Dashboard Low Beam Idiot Light on Question

Hi,
I'm a newbie here and just got a 2007 Tacoma TRD Sport. It was originally made for the USA and imported into Canada.

My question concerns the "low beam headlight" idiot light on the dashboard. Every time I am driving the truck the idiot light stays on when the headlight switch is clearly off. Is this normal for the Tacoma? As well are you supposed to be able to adjust the brightness of the dashboard during the day when the headlight switch is off?

I'm wondering if this is normal or is this an electrical problem.

Thanks for your help.

 

What idiot light are you referring to? There is no "low beam headlight" idiot light. The instrument cluster is LED and stays on anytime the ignition is on. There's a little light that lights up whenever the headlights are on (low or high beams) to inform you of when the headlights are actually on (otherwise, you'd have no way of knowing like during dusk, rain, in bright parking lots, etc). And yes, you can adjust it anytime (IIRC?).

 

Are you talking about the gauges being lit up?

 

I believe he is referring to the instrument cluster light that indicates either your parking light or headlights are on.
If your headlights come on automatically when the truck is started (regardless of your light switch being off) it is likely that whoever did your daytime running light install wired your headlights to be your DRLs. I only know this b'c' when my brother imported his Acura TL the navi would alway be dark as if it was in night time mode and the headlilghts automatically came on. It took Autotemp on 32nd St NE Calgary days to figure this out. I basically had to show them how to wire it, after I found an online website with a "how to." Looking back I should have demanded a refund and just done it myself.

Hope that helps!

 

On the late model Taco there is a green litgh that is lite when ever the truck is runinng, the green lite indicates that the day time headlitghs are funcitioning.

 

I have a 2010 DCLB, it doesn't have any light that indicates the factory DRL are functioning. The green indicator only comes on once I turn the parking or headlights are turned on.

 

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, I am talking about the green instrument cluster light that usually comes on when you turn your headlights on.

I wanted to know if this light being on was happening with other Tacoma owners or perhaps as suggested when they wired this US imported Tacoma to have daytime running lights, which is required law in Canada, they wired it incorrectly.

Also can other Tacoma owners adjust the brightness of their instrument clusters without the headlight switch being turned on?

Thanks again for the input.

 

I'm not in my truck now (obviously) but I'm 95% sure you can adjust the brightness of the dash lights regardless of whether the lights are on or off. There's an adjustment wheel to the left of the steering wheel (near the vent).

Even within the US the trucks are different depending on where you are. My 2007 did not come with daytime running lights but it sounds like if you bought a truck that was made with them, that green light would be on at all times.

 

I have a green light on when my driving lights are on otherwise I have no warning light that the lights are on - 2010 TRD OR

 

x2. You might also want to make sure they wired it correctly by monitoring it after about 5 hours after the truck has been turned off. The reason I mention it is because a Canadian over on the Highlander forum imported his from the US and when they wired up the headlights as DRL, they used the emissions wire incorrectly which comes on after 5 hours for about 30 seconds.

 

in my 06 the little green lite only comes on with the headlights not the parking lites and yes I can adjust the dash lites without the headlights being on

 

Thanks for all the responses, it really helped answer my questions. This is a great and useful forum.

 

Good luck with the truck!