Button Backlight/Illimination Problems

Chrisman · 05-23-2009, 10:52 AM

Hello, so when i first got my smart I noticed that none of the buttons ( windows, lock doors) were ever illuminated at night. Shortly after I realized that it did magically work and that I could adjust the levels.. well just this week they went off again!! I can adjust the lights for the LCD screen underneath the Speedometer.. but thats about it, nothing else happens, it stays pitch black. I am taking the car in for the transmission thing soon so yeah.. anyone else had this problem or know how to fix it?

John_H · 05-23-2009, 11:31 AM

Sounds like an intermittent connection far upstream to affect both window switch and central button bank backlights. Until now I wouldn't have thought they were on the same wire. Any input from the headlight switch that would turn on the parking lights and/or headlamps would also affect both the speedometer backlight and switch backlights so we're confident the input is working.

It sounds like it may be a little work for the tech guys to find the culprit connection but at least it's under warranty. To me it looks from the central buttons (door locks) that the backlight wire is at pin 1 on that connector: a blue-gray or blue-white wire that feeds in to the main wiring harness.

At the Smart center they should have the basic wiring harness repair kit (W000 589 13 99 00) to replace anything that looks bad.

So if they can find the other end of that central-console wire and it's part of a two-wire socket connection, replacing that socket pin should get you going as long as a visual check shows something was off-kilter.

Good luck for a quick, permanent repair.

Chrisman · 05-25-2009, 09:54 AM

Thankyou so much, you helped me understand a bit better. hopefully they can do it fast.. or else they better add on a detailing :P

TMACK · 06-08-2009, 06:17 AM

Just took my 4 day old 2009 Passion to work this morning and encountered the same problem. Had to use my pen flashlight to determine just how fast I was going. The indicator needle is illuminated, but the back LCD overlay is dark, as well as the associated icons for time, etc.
My optional "rev counter" and analog lights are dark as well, and could possibly be the source of my problem.

I'm going to assume the answer to this is going to be no, but does anyone have the schematics available for Fortwo owners?

Tom

John_H · 06-08-2009, 08:53 AM

If you're in Northern Virginia, why not just take the car in to the dealer?

Since you don't have backlight on the speedometer, it sounds like your light switch isn't indicating to the sytem that backlight is needed.

Or you're driving your 2009 with just your daytime running lights. Turn on the headlights!

cubefx · 06-08-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_H

Turn on the headlights!

+1

TMACK · 06-08-2009, 10:29 AM

Well, THAT is an embarrassing and distinct possiblity!
I DO remember getting into the car at 0430 this morning, starting up and noticing the 'lights' turned on automatically, thinking "my, that's nice, what didn't smart think of next?". Even noticing the DRL dash indicator turning on, but not noticing the backlight being off until miles down the road, (yes, I am fully awake). What is interesting: the bottom half of the LCD group is on, automatically, not the speedometer portion. So, if THAT goes on with the DRLs, why would they not just include the entire suite, or none at all?

I didn't even think of turning the lights on. I think you have just spared me a trip to the dealer.

In my defense, this was the first time I've driven the smart in the dark.

Cheers,

John_H · 06-08-2009, 11:06 AM

Because LCDs aren't typically built to be sunlight-readable, backlights are on for those whether the headlights are on or not though the intensity of the LCD backlight may change to avoid blinding a nighttime driver. The needle is also always-lit as you noticed.

At least your oversight wasn't something sincerely more basic: paddle operation. The one post mentioned how irate the customer was that occasionally the transmission got stuck in first gear - he had to pull over and turn the car off/on to clear the problem. We never heard back from that person because I can almost guarantee my diagnosis was correct and he was embarrassed: he bumped his paddles while driving in "D." If you bump the paddles while in 4th gear, for instance, you'll transition to manual mode and your transmission will automatically shift down as you approach a stoplight leaving you in 1st gear when stopped. The auto-upshift in manual mode is tougher, having to hit 6500rpm before the computer overrides the manual gear selection. He bumped his paddles and didn't know about the paddle-based manual override shipped with his car.

TMACK · 06-08-2009, 01:26 PM

Man, do I feel the dope.
JohnH, I dropped my work and ran up the garage to check your diagnosis, knowing full well you were spot on even before I fired it up; I sat there red-faced thinking how I drove in this mornng with a pen light on the speedo...

This is the worst self violation of Occum's razor I've ever admitted to.
And you did spare me the trip to one of Dante's levels: Tyson's Corner.

I owe you one, mate.

Cheers,
Tom

John_H · 06-08-2009, 01:41 PM

Laughing seriously over here.

Thanks for such a great disposition in spite of the slight embarrassment. The reason I figured it might be DRLs, though, is because I went through that once with a rental car a decade ago. "But my lights look on!"