Nelson
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So what exactly does it do?I am infact referring to a small button on the steering wheel of the Skoda Octavia, namely an 2006 Laurin & Klement model.
Having driven it back to the workshop on behalf of a customer today I was left a little confused as to what this innocuous little button (of course we are men and as such we like to mess around with gadgets and buttons in someone else car don't we !!). Hhaving searched Google I am none the wiser.
I pressed it, nothing happened, no light on the dashboard appeared, neither did it seem to operate the radio, so for once I hadn't got a clue what function it performed.
It's on the left hand side of the buttons, bottom right, it has a steering wheel symbol with a small bulb over it.
I'm buggered if I can tell what it's for.
Over to you chaps to cure my curiosity !!
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BeN
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Any chance of a picture?
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maz
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it changes the external badges to VW
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DradusContact
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My mums punto has a city button which has a symbol of a steering wheel on it. It makes the already light steering even lighter for girly girls when parking.
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woof woof
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If you press that button an angel has to die.
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SpecB
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I wonder if it is a bulb failure test - if a bulb is blown then a light will come on when pressed? It could be to dim the dashlights a la Saab except the speedo.
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Nelson
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| SpecB wrote: | | It could be to dim the dashlights a la Saab except the speedo. |
nope, it's not that, it had a rotaty switch by the main lighting controls.
Now you mention it DC it could be that. I didn't think a car like that would have that function so didn't try it when parking it at the compound
Oh and SpecB, I drove a 9-3 TiD on an '07 plate yesterday which had a 'night dimmer' button, I pressed it and everything went off apart from the speedo, which I knew it would do, but what surprised me is that the rev counter, fuel and temps guages all fall to zero so youhave absolutely no idea when your fuel if about to run out (I guess it lights up itself when fuel is getting low). I wish it had a button to tighten the steering and give the driver more feedback through the wheel as it was monumentally rubbish !!
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Nelson
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The bumper repairs to the Skoda were completed so I took the opportunity to deliver the car back to the customer which also gave me the chance to ask him what function said mystery button performed.
It is infact....
a dimmer switch for the steering wheel controls, so that just the steering wheel controls can be switched on or off at night.
Quite a neat idea
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Big TC
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I think night-time dimmer switches for dashboard lights, or to turn them off, is a good idea. I had a car once which didn't have this function, and the blue main-beam light was so fekkin' bright that I had to prop something up against the instrument binnacle to block it out. How utterly strange to install a warning lamp that dazzles the driver at night. When its the only time the lamp will be used...
Can't remember what car it was, though.
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Frank Bullitt
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| Nelson wrote: | It is infact....
a dimmer switch for the steering wheel controls, so that just the steering wheel controls can be switched on or off at night.
Quite a neat idea |
Really? Why not just have it connected to the dashboard dimming, which would make sense.
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TimR
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I've had a couple of cars with backlit buttons on the steering wheel and I've never felt the desire to have them dimmed.
Are the ones on Skodas Gestapo spec, shining brightly in your eyes and asking questions in a European accent? 
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Apex clipper
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It's an ejector seat button for the passenger side.
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PG
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It does seem an awfully odd thing to have a dimmer switch for. Night-time is when you need the buttons illuminated. In daylight you can glance down and see what you are pressing.
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SpecB
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| Big TC wrote: | I think night-time dimmer switches for dashboard lights, or to turn them off, is a good idea. I had a car once which didn't have this function, and the blue main-beam light was so fekkin' bright that I had to prop something up against the instrument binnacle to block it out. How utterly strange to install a warning lamp that dazzles the driver at night. When its the only time the lamp will be used...
Can't remember what car it was, though. |
I had a Corsa like that. The main beam light had a lighter blue dot in the middle of it that was very distracting.
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Martin
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| TimR wrote: | | I've had a couple of cars with backlit buttons on the steering wheel and I've never felt the desire to have them dimmed. |
Me neither! Sounds like a huge waste of a steering wheel button that could do something else.
The Sat Nac screen in mine doesn't dim when it gets dark (you can turn it off though) and I didn't want to permanently turn it down. So I messed around with the instrument dimmer and it turns the screen down as well, which will be useful. It also dims the steering wheel buttons!
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SpecB
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| Martin wrote: | | TimR wrote: | | I've had a couple of cars with backlit buttons on the steering wheel and I've never felt the desire to have them dimmed. |
Me neither! Sounds like a huge waste of a steering wheel button that could do something else.
The Sat Nac screen in mine doesn't dim when it gets dark (you can turn it off though) and I didn't want to permanently turn it down. So I messed around with the instrument dimmer and it turns the screen down as well, which will be useful. It also dims the steering wheel buttons! |
There is a setting on my sat nav deep in the options that enables an automatic "night view" when you turn the lights on. It can be overridden by the dash illumination without going into the settings.
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Martin
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I thought there would be something like that (my TomTom does the same thing), but I can't find it.
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SpecB
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| Martin wrote: | | I thought there would be something like that (my TomTom does the same thing), but I can't find it. |
So much for the less complicated iDrive! 
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Gooner
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When I've been using Vauxhalls as hire cars, whilst I can understand after a few goes, what each button for the steering wheel mounted controls does, I am utterly flummoxed as to how they came up with the design for the logo on each button, they just don't make sense!
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Martin
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Well, taking a function away does make something less complicated!!
It's such a fabulous display with great resolution, they obviously want you to see it properly all the time 
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DaveGibson
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On the Lexus, the lights come on automatically at a particular level of darkness and then the instruments dim and the Sat/Nav changes from a white to a black background when the light drops further. You can override it with the dimmer switch.
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Martin
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Well.....
When you are in Sat Nav and press options, you get a list of things you can select and a sub menu called settings. In that submenu is an option for auto night mode! The once bright sky (with little clouds) changes to a dark blue sky (with stars), the ground goes black and the colours for the roads change. The display also dims slightly. I only tried it when it was completely dark, so I don't know whether that's it or there is a stage in between.
Idrive was so straightforward, I didn't read the lengthy manual!
I also found a couple of other options in there that aren't so useful, such as the satellite overlay which does what it says but just makes the map look busy really. It's supposed to display buildings in 3d when in major cities, I don't know whether that's automatic or is in with the satellite option. I'll have to pop over to London to find out!!
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