Dash Speedo lights - do they turn on and off automatically with headlights turned on?

[MN12hybrid]

I just bought my 98 LSC a month ago and LOVE the car.. makes me realize how much I missed my 94 (late 93 model) which was very noticeably quicker. The 2nd gen has improvements as we all know and I am still getting used to the updates, like with the message center that seems to be more interactive and show more info, especially when compared to first gen like my 94 (late 93) model had.

I noticed on my drive last night, as I turn on the headlights, the speedo/tach lights in the cluster turn on, but they were turning off on their own. Headlights were not affected and working fine. We were driving in and out of light rain, and when the sun was shining on the car, the lights turned off, and the dimmer dial had no effect on dimming the rest of the dashboard. But when the speedo cluster lights turned back on, the dimmer switch worked fine, and was able to dim the speedo cluster lights, and the rest of the lights on the entire dash.

However, when it got cloudy again and dark, the speedo cluster light would turn on again. I originally thought it was something that broke, but realizing this must be a feature. Am I correct with this assumption? Is there a way to turn that off so it stops going back and forth? Or is this not something that's normal and it needs to be fixed??

I turn off the auto lights, and other features like the side view mirrors adjusting when putting into reverse, and also the feature where the seats move forward automatically when you push the front seat forward.. basically anything not necessary, I turn off to keep it from getting overused and wearing out faster. I try not to even to adjust the steering wheel often because I hear they wear out, and if you extend the steering wheel too close towards the driver, eventually a pin or something breaks, and the wheel falls/drops out of the mechanism?

 

[xtriggerman]

Yeah, the gauge cluster seems to be tied to the ambient light sensor. I could find no way of by passing its auto function either. Obviously, you'v been reading up on the steering wheel. Mine goes up & down "most" of the time but no longer goes in or out. So I dont run any of the auto memory settings. If it didn't have these issues, I'd confuse it with some ones import.

 

[MN12hybrid]

Good to know... lol

Everything in the interior works flawlessly, except for the blend door motor.. The heated seats are awesome, but I make sure to not turn it on full blast.. only a few notches just above low at the most. When these elements burn out, I heard thats it, and you cannot buy the replacement heater element anymore which really sucks. The steering wheel adjustment works perfectly, so I adjusted it to how I need it, the seats, the mirrors, etc.. and I saved it into memory. My lady may drive the car once in a while, and she is tiny so I will set things with her in the car so she is comfortable and save it was the second driver setting. I am not using auto lamps, and turned off the feature with the mirrors angling down when I put in reverse (did the same thing in my Lexus even though its not something known to break in that car right along with the electric steering wheel adjustments) and I am going to make sure my lady knows not to turn on the autolamps.. she likes using them in the BMW and I always get on her case about that since shit burns out/breaks faster, especially on the German car even though its only 4 years old with 78k miles - I am still chasing a damn tail light issue on that car and its fucking driving me nuts due to a defect from BMW with grounding that they charge 900 plus to fix, and it will still have the same damn problem in another couple years.

I am starting to clean up my 99 Accord with 59k miles, putting new cheap tires on, popping out a dent, changing belt, may even do timing belt, and then professionally detail and wet sand it with a good polish and ceramic wax, so I can sell it next month.. that car should sell very easily. I prefer the Mark any day over the Accord especially since I will be daily driving the Lincoln which is far more comfortable and gets decent mileage if I keep the revs down. I am loving the second gen seats in the Mark as well - much better than what I had in my 94!

I need to put some better pics up of my Mark - its exceptional and the interior is pretty much pristine except for the passenger side back seat where there is an ink stain from a pen - I will have to try cleaning some of it up, and then will get a kit to dye the proper grey color back over the leather.

The Lexus has no problems, and is the most reliable car I have ever owned, and I can swear that aliens engineered the car, which makes sense since it was partially hand built in Japan. But I don't want to drive it too often either, and the Mark is just as comfortable as the Lexus although its not quite as loaded and luxurious.