Help! Dashboard lights turn off when I turn on headlights at night!!!.

I have had Chrysler and Chevy vehicles, and I recall being able to dim them. I don’t recall being able to turn them completely off, but none of these had digital dashes. I don’t think it should be allowed to go off on a digital dash, what a safety issue if you are driving without any dash input.

 

I'm wondering the same thing. Everyone here sounds like the Prius is their first car.

 

Thanks all. I must have hit that dimmer switch without realizing it.
Interesting driving at night without a speedometer, mpg display etc on back country roads.
My Prius is teaching me though. I managed 64 plus mpg for the trip.

 

The major difference is the default brightness of the digital dash when the headlights are off.

On any traditional car, the dash is not lit if the headlights are off. So it's purely an on/off deal, you turn on the headlights & the dash comes on to whatever dimmer setting you set. But on the Prius, if you do not like a super bright dash at night & set the dimmer halfway, when you turn on the headlight, the dash will actually go dim to your setting. This is most apparent at dusk and counter intuitive.

 

Also if you have the NAV System, turning that control full on will give a daytime map display when driving at night, backing the control down just before the click will run night mode for the Map Display !!

 

Thank you, Wiserone. I had forgotten about this last turn of the dash brightness wheel, and I struggled with dim dashboard until you came to my rescue.