor value if there is a small resistor on the led/bulb assembly.

 

Lol cutting a wire won't fix your obsession.

 

Maybe check the part number of the module and see if the US version is different than the CA one. Just a thought.

 

For example:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/394778562329?fits=Year:2022|Model:Tacoma

If those T3 bulb replacements have a resistor SMD (surface mount device), maybe you can hack them by changing the resistance value. Or, you pull your instrument cluster, and perhaps you put some kind of plastic filter or mark them with a permanent marker so they only let a portion of light through. That's it, I'm out of ideas.

 

That's the long term goal. I'd like to swap them to red LEDs, actually. But that's a project for later. I'd just like to eliminate some of the light in the meantime.

Really, I don't want those buttons illuminated, regardless of how bright they are.

 

I see.
Well, first off, for buttons, you can pull them, and the wiring to them for illumination can be cut, and you'd tape off the ends with electrical tape, or heat shrink tubing. Should be reverseable.
For the RED illumination:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/314768391791?fits=Year:2022|Model:Tacoma

Projects, yes, I've got some things that will be going into the truck. Just haven't had the time.

 

HA! that's what I have done at home. I have a fan in the bedroom that I sleep with every night, but it has three bright A blue LED's, I just used a black marker to tone them down. Without the marker-mod it the light beams off the white ceiling and is annoying.

 

My '17 doesn't go completely dark and all of the switches dim with the dash, to a very comfortable level...all except the damned shifter light. It's annoying AF. Installing the seat-jackers changed my position enough to help a little but the damned thing still reflects off of both side windows.

 

Well, I figured that's the case. Without the wiring diagrams, I just don't know which wires to cut. Some of those harnesses have two dozen wires in them.

Thought if somebody here has already done it, it might save me some poking and prodding with the meter.

 

OK, the standard Toyota switch has a connector on the back and the one you need to cut should be really easy:
See the images in this Amazon product:

$24 CH4x4 Small Push Switch for Toyota Tacoma 3rd Gen 12V 3Amp - Ditch Lights Symbol - Amber LED

https://www.amazon.com/CH4x4-Small-Switch-Toyota-Tacoma/dp/B07KM9M6MP?th=1

For rotary controls, like for climate control, or for 2WD/4WD/4L, you might have to put your multi-meter to service, but you could google them, and see what turns up.

 

In mine, the illumination circuit is purple. It's also negative polarity (the switch gets it's power from whatever it's switching, then a separate ground wire goes through the rheometer to provide illumination).

Most switches will technically function if you cut the purple wire, it's just generally not recommended. Some switches are on the positive end of their respective circuits, others are on the negative side. Im sure it makes sense to the engineers. Cutting the illumination wire shouldn't disable any of them, but that's not a guarantee. Some circuits are wired in a creative way.


... I've had my hands behind the dashboard once or twice.

 

That's an important observation and caution.

I suppose for the standard switches with one of the connectors in the diagram I linked to, the OP could create a simple "breakout box" with individual switches for each wire. You could then put the device inline with the wires going to the switch who's illumination one wishes to illuminate to verify which wire to cut, and if it is a workable thing to do so.

OMMV (one's mileage may vary)

 

To be that sensitive to the dash lights on their lowest setting, I can't imagine what oncoming headlights from other cars must do to your eyes!

The switch illumination should be on one circuit. If there is a place to locate the source of that circuit, you could cut one wire there and kill the lights to everything on that circuit. Much better than cutting dozens of wires at the switches. Maybe put in a switch where you cut the circuit so you could turn them on again as needed.

 

So far, in the six years of reading here every day, you have been the first one to even want this. What do you do about oncoming headlights?

 

Drive backwards.

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I could be wrong (never tried it), but I think the "panel" fuse is what controls illumination in the 3rd gen. I do not know what other systems would be disabled by that fuse. But at least its easier than going to town with the clippers. It would also be a good starting point if, say, one were inclined to go experimenting with adding a resistor.

 

Anybody checked if the dimming circuit is analog or digital (PWM)?

If analog a resistor as metioned above sounds usable or maybe put an adjustable voltage regulator inline with a separate pot to control it or add a cheap adjustable PWM circuit off Amazon. If digital, you can remap the PWM duty cycle to have less on time using a low pass filter into an analog input of a simple microprocessor that has a PWM output which drives a low-side mosfet. Under $10 in parts total regardless of how it works.

I'll try to scope the dash lights voltage sometime to understand how it functions.

 

The switches are going to be dimmed by choking down the amperage on the downstream (negative) side. The guts of the switch aren't that sophisticated. I have added a few aftermarket switches that illuminate from the positive feed but still tapped them into the downstream purple circuit. That's probably why the OEM switches in my lower dash won't 100% diminish - there is a tiny amount of escape current going through my aftermarkets.

Similarly, if anyone has tapped aftermarket devices into the illumination line that provide less resistance than the rheometer, their dash isn't going to dim anymore. The tiny led's in my added switches are still bigger resistors than the original ground path, so everything that isn't aftermarket still dims as it should.

 

OP, there is a fuse labelled "PANEL", remove it. Test. Report back...
Or not...

 

It's a switch for rotations clockwise and counterclockwise and also for push isn't it?