PCM Display Brightness
02-12-2019, 02:18 PM
#1
PCM Display Brightness
I've had my 07 C4S about a year and driven it mostly on sunny days. Lately I have been driving it more and I notice the display on the PCM does not (seem to) dim at night. The manual says it is supposed to dim with the dash lights when in night mode. The lights behind the PCM buttons do dim, but the display itself does not. The nav map does change color to night mode when the headlights are on but it's still way to bright and distracting so I end up turning off the display. The manual brightness display in the PCM settings menu has an indicator bar that goes up and down when you adjust it, but there is no perceptible change in the display brightness. The contrast adjustment works fine. I was just wondering if this is problem unique to my car or just a systemic issue.
02-12-2019, 07:08 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
Hows the backup camera project coming? I dont think mine changes brightness day/night, but I've never really looked at it that hard. I know the night mode is only applicable on the Map display. I do believe ive changed my brightness manually, because if you turn it to 100% the Windows 95 looking bar at the top of the screen no longer displays (or maybe thats the contrast).
Anyway, while you're in there...can you also find out why the Bose speed adjust volume control doesn't work. That's my only annoyance with the PCM 2.1. I've come to appreciate its retro style.
Anyway, while you're in there...can you also find out why the Bose speed adjust volume control doesn't work. That's my only annoyance with the PCM 2.1. I've come to appreciate its retro style.
02-12-2019, 07:42 PM
#3
The PCM 2.1 integrated backup camera project is done and works well, though it took some time to install. You have to install a circuit board in the PCM that co-ops the display when the camera is activated. The circuit board intercepts the internal ribbon cable feeding the LCD screen and allows switching between PCM display and the camera display. The circuit board installs inside the PCM and has a cable running out to an external module which can accept several camera inputs. One nice thing is that the PCM does not need to boot up before the backup camera works. The camera display is nearly instant when you put it in reverse.
I thought the camera PCM mod might have caused the problem with the dimming not working, but last night I bypassed the new circuit board in the PCM and it made no difference. I think it has always been that way and I just did not have drive it at night enough to notice. The owners manual says something kind of telling in reference to the manual brightness adjustment in the PCM. It's says something like "you won't be able to see the change in brightness except in very hard to view conditions". Sounds to me like there really is not much adjustment range, which is probably why they provided that nifty button on the PCM that turns off the display backlight. And you are correct, if you don't have the nav screen on it really is not a problem. But with the nav screen up it's bright enough to be distracting at night.
I thought the camera PCM mod might have caused the problem with the dimming not working, but last night I bypassed the new circuit board in the PCM and it made no difference. I think it has always been that way and I just did not have drive it at night enough to notice. The owners manual says something kind of telling in reference to the manual brightness adjustment in the PCM. It's says something like "you won't be able to see the change in brightness except in very hard to view conditions". Sounds to me like there really is not much adjustment range, which is probably why they provided that nifty button on the PCM that turns off the display backlight. And you are correct, if you don't have the nav screen on it really is not a problem. But with the nav screen up it's bright enough to be distracting at night.
