Accord 2004 EX. Are the steering wheel control switches illuminated ?????

Seems weird that Honda would not illuminate the controls on the
steering wheel but I don't seem to have it. Can anybody confirm this.
TIA,
Mike

 

They are not, and others have complained about it. It bothered me at first,
but I got used to it. Now I've realized: you're not supposed to look at those
switches when you use them, and they all feel different, so they don't really
need to be illuminated. Once you get used to it, I'm sure it wont matter
to you either.

 

Dark as can be. They really cheeped out on this.

John

 

I prefer them unlit.

 

I just realized that the main problem with unlit controls is that the legends
wear off because they are just painted on. The lit ones are molded into the
plastic, so they last forever. Or maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps honda molds the
unlit legends into the buttons as well. Anyone know?

 

It really doesn't matter, as cruise control buttons are seldom used. There's
just too much congestion on our highway these
days that it's not that practical anymore. Only good for long trips when
your foot starts to hurt

Also IMO, too many things illuminated causes a distraction when driving at
night.

 

On my del Sol, the cruise control buttons on the wheel, which are unlit,
remain in excellent shape after 10 years and 149,000 miles. The legends
are not molded.

The lighted dashboard buttons, like the hazard light switch, do not look
as good. I think there's a clear layer in front, with a "mask" behind it
for the light to shine through. The layers are separating, or something's
turning cloudy, or something... they just don't look that great anymore.

I'm sure that both lighted and non-lighted switches could be made durable,
but that's not always the case.

As far as my preferences, the less lighting in a car I own, the better.
In a rental car or a borrowed car, lights may be helpful, but in my
own car, I know where everything is by touch, and don't want the
distraction.

 

Agreed. But, especially since my Accord has an XM radio, the radio controls
get used a lot.

Also agreed. I think that some of Saab's models have a switch that turns off
the lighting on everything but the speedometer.

-Josh

 

Seems weird that Honda would not illuminate the controls on the

One of the changes for 2005 Accords is that the steering-wheel audio and
cruise controls will be illuminated with the parking/headlights.

Paul

 

One of the changes for 2005 Accords is that the steering-wheel audio and

Will all of the usenet defenders of unlit controls now rise up in anger ?

John

 

Please sir - me! I do not want a carnival show for a dashboard nor a
steering wheel imitating a Christmas tree.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

 

Well, let's see. On my dash, not counting the horn and the two voice control
buttons, there are nine buttons. That's a lot of lights!

 

This is a fairly common statement on these fora, so I have to throw in
my 2 cents worth. I very strongly disagree. I have had automobiles
with illuminated steering-wheel controls for years and nothing could
be further from the truth than stating that they are distracting at
night. I'm sorry, but that's just hogwash. They are no more
distracting than any other illuminated control in the car -- in other
words, not distracting at all.
And I NEVER get used to this, especially in the winter when wearing
gloves. The embossing on the controls cannot be felt through any but
the flimsiest of gloves. Even when not wearing gloves, it usually
requires a quick glance to move your hands from the usual 10-and-2
driving position to those controls, and in the black of night when
those controls are practically invisible, that requires taking my eyes
off the road for TOO LONG. The opposite from being distracting,
keeping these controls invisible is a significant safety issue. Any
distraction comes in searching for them in the dark.
Honda's failure to go along with most other manufacturers and
illuminate these controls is just plain stupid. I wish there were a
way to make them hear what I feel is a big majority of owners who
believe this is a foolish omission.



Ron

 

I think this shows that the MAJORITY has finally spoken.

Ron

 

Wow, that's amazing. How do you know what distracts me? I see people
driving around with leis hanging from their mirrors. I'm sure they'd
say it's not distracting. I drove such a car one, and had to tear the
damned thing down within minutes.

To you. I want as little lit up as possible.

Oh good, it's my turn. How does it go? "Hogwash!" After all, I'm
able to get used to them, so you must be able to, too.

It should not require glancing. It should not require feeling. The
buttons can be located by position, without looking down. I do it all
the time. With my amazing superpowers, I can even shift gears without
looking down and to the right!

Well, gee, of course Honda should base its engineering on your
*feeling*. I don't suppose it occured to you that people who *like*
the dark controls don't spend all their time talking about them on
Usenet?

 

The whole idea of wheel mounted controls is not having to take your
eyes off the road.

 

BS excuse. Why are Acura controls lighted and why is Honda said to be
lighting the Accord controls for 2005?

John

 

I know that Civic steering wheel controls are slightly different than
Accord models; with respect to my unlit (mostly cruise controls)
controls the placement and design suggests that you are supposed to get
used to these controls by touch and feel.For instance,the ACTIVATION of
cruise is a small indent below the RAISED cancel feature (on the DECEL
side) and conversely,the RESUME function is ABOVE the raised cancel
feature ( on the ACCEL side).When you place your thumb on either side of
the raised feature you apparently know where you are after repeated
usings.Sort of like some kind of ergonomic training in progress.My only
complaint is the location of the cruise control MASTER (memory)
switch.It is hard to find on the lower dash near the door.
I am always hitting the monroof control by mistake......of course I
don't think they thought of the ergonomic placement of this very
well......

 

It's not really BS... ever since these controls have been available on
any cars, there have been tactile indicators on them to allow for
using the controls without taking your eyes off the road.

The lights are being added to satisfy those people who are overwhelmed
by the prospect of committing a tactile few indicators to memory.

 

Manufacturers make what people want....not necessarily what makes
sense. If they're lighted, that means you must want to look at it.
This involves taking your eyes off the road. Defeats the purpose
doesn't it? Make sense??