Instrument panel dimmer cancel switch peskiness

8532 Views 10 Replies 5 Participants Last post by MN Driver, Feb 2, 2011

edv

Discussion Starter · Oct 27, 2004

I use the "hold the dashboard brightness to cancel the dimmer" function on the Insight fairly often (I turn the headlights on in a lot of situations where it is still bright enough outside that I want the dashboard display to be at full brightness), and lately it's been getting extremely difficult to activate (often I have to try holding it in five or more times to activate it). Is this a switch that's easy to replace by myself? Should I take it to the dealer? I don't really like the idea of dismantling the entire dashboard to get at this part, but I will if necessary.

Thanks!

Save

1 - 2 of 11 Posts

gderian

· #8 · Feb 1, 2011

jrpstonecarver said:
The link listed above is bad - gives a 404 now - and my 2000 Insight is showing this same problem so badly that my wife cannot get the "increase brightness" button on the dash to work at all anymore. I can, but only after minutes of trying, and only if it's warm.

Can anyone point me at a more detailed description of this fix? I need to make my wife happy with the car again.

Thanks a million!

I don't know about that fix, but those button switches are not very hard to clean. They are made with a carbon pad on a rubber diaphragm. Pushing on them causes the pad to bridge two contact strips. The button switches are on a small circuit board that plugs into the main board. The same board is used on each side of the cluster. Cleaning is easy with contact cleaner and an eraser, but re-assembling the switch after the diaphragm is pulled off takes a little careful work. The switches are not intended to be disassembled.

When pulling the cluster bezel, do not follow the factory method of removing the steering wheel. Instead, lower the whole steering column,

Save

gderian

· #10 · Feb 1, 2011

jrpstonecarver said:
Thanks, Makes me wonder if I can just use some sort of spay electronics cleaner in there without disassembling the switches.

As I currently have no documentation on anything, getting up into that part of the dash isn't on my list of tasks to do, but I may have to revise that. Any advice on where to go for that info?

Sorry, despite owning the car since 2000, I am pretty much a newbie at this. I don't generally do this sort of work on my own to any car. That said I am an engineer and have some mechanical skill, so I may be able to figure it out.

Shop manuals can be downloaded from links on this site. If you have the skills, then use them. If you work on cars, you will become a better engineer.

Remove the lower cover to see the steering column bolts. The bezel pulls off after 3 screws are removed. The rightmost screw is under a ribbed cover. The cluster comes out with 4 screws. The rest is following your nose.

Save

1 - 2 of 11 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month