HVAC Controls and radio too bright

At night these things are very hard on my eyes.

I can see both of them dim when I turn the lights on so that's working but not dim enough. I've twisted the instrument lights down as far as they go but that doesn't seem to affect these two things.

Now the stereo in my '96 RMW is a Kenwood DNX890HD and I've programmed it to the dimmest setting there is for when the headlights dim. I can turn the display off on that with a few button pushes but the HVAC screen is searing my eyes when I'm driving for hours on unlit roads at night.

Does anybody know of any easy fixes?

Get used to it, as that is what happens when you change the factory radio.

Tom

Maybe try wearing some yellow driving lenses?

Tom's correct. The stock radio has a dimming circuit that supplies the HVAC. When you go aftermarket, you lose the dimming function.

jayoldschool wrote:

Tom's correct.  The stock radio has a dimming circuit that supplies the HVAC. When you go aftermarket, you lose the dimming function.

So when I get my RMW and install my JVC headunit my HVAC will be frying my eyes at night? Crap... I'd just put a piece of see-thru colored tape over the LCD...

You could install LEDs in the unit. They tend to be a little dimmer than the stock incandescent bulbs. Another option is to paint the bulbs with a translucent paint. Still one more, put a potentiometer in series with the lighting circuit, and then you can manually adjust the brightness.