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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
On my 2017 Volt Premier the is a dial for adjusting the panel light brightness/dimness. I understand and can see how it works when the lights are on, but I don't understand what is supposed to happen when you push the button in. It appears to be a 2 position button as well as a dial. I haven't been able to find in the manual anything other than what is on page 153 which discusses what happens when you turn the dial. But it doesn't say anything about pushing the button in or out. Thanks for anyone that can explain this feature to me.
 

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On my 2017 Volt Premier the is a dial for adjusting the panel light brightness/dimness. I understand and can see how it works when the lights are on, but I don't understand what is supposed to happen when you push the button in. It appears to be a 2 position button as well as a dial. I haven't been able to find in the manual anything other than what is on page 153 which discusses what happens when you turn the dial. But it doesn't say anything about pushing the button in or out. Thanks for anyone that can explain this feature to me.
You push on the tip of the control, this releases the rotary knob so you can rotate the control to adjust the brightness of the dashboard display. Push the control back in so the setting cannot be accidentally changed or else leave it extended while you are finding the preferred brightness setting. This control only adjusts night time screen brightness. It does not affect daytime screen brightness.
 

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Discussion Starter · #3 ·
I guess that makes sense, but I wish there was some mention of it in the manual. (they also could have mentioned that the dial has NO Effect on lighting during daylight when the lights are in "auto" mode) At least that has been my experience.
Certainly not a critical issue.....just still learning about all of the fine points of the Volt.
 

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You push on the tip of the control, this releases the rotary knob so you can rotate the control to adjust the brightness of the dashboard display. Push the control back in so the setting cannot be accidentally changed or else leave it extended while you are finding the preferred brightness setting. This control only adjusts night time screen brightness. It does not affect daytime screen brightness.
Do the screens automatically adjust their own brightness in daytime with lights set to "Auto" ? I was driving to work today in my 2018 Volt. It was overcast and my car has tinted windows so it's fairly dark inside. I tried adjusting the brightness knob and it didn't do anything (makes sense - it's daytime and lights are set to "Auto"). However, while I was driving I noticed both screens suddenly went very bright, without me touching anything. Almost like it was automatically adjusting it's own brightness. Is this normal? I've seen this happen a couple of times now.
 

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Do the screens automatically adjust their own brightness in daytime with lights set to "Auto" ? I was driving to work today in my 2018 Volt. It was overcast and my car has tinted windows so it's fairly dark inside. I tried adjusting the brightness knob and it didn't do anything (makes sense - it's daytime and lights are set to "Auto"). However, while I was driving I noticed both screens suddenly went very bright, without me touching anything. Almost like it was automatically adjusting it's own brightness. Is this normal? I've seen this happen a couple of times now.
It will adjust based on ambient lighting, but this usually correlates with the headlights being on or off (the exceptions being when the headlights are on due to the wipers being on, but it's bright outside). They may have changed it in 2018, I suppose, but I have never seen the brightness on my 2016 adjust without the headlights also toggling on or off.
 

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It will adjust based on ambient lighting, but this usually correlates with the headlights being on or off (the exceptions being when the headlights are on due to the wipers being on, but it's bright outside). They may have changed it in 2018, I suppose, but I have never seen the brightness on my 2016 adjust without the headlights also toggling on or off.
I am not 100% certain if my headlights were on or off. It was fairly light outside (overcast, 9 am in the morning). I know they are set to "Auto" and I tried adjusting the brightness control after I saw the screens both go very bright. I'm assuming they were off and just the fog lamps were on. Anyway, the brightness adjustment didn't work. Nothing happened when I turned the dial. Strange functionality I guess. I know I have turned it before and brightness adjustment did work, but I think that was in my garage (dark) or at night time...
 

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I am not 100% certain if my headlights were on or off. It was fairly light outside (overcast, 9 am in the morning). I know they are set to "Auto" and I tried adjusting the brightness control after I saw the screens both go very bright. I'm assuming they were off and just the fog lamps were on. Anyway, the brightness adjustment didn't work. Nothing happened when I turned the dial. Strange functionality I guess. I know I have turned it before and brightness adjustment did work, but I think that was in my garage (dark) or at night time...
There are no fog lamps on the Volt.

If you have heavy tinting, and since the sensor is inside the car, you may very well have had your lights on and not known it. That may easily have been the case since it was essentially bright enough outside for your lights to not illuminate anything in front of you. When it got bright enough outside to overcome the reduction in overall interior brightness due to the heavy tinting, the lights turned off and the screens brightened.
 

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There are no fog lamps on the Volt.

If you have heavy tinting, and since the sensor is inside the car, you may very well have had your lights on and not known it. That may easily have been the case since it was essentially bright enough outside for your lights to not illuminate anything in front of you. When it got bright enough outside to overcome the reduction in overall interior brightness due to the heavy tinting, the lights turned off and the screens brightened.
I meant the daytime running lights, I guess, the ones at the bottom left/right front of the car. To me they are fog lights (old school :)

I guess it's mildly annoying the screen automatically changes brightness on me. But I will live with it.
 

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Discussion Starter · #9 ·
I agree that it is mildly annoying. I would rather be able to manually adjust the screen brightness by using the dial anytime, but that is not to be.
 
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