Digital displays suddenly very dim

[RyanP]

On the way home from work the main 12" display and the one to the right of the speedometer suddenly became very dim making to the point they were hard to see. I turned the Bronco on and off a few times and even let it stay off for about an hour, but that didn't help. They displays turn back to normal brightness when I turn the lights off, but once I turn the lights on again, the displays go back to being very dim after just a few seconds. I've tried the brightness, day/night/auto, even the ambient lighting, carplay settings, etc. I haven't even had it a week and it has less than 500 miles so it's really new. Has anybody had this happen to them? Any idea as to the cause and how to fix it? Suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[ZipZit]

Somewhere is a brightness adjuster for night time driving. My guess is you bumped it somehow. I know that is a federal requirement.

edit. Here are the details from the owners guide. With that said, I have no idea where these buttons are... (the way things are going, my Bronco is destined to be a late 2023, sigh)

 

[RyanP]

Somewhere is a brightness adjuster for night time driving. My guess is you bumped it somehow.

I think I've tried everything several times that I can find via the main touchscreen and on the steering wheel controls. is there another control located somewhere else? It's really weird the displays dim after just a few seconds. It's almost like a sensor is reading that there's more light than there actually is.

 

[fuesting]

Take your hat or whatever off the dash. In the center, near the windshield is the light sensor. Don't ask me how many hours it took me to learn this...

 

[Firefight911]

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=usa&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

 

[RyanP]

Take your hat or whatever off the dash. In the center, near the windshield is the light sensor. Don't ask me how many hours it took me to learn this...

I haven't put anything on the dash, but I'll go take a look. If something was covering the sensor, wouldn't it make it brighter, not dimmer? I think there's some sort of reset to the original factory conditions that I might try. And thank you.

 

[RyanP]

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/...&userMarket=usa&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

You win. Thank you! I have no clue how I could have hit it. I can only wish my legs were that long. Thank you again and this is just another example of why I'm thankful to be a part of this forum. Now I'll sheepishly tell my wife and kids it's fixed and must be user error.

 

[Scabieathrax]

I would take it in to get looked at by the dealer. my Bronco does something similar but it only stays dim for a second or two. I am currently getting the radio/infotainment unit replaced.

 

[RyanP]

I would take it in to get looked at by the dealer. my Bronco does something similar but it only stays dim for a second or two. I am currently getting the radio/infotainment unit replaced.

Hopefully they can get yours fixed or replaced quickly. I think I somehow managed to hit the dimmer buttons by the lights that I didn’t even know existed.

 

[Raptor.Tremor.Bronco]

Mine did the same thing. Nothing blocking sensor, bright and sunny day

 

[RyanP]

Mine did the same thing. Nothing blocking sensor, bright and sunny day

Did you try the dimmer buttons by the lights? I have no clue how I could have pushed it, but using these worked to make it bright again. Thanks to firefight911 for the spot on diagnosis and all of the other replies too.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

On the way home from work the main 12" display and the one to the right of the speedometer suddenly became very dim making to the point they were hard to see. I turned the Bronco on and off a few times and even let it stay off for about an hour, but that didn't help. They displays turn back to normal brightness when I turn the lights off, but once I turn the lights on again, the displays go back to being very dim after just a few seconds. I've tried the brightness, day/night/auto, even the ambient lighting, carplay settings, etc. I haven't even had it a week and it has less than 500 miles so it's really new. Has anybody had this happen to them? Any idea as to the cause and how to fix it? Suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thanks.

Hi there, RyanP. I can look into this display issue regarding your Bronco on my end. Will you send us a message with your VIN and dealership info?

 

[RyanP]

Hi there, RyanP. I can look into this display issue regarding your Bronco on my end. Will you send us a message with your VIN and dealership info?

Thank you for your quick response and willingness to look into this issue. It's great to see that there's a desire to provide direct communication and customer service. One of the forum members, @Firefight911 , pointed me in the right direction with the dimmer buttons near the light dial. I have no idea if / how these were hit (I'm short), but using them appears to have resolved the issue. The screen has locked up a few times in the ~ 5 days that I have owned it, but this too seems to be ok at the moment as turning the Bronco off and back on seems to have done the trick. Again, thank you and please keep up the direct communication as it's meaningful, especially with the early adopters and enthusiasts on this site.

 

[Mrpenn46]

I haven't put anything on the dash, but I'll go take a look. If something was covering the sensor, wouldn't it make it brighter, not dimmer? I think there's some sort of reset to the original factory conditions that I might try. And thank you.

If the light sensor is blocked it will think it is night time and either dim or switch to night mode (black background) so it's not as bright in a dark car.

Glad you were able to resolve the issue.

 

[RyanP]

If the light sensor is blocked it will think it is night time and either dim or switch to night mode (black background) so it's not as bright in a dark car.

Glad you were able to resolve the issue.

Apparently I was having another senior moment last night. You're absolutely right. Not sure what I was "thinking".

Sponsored