Blue Instrument Panel Lights

[kenk]

Hi All

The blue background lighting on the instrument panel was on for over a year in my '06 Mazda3 Sport.
I switched cars with a relative for a few weeks (needed an automatic while broken leg healed) and now the blue lights are off.
I recall the salesman telling me how to switch them on and off but I can't remember now. Neither can I find the info in the manual.

Can anybody help me with this?

Cheers
Ken

[Zubbie]

Are they off, or are the red lights brighter?? If you are tryin to reduce the brightness level of the red, then push the button on the instrument cluster beside the trip button... the one on the left side in between the tachometer and speedometer.

[kenk]

Hi Zubbie

I've played with the brightness of the red, but the blue is off.

Ken

[Zubbie]

Other than make sure your headlights are on and the dimmer is turned all the way up.... im not sure, sorry.

[majic]

AFAIK only the GTs have the blue hue.. did you switch for the IDENTICAL car? if he has a GS/GX you won't get the blue lighting..

[Gizzmo_jr]

I can't see the blue if there's any daylight really.

[3GFX]

The blue ring is only on GT models. Also it is only on with the parking lights, or when you take the key out of the ignition, leave and lock your car.

[kenk]

I have my own car back in which the blue lights previously came on with the red instrument lights.
Same car.
No blue lights.
How do I get them back is my problem.

Cheers
Ken

[queens49]

The blue ring is only on GT models. Also it is only on with the parking lights, or when you take the key out of the ignition, leave and lock your car.

That's not true. I have the blue accent lighting in the gauge pods, and just above the ashtray. They light up when I'm driving at night. Don't know what triggers it, but I see it at night.

[3GFX]

That's not true. I have the blue accent lighting in the gauge pods, and just above the ashtray. They light up when I'm driving at night. Don't know what triggers it, but I see it at night.

We're talking about the guages are we not? All cars have the blue in the centre panel but the GTs have different gauges.

[queens49]

We're talking about the guages are we not? All cars have the blue in the centre panel but the GTs have different gauges.

Yeah, talking about the gauges. I wasn't sure if all cars had the blue accent lighting on the lower part of the centre gauge. I don't know if the gauges themselves are different, I think the GTs just have a blue LED at the top inside of the round pods, that cast a blue glow on the face of the gauges. And it's there when the instrument lights are on.

[queens49]

I have my own car back in which the blue lights previously came on with the red instrument lights.
Same car.
No blue lights.
How do I get them back is my problem.

Cheers
Ken

Something I noticed on my way home tonight. When you have the instrument lights on, is the centre console lights on bright? I noticed that if the light intensity dial on the driver left side is turned way down, and the gauge light is turned all the way up, it looks like the blue accent lighting is off.

[3GFX]

The rotary knob on the left controls the dash lights and the gauge number lights. But if you have the LEDs on full bright (using the button on the cluster) the knob will not affect it.

[queens49]

The rotary knob on the left controls the dash lights and the gauge number lights. But if you have the LEDs on full bright (using the button on the cluster) the knob will not affect it.

Your description of the buttons are much better than what I wrote. What I was trying to explain was if you have the rotary knob all the way down, and the gauge light on full bright using the button on the cluster, then the blue accent LED is not really visible anymore.

3GFX, I noticed what you were talking about where the blue accent LEDs come on in the gauge cluster when you remove the key etc. I guess I just got used to it, and never noticed it anymore. In any case, the blue accent LEDs come on again, when the headlights are on. I don't see anything on the dash that would disable/enable them from coming on.

[3GFX]

I don't think you can turn off the blue, just dim it with the knob you were talking about. I doubt all three bulbs would burn out at once :p