I like to use my headlights or parking lights with fogs in poor weather or just for the hell of it sometimes, but at dusk the speedometer is hard to see (White SE gauges). I can turn the dimmer all the way down which makes the gauges easy to see but makes the radio and clock impossible to see. Or turn the dimmer all the way up and the radio goes to daytime level and the clock is readable, but gauges are hard to see, particlarly when it is just starting to get dark.

Is there any (easy) way to bypass the dimmer so the gauges/clock/radio act like the headlights are off? And where could I find a switch that would look stock? I have a blank panel next to the dimmer switch that would be a perfect location for the bypass switch.

 

Keep rotating the switch beyond the 'stop', it will allow you to keep the dash and clock/radio lights on at full illumination.

 

Wouldn't you break the part?
-Cyrus

 

No, not if yours is like mine. I discovered this about a month ago. There is a stop reference point but you can click past it and then you feel a definite stop point. It should be fine. Mine hasn't broken and it's designed for that.

 

Well I didn't quite know how to put this. That switch rotates for a while, then you feel a resistance as it brightens all the way up. If you rotate it a small amount beyond that point (you do not have to push hard at all, just past the resistance), the display lights stay bright.

 

When I rotate the switch beyond 'stop' the radio goes to full daytime brightness, the clock is dimmer than lights off level and gauge lights are on full brightness. Maybe the wireing is slightly different in my 98 or maybe you don't notice the gauge lights during the day without the SE gauges. The clock is not a big deal, but the gauge lights are hard to read when it is only a little dark out, like at dusk or very cloudy days. I think this is only a problem with the white faced SE gauges.

EDIT- I reread your post, I want the radio at full illumination and the gauge lights OFF. I don't care about the clock to much, but would prefer it at full illumination.

I double checked how the dimmer works, the clock is not controlled by the dimmer at all - it just gets slightly dimmer when the parking lights are on. Everthing else (Gauge lights/radio display/power windows switches/ etc.) works with the dimmer. The dimmer actually has a 'stop' on both ends - to one side is full brightness for everthing, the other side is all dimmer controlled lights off - including the radio display completely off.

 

I just checked my 96 GXE dimmer operation. It's the same as you described. In another words, dimmer switch is for most other things except the clock.

 

I bypassed the clock in my car. I don't know how to do the radio though. I did this because I put my headlights and fog lights on during the day for the more agressive look, and I couldn't stand that the clock was always dim even though the dimmer switch was as far as it would go to the right.

Anyways, you have to pop open the top part of your dash (the part with the hazard switch and clock on it). To do this, get a small screwdriver and put it between the softer area to the left and right of this piece and gently pop it out. It is held in by a few clips. Once the clips are undone, you should be able to lift it up.

I didn't pull mine all the way off when I did this. I just lifted it up to see the wires going to the clock. All you have to do is cut one of the wires going to the clock. Then put your dash back together! I think that it is the red and black wire, but I'm not 100% sure. I'd say that I'm 90% sure that it is the red and black wire that you want to cut.

Please double check on what color the wire is that you are supposed to cut. I don't want to be responsible for you messing up your car!

You can try search. I posted a thread about this when I did it, but it was a while back!

Good luck!

-Nick

 

Andi's site has the instructions. I think it's www.boostaholic.com