Dim Center Instrument Display

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Red Landie

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I am experiencing a problem that has baffled both the dealership and my independent mechanic. Shortly after having my 2010 LR4 detailed, I noticed that the digital display in the center of the instrument panel had become too dim to read during daylight hours. I can read it at night without much problem, but it isn't backlit enough to read when the sun is out anymore.The dealer mechanic tried a "hard reset", but to no avail. The estimate to replace the entire instrumentation is cost prohibitive. Has anyone else experienced this issue? Any suggestions?
 

cperez

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Apologies for ruling out the simple stuff first, but you've tried the dimmer wheel control that is just above your front/rear foglamp buttons? That controls the brightness of the TFT as well as other dashboard displays and some interior lights. If that doesn't work maybe it's a bad resistor in that controller.
 
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Red Landie

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Yes, that was the first remedy I tried. Unfortunately I failed to mention that in the original post. Both the coolant temperature and the fuel level readings are contained within the display, making it vital that I be able to read the display during daylight hours. And so are all the warning lights. Luckily the warning lights are accompanied by an audible chime. There is no repair for a defective display, only replacement of the entire instrument panel. That would run into the $$$$'s.
 

cperez

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You mentioned that this happened shortly after having it detailed. It is only reasonable to wonder if some liquid or maybe undue pressure while cleaning the display led to some damage. Of course you'd never be able to prove that. Did any of the techs use a code reader to see if they could isolate the problem?
 

catman

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After a fall/winter detailing my LR3 radio screen went "light" for several months (ok at night, not so much in the day). It was not until it got really hot one day in Spring that it came back to normal. I presume it was due to the pressure of someone cleaning it. I am not sure if the center instrument panel screen in a LR4 can even be touched or not, but if it can with pressue, it is possible the same thing occurred.
 

Red Landie

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Coincidentally, the "Check Engine" light appeared a few days after the display went dim. So I took the LR4 to the dealer's mechanic to evaluate both the trouble light and the dimmed instrument display. He ran an error code check to determine why the amber "Check Engine" light had come on. It turned out to be a bad mass air sensor. So to answer your question, yes the car was checked for error codes. There was nothing to indicate why the digital instrument display had started to malfunction.

I have tried to associate the detailing with the display malfunctioning. The detailer was very experienced. I was thinking that maybe the battery had weakened and dropped the voltage enough to cause a malfunction. A hard reset should have corrected that. Sadly, it did not. Unlike the main display screen in the center of the console, the instrument display cannot be physically touched because of the clear plastic screen that protects both the display and the instrument gauges.
 

cperez

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the instrument display cannot be physically touched because of the clear plastic screen that protects both the display and the instrument gauges.

My mistake. That curved protective screen becomes invisible after years of looking through it. I am now hoping that a very hot day will bring it back to life the way it did for @catman's infotainment screen.
 

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