Most annoying thing about your GTI

[Strange Mud]

that^^^ it does help prevent running w/o lights or with parking lights only.

 

[Hambert]

Actually the instrument cluster has a light sensor and it dims the light as the sun goes down. This is to make you turn on the low beams as you people said.

 

[Corndart]

It actually makes sense! The reason they have it like that is so that you don't accidentally leave your headlights off. Every car SHOULD be like this. They make it so that when the lowbeams are off/DRLs are on, which would imply that it's daytime, the gauge cluster isn't backlit (because you don't need it to be backlit during the day). When the sun goes down, you're forced to notice your headlights aren't on because you can't see how fast you're going, so you put the headlights on.

I think it makes a lot of sense, and that it should be legally required of all cars. I see other people with their headlights off all the time because A) they've got bright LED DRLs that suffice at night, and B) because their instrument clusters are still backlit, so they don't realize it.

When the sun starts going down, it's quite obvious when the lack of ambient light signals its time to turn on the headlights.

that^^^ it does help prevent running w/o lights or with parking lights only.

It also prevents you from running without lights / parking lights during the day.

Actually the instrument cluster has a light sensor and it dims the light as the sun goes down. This is to make you turn on the low beams as you people said.

Not sure if the sensor in my car is non-functioning, or the window tint (30%) has interfered with its operation. I have observed a very faint glow from the center console occasionally but normally the center instrument cluster is dark except the needles. The net effect is I am literally unable to see speed, which is the important one, the rest really aren't necessary for normal driving operation.

Understand all the rationale being shared here but quite simply put, I've never had a car that acts this way when the running/parking lights are on. ALL of the gauges / instrument clusters light up. The GTI doesn't.

Perhaps all VW's have been this way since the dawn of time, but it's annoying the heck out of me. Additionally, they've made the headlights a real bugger to change, so forcing me to leave them on during times when its perfectly safe to have them off, and rely on the parking lights only, will mean they fail earlier and I'll be forced to change. BTW I've got halogens, so presumably they'll fail earlier than the xenon's.

Will look for an ODBEleven adaptation to try and resolve, thanks again for the feedback and perspectives, don't take my rantings as being ungrateful for the responses ;-)

 

[Strange Mud]

w/o insulting...have you tried the dash brightness dial on the left side of dash?

Mud

 

[Diggs24]

Well, how many times to do you go reverse to drive? Usually when first leaving home...

I notice it happens if I am quick to let me foot off the brake. Never happens if I am patient and wait 1 or 2 seconds for 1st to engage.

This.

 

[demi9od]

I did the VCDS tweak to light up my dash when parking lights are on. If it's 4PM when I am leaving work and I know I'll be home before dusk, I just turn those on. I don't have auto lights. If I did, I would be frustrated that my headlights and dash were not tied to the same sensor.

 

[Shane_Anigans]

I did the VCDS tweak to light up my dash when parking lights are on. If it's 4PM when I am leaving work and I know I'll be home before dusk, I just turn those on. I don't have auto lights. If I did, I would be frustrated that my headlights and dash were not tied to the same sensor.

Can this be done using OBD11?

 

[demi9od]

Can this be done using OBD11?

Yes, I just said VCDS but I did it with OBD11.

1. Select "Dash Board" control module (I think Instruments on OBD11?)

2. Select "Adaptation"

3. Search for "Illumination_algorithm" and select "Scale_switching_algorithm"

4. Change existing setting, "parking_light" to "lds"

5. If your mk7 is pre MY16, enter 20103. If the vehicle is MY16, or later, enter 25327

 

[AJ15]

I'm going to post this here and hope that someone can tell me I'm doing something wrong.... Sometimes when I turn the HVAC system on it'll turn on A/C and sometimes it won't. I can't figure out a pattern. Regardless of if I already have my HVAC set to high heat, defrost or not defrost, recirculate or pull in fresh air, the system will never consistently do 1 thing or the other when I actually turn the system on (meaning turning the fan from 0 to 1).

 

[AJ15]

I came from the Honda world as well. You'll get used to it as I did

The wiper stalk, but only because it works opposite the way that almost every other car I've ever owned (mostly Honda) did. You'd think by now that all the major car companies and their suppliers could all get together and agree on some standards for basic stuff like this.

I came from a Honda (Civic Si) and I eventually got used to it. Then I bought my wife a Honda and now I'm back to having to mentally think about it before I do it -- because GOD FORBID I run the wipers on my car the morning after I wash it and smear the fine layer of nuclear fall out from the night before.

 

[PLF8593]

I'm going to post this here and hope that someone can tell me I'm doing something wrong.... Sometimes when I turn the HVAC system on it'll turn on A/C and sometimes it won't. I can't figure out a pattern. Regardless of if I already have my HVAC set to high heat, defrost or not defrost, recirculate or pull in fresh air, the system will never consistently do 1 thing or the other when I actually turn the system on (meaning turning the fan from 0 to 1).

I don't have a useful answer for you, besides that it's a VW, and such are the quirks of VW ownership

 

[Shane_Anigans]

Yes, I just said VCDS but I did it with OBD11.

1. Select "Dash Board" control module (I think Instruments on OBD11?)

2. Select "Adaptation"

3. Search for "Illumination_algorithm" and select "Scale_switching_algorithm"

4. Change existing setting, "parking_light" to "lds"

5. If your mk7 is pre MY16, enter 20103. If the vehicle is MY16, or later, enter 25327

2017 GTI, 2017 build date. Thanks!

 

[chiefhiawatha]

I came from a Honda (Civic Si) and I eventually got used to it. Then I bought my wife a Honda and now I'm back to having to mentally think about it before I do it -- because GOD FORBID I run the wipers on my car the morning after I wash it and smear the fine layer of nuclear fall out from the night before.

I have an odyssey and a gti and drive both a lot, and that same thing has happened to me a handful of times.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[heiney9]

I'm going to post this here and hope that someone can tell me I'm doing something wrong.... Sometimes when I turn the HVAC system on it'll turn on A/C and sometimes it won't. I can't figure out a pattern. Regardless of if I already have my HVAC set to high heat, defrost or not defrost, recirculate or pull in fresh air, the system will never consistently do 1 thing or the other when I actually turn the system on (meaning turning the fan from 0 to 1).

I posted the same thing as I was having issues to trying to figure the pattern. I think I've figured it out

A) if the 3rd from the left dial is set to full defrost the A/C comes on
B) if at anytime the recirculation button is pushed it will activate the A/C whether the system is on or off. So if when you come home and you have the recirc button pushed and you turn off the system (like I do) before you shut off the car and then the next time you get in the car and turn the HVAC system on it automatically turns the A/C on because the recirc button was on when you last left the car. This happens no matter where the temperature dial is set
C) if you have the temp dial set all the way to the cold position that's considered max A/C and max A/C is accomplished by running the air and recirculation button in unison. So it turns on the recirc button.

When I leave work today, I'll fiddle with it some more to make sure what I've stated is 100% correct.

 

[KlipZ]

How is everyone's climate control system here anyway? I ask because on my GTI, i need to set the temp to AT LEAST 75 to warm the air and for AC, 71 will feel cool but not frozen.

My mom has a Toureg and 71 in the winter feels like your standing at the gates of hell and 71 in the summer is like your in the arctic.

I also lose about 30miles per full tank of fuel when using my CC system... MPG typically goes from ~30 on my commute to work to ~25-26.