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Post by mike13 on Oct 26, 2024 13:53:38 GMT
Hi guys,
I need your help, I had my windows tinted on a mk8 golf and now when it gets dark the screens go very dim. Can anyone please advise me on how to adjust it? Or if anyone has a car with tinted windows from factory that can show me the dashboard settings?
Car is a golf 1.0 Etsi life 2024 no tint from factory
Thank you
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Post by dv52 (Australia) on Oct 26, 2024 23:37:49 GMT
Mike: Hi - what country is this and what are the exact details of this car?
From the words in the title of your post - I suspect that you already have an inkling how to answer your own question!
I wrote a set of instructions for this tweak when I first started to experiment with "dimming characteristic curve" channels at the time when the Golf mk7 was first released here in the Antipodes (a very long time ago).
Of course this car is a Golf mk8 (not a mk7) - at least I assume that your vehicle is a Golf mk8 because you have posted your question in this part of the forum.
As you might already know, the Golf mk8 (which is built on a MQB-evo chassis) is significantly different from the Golf mk7 (which has a MQB platform). Nevertheless, both cars have a degree of similarity and much of the underlying DNA from the mk7 was transferred to the newer Golf. This generational retention in the mk7 design is certainly true for how the Golf mk8 modulates the illumination level of the dashboard with changing cabin light levels.
So, let's start with an explanation of the technology for this process: the underlying mechanism for dashboard illumination levels in a Golf mk7/mk8 is based on a transducer called a "photo-transistor". This is an electronic component which has a transparent housing - see example below.
The thing about a photo-transistor that makes it useful for dashboard illumination is that it is able to convert light energy into electric energy in a special way - meaning that the "gain" of the transistor is dependent on the quantity of light falling onto the transparent spot in my picture above. I'm not sure where the photo-transistor is located on a Golf mk8 - but on a mk7, its integrated into the tachometer as shown below:
If you shine a strong torch with a narrow beam on different parts of the mk8 dashboard - you should be able to find the transducer because when the beam hits the transistor, the illumination level of the dash should fall!
So, with my explanation above as a context - this is how the coding process works on your mk8 (which is identical to a mk7):
As you suggest in the title of your post, the module that lives at address hex17 on the CAN network (which OBD11 calls the Dashboard module) uses a bunch of adaptation channels called dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment to control the illumination levels
On a Golf mk8, the specific illumination functions on the dashboard that are controlled are: - bargraph_main_colour
- middle_display_main_field_high_resolution
- startup_shutdown_backlight-Ausdimmen (Dimming out)
- startup_shutdown_backlight-Eindimmen (Dim down)
- internal_phototransistor
The set-up for each of the functions above is based on "X" and "Y" coordinate values - like on a 2 x axis graph. The first 4 x functions in my list have 6 x reference points (X1....X6 & Y1....Y6) and the phototransistor has 5 x reference points. My hunch is that these coordinate-values define the "strength" of the function's response to varying cabin light levels based on the values for these reference points.
OK - hopefully you are still following my words!! From my database of mk8 control modules, the factory values for cars across different world markets for the phototransistor channel-group are all very similar - but there is usually a small variation (which I guess is not surprising given that ambient sunshine levels differ across the planet)
Here is an example of the factory settings for the phtotransistor channel-group for a Golf mk8 Europe model
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-X1 > 00 00
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-X2 > 00 32
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-X3 > 00 64
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-X4 > 00 FA
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-X5 > 01 F4
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-Y1 > 00 00
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-Y2 > 00 28
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-Y3 > 00 50
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-Y4 > 00 96
- dimming_characteristic_curve_adjustment_internal_phototransistor-Y5 > 00 FD
So, my suggestion is that you experiment with the phototransistor channel group - specifically, by changing the "X" values.
From my work with the Golf mk7 - these are the rules when changing "X" channel values that I expect will be the same on a mk8:
Rules for changing "X" values: - The settings in my channel list above refer to Hexadecimal (Hex) values - which is a base 16 numbering system
- The range of the "X" values is Hex00 00 - Hex01 F4. This is equivalent in the decimal numbering system to 0 - 500
- The reference-point for the brightest daylight illumination in the cabin is "X5" and the darkest cabin level is "X1" (i.e. the sequence X1, X2, X3.... X5 corresponds to increasing daylight levels in the cabin)
- For a particular "X" channel ( X5, for example), decreasing the hex value increases the instrument panel lighting at the cabin illumination level for X5
And also from my Golf mk7 experience, I suggest that you consider the following restrictions when experimenting with the "X" values: - The X1 channel value determines the cluster illumination when the cabin is dark. It is possible by altering the X1 channel to have the instrument cluster illuminate with the rotary light switch in the off position during dark cabin conditions. However I suggest that this is not a prudent change to make for the following reason
- In night time conditions, it is very likely that the headlights will (or more importantly, should be) switched on anyway. The reason why the X1 factory value intentionally does not light-up the instrument cluster at night is to provide a reminder to the driver that the headlights should be switched-on. If the night time dimming curve is modified, this driver-prompt (reminder message) will be lost! So, keep the setting for X1 = 00 00
- A consequence of altering dimming curve is that it will reduce the range available to the driver to adjust the instrument panel illumination (i.e. the "virtual "slider " that is accessed via the car's menu). This restriction is particularly impacting at night. Depending on how aggressive the new night-time curve is made, the adjustment facility can be severely restricted
Experimental methodology: My strong recommendation is that you apply some discipline when changing "X" values - else you will find (as I did) that there will be unintended consequences!! For this reason, I suggest that you take note of the 5 x factory values before making changes and that you return the channels to these settings if stuff goes pear-shape!
Further, I suggest that you maintain the same overall "X" curve profile as for the factory settings when changing values -meaning that you should lower ALL the "X" values by the same proportion, rather than randomly applying different values to the individual X channels. Alas, keeping the same overall "X" curve profile is complicated by the fact that the channel values are Hex numbers. To do this, you will need to apply the following maths: - Convert the 5 x factory Hex values to decimal numbers - use a web based hex-to-decimal converter (there's lots on the electric internet!)
- Decide the amount of decrease for the X5 value and calculate the proportional decrease
- Calculate the same proportional decrease for each remaining X channels (keep X1=0)
- Convert the new (decrease) decimal values to Hexadecimal numbers (again, use a decimal-to-hexadecimal converter from the electric internet)
- Apply the (decrease) hex value to each X channel using OBD11. Remember to use the required Hex format when entering the new values into the module - meaning enter values as pairs of numbers with a space between the number pairs
Finally, I include below an example of what worked for me with my early Golf mk7. Of course, I'm NOT suggesting that the same values will apply in your case - I simply intend the information as an indication of one outcome using the process that I describe in this reply.
To demonstrate how my suggested methodology works in my example above - notice that X5 started as the factory value hex01 F4 =500 and I decreased the setting to hex00 64 = 100. This is a decrease of 20% of the decimal version of the factory value. While retaining X0 = hex00 00, the remaining X values were proportionally decreased to 20% of their original settings (as decimal numbers) to retain the overall factory profile of the dimming curve
Hope this makes sense - it does to me!!
Don
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Post by paneuropean on Oct 27, 2024 11:49:04 GMT
Can anyone please advise me on how to adjust it? Mike: Have you investigated adjusting the brightness control for the instrument panel and center screen displays? The basic car does have a control (a slider on a screen) somewhere in the menus that lets you increase or decrease the brightness of the display panels. I don't have aftermarket tint, but I personally find the displays to be way too bright. I've turned the slider down all the way. If I was to turn it up all the way, the screens would be intolerably (for me) bright. Perhaps take a peek at your owner manual and try out that slider control before you start digging into making software changes. |
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Post by mike13 on Oct 31, 2024 12:09:12 GMT
Just to clarify some things, the car is a european mk8 life edition.
As I understand it this platform-like all new cars have automatic lights on by default, so it constantly monitors the brightness inside the car. I have set the brightness to high in the infotainment screen which seem to have improved the lighting only in daylight. As soon as the sun starts to go down the screens start to dim, and at night it gets really annoying because the brightness gets very low. Honestly I was not expecting to have such a problem. If I don’t succeed in setting the brightness, then my last resort will be to remove the tint.
Thank you very much for your answers
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