Finally had enough of the overly bright cluster lighting

[DG65]

One week of ownership and I had finally had it with those bright instrument cluster lights. I'd dim them as far as they'd go and then I couldn't see any of the console lights.

Here's what I did....I removed and disassembled the cluster as far as I safely could without risking damage to the circuit board, which meant I had the gauge cluster in the white housing still attached to the circuit board. Pulling on the board was tugging on the gauge needles so I stopped there.

At that point I had to rethink what I was going to do, I mean, I had it apart - no sense in putting it back together without trying something.

It seemed as though most of the bothersome light was coming from the lighted ring around the gauges themselves, so I took some o-rings, cut them to length, glued the ends together and fit them snuggly around each gauge. All I could find was 3/32 thick o-rings but I would recommend 1/16 if you can find it because the 3/32 made putting it back together a bit snug for the plastic clips on the black inner housing. In fact, I even broke a couple plastic clips getting it back together but it looks fine and all the seams are tight now that it’s back in the vehicle.

For the cruise indicators and the high beam indicator I used a short strip of black pin striping tape horizontally to cover about 70% of the indicators. I cut one end to fit the curve of the gauge and put a simple decorative cut on the other end which stops in the center of the gauge. If you didn’t know Muranos you would think it’s a styling thing. Lol

Tonight will be the real test but I think it may be dim enough to bring the cluster up a few clicks so I can see the console lights.
Modified by DG65 at 6:16 PM 11/21/2009

[svofan1]

...that was good...but with all due respect you are nuts....lol

[DG65]

My wife had nearly the same comment!

Actually, I checked it out last night and it works beautifully! Now all the gauges blend well with the console lights.... finally looks like a normal vehicle.

If I could just change the color to red. Hmmmmmm.........

Next project is getting a pair of driving lights into the fog light ports since I have no fogs.

Ya, it's a sickness. The muscle car is in storage for the winter so I have to have something to tinker on!

[svofan1]

...lol....how old are you?...I do have an old Mustang (SVO) that I put away for the Winter..yes it is a show car....but is your Murano a show piece also?....as beautiful as they are it could be....it sounds that you have a lot of time in your hands...lol...that is what people tell me when I do "crazy" things....your wife and mine may be realted...lol.....I am 65 so there that is my excuse....it works wonderfully....make evrybody thinki that I am "loosing" it..lol...lol....Keep on tinkering is good for the brain and it keeps us out of trouble...keep posting your "discoveries and inventions"..I am sure there are a lot of us here that appreciated your ingenuity..good luck

[DG65]

What a coincidence! I should have known by your username. My old car is a Mustang, too…. It’s a 65 fastback. Not so much a muscle car as it is a pony car.

I’m 44, but I certainly wouldn’t say I have a lot of time on my hands. I do a lot of tinkering to get me out of the house – and that seems to plant me in the garage.

This Murano is a new purchase for us and I tend to do most of my tinkering on our daily drivers while they are fresh and before they become something we just use to get back and forth to work. That’s when I lose interest and have to find the ambition just to change the oil!

Too bad you aren’t closer – we could “car show it” next summer.

[svofan1]

...lol.....I should have known that you had a "hobby"..we are all alike..lol...Ia is quite a distance from NJ...but you never know it is a small World and maybe I will see you in one of the Mustang shows down South...44?....I feel sorry for your wife...you a lot of tinkering to do...I am 65 and still do..lol

[Zotz]

You can turn off the lighted orange rings around the instrument clusters. Just turn off the dial effects on the trip computer under Settings.

[DG65]

Are you kidding me?!

Crap, I have to go check this out.

[DG65]

Ok, word for word from the manual....

1-The instrument brightness control operates when the light switch is in the (parking light) or (headlight) position and the ignition switch is in the "ON" position.

2-Pushing the control switch "A" (plus) once will change the brightness to the night mode.

3-Pushing the control switch "B" (minus) once will change the brightness to the day mode.

4-To adjust the brightness of the instrument panel lights, push the control switches. Pushing the upper switch (plus) will brighten the lights. The lower switch (minus) dims the lights. Repeatedly pushing the lower switch (minus) will turn the lights off.

So, I turn the ignition to the "on" position, turn the lights on and push the (plus) button and the lights get one step brighter instead of going to the "night" mode... whatever that is.I push the (minus) button and the lights get one step dimmer instead of going to "day" mode... again, whatever that is.

Now, I haven't owned an import for nearly 25 years... so either I don't understand these things, I'm doing something wrong or it's not working like it's supposed to.

Steps 2 and 3 don't make any sense to me since they are working like step 4.

[Macsleuth]

Was going to post this, glad someone did. I stumbled across it. Got a couple mid sixties Pontiacs, love to tinker as well. Maybe next summer I might actually drive one of the Pontiacs.

[DG65]

....Ia is quite a distance from NJ...but you never know it is a small World and maybe I will see you in one of the Mustang shows down South...

We've attended a few shows out of state but have never been to the north east. We do have friends in upstate NY, so who knows......

[DG65]

....Got a couple mid sixties Pontiacs, love to tinker as well. Maybe next summer I might actually drive one of the Pontiacs.

I think there are more old car owners hanging around it's just that we never advertise it.

Funny thing is I like the old dials to adjust my heater but I like dual climate controls and such, too. Maybe I'll get used to it, but I have trouble scanning the display just to find what I'm looking for. Of course a botched Lasik operation doesn't help me much, either.

[Desert Rat]

I've got a chery 1970 slammed chevy pickup with an over eager 400 in it. Love the old rides.

I can live with the gauge brightness - it's the high beam and cruise lights that are just downright obnoxious at night.

[DG65]

I've got a chery 1970 slammed chevy pickup with an over eager 400 in it. Love the old rides.......

Sounds like we could start a new thread!

[svofan1]

..this is why sometimes I do feel like a fool...when you find smart people like him that come along and destroy what you thought was the greatest thing or discovery since chocolate cookies...lol.....now do you feel like a fool or what?...lol....You are right we might be forming here a group of old car nuts that think we are scientists..lol....lol....lol...

[DG65]

..this is why sometimes I do feel like a fool...when you find smart people like him that come along and destroy what you thought was the greatest thing or discovery since chocolate cookies...lol.....now do you feel like a fool or what?...lol....

Well, I don't feel like a fool, yet, because I haven't found anything that does what he says it does.

I did drive it tonight tho, and the dash lights (as well as the cruise and high beam indicators) were just right!

[brainguyus]

The setting for this on the '09 Murano is located in the trip computer on the speedometer cluster. You have to roll it to where you set the maintenance intervals. Under that setting you go into options and set "dial effects" to off.

I did it last night and it turns off the orange rings. Not sure if it's the same for an '06. If it is don't feel like a fool, we've all done something like this at one time or another. .

While we're at it...I have a 67 Lincoln Continental 4 door (suicide doors). 462 CI and 5,500 pounds of old Detroit Iron! I'm finishing up on the rear end this winter. It should be ready for show in the early summer.

I live in Pittsburgh but I go to LBI at least three times a year. This summer I might take the Lincoln down to the Island.


Modified by brainguyus at 8:59 AM 11/24/2009

[Czarny_Orzel]

Thanks for posting that bit of information, I'll be trying that on our Murano. The orange rings can be distracting, and having the ability to turn them off would be great.

[DG65]

Well......

I'm kinda hoping that feature isn't on the 06's.

I was kinda proud of myself and if I find out it does function like that I might just have to keep it to old cars.

[brainguyus]

Well......

I'm kinda hoping that feature isn't on the 06's.

I was kinda proud of myself and if I find out it does function like that I might just have to keep it to old cars.

Hey...no reason not to maintain your pride. You still solved a problem in an innovative way and it reads as if you did a nice job.

Let us know if you find this feature on the '06. (so we can all laugh at you......JUST KIDDING!! Seriously, just kidding!)

[BBISHOPPCM]

This feature is not available on the '06s, at least not in the models w/o navigation; so don't worry!

[Czarny_Orzel]

Great! It worked! That (well) hidden feature turned off the orange rings! Many thanks for the info!

[DG65]

This feature is not available on the '06s, at least not in the models w/o navigation; so don't worry!

Whew.... that's good news - for me. I didn't waste that hour and a half.

[svofan1]

..Scary eh?...lol...lol...for a minute there you thought that your little world was coming down on you..lol....loll......in a way I am glad that you discover "america" again....but to be honest...and I am not mean...I was hoping that it work....so I could have a good laugh...lol.....you know how many times I have done things in my Mustang that I thought it was clever and then find that the part was reproduced and i did not have to spend 5 days rebuilding the original one....oh well...keep trying and maybe I can get you another time...lol

[DG65]

I have this feeling there will be other opportunities to "get me". I do some pretty goofy things while trying to better the world around me... the bad part is when I slip up and let others know about it!

[brainguyus]

I have this feeling there will be other opportunities to "get me". I do some pretty goofy things while trying to better the world around me... the bad part is when I slip up and let others know about it!

Yah...I often do the same thing. Don't change....it's good for the brain and often makes for some good stories. I think you and I would get along just fine.

One thing I learned with the Murano is you really need to RTFM. There are alot of features that aren't obvious. I knew about the dial effects setting, but I didn't know it controlled the orange halos until I read this thread.

[DG65]

Ya, you're right, I do need to read the manual more.

Maybe it's like asking for directions?!