Is this normal? Backlighting for temp/fan/air direction

When my interior gauge lights are on max (no dimming),
the lighting on the "temp/fan/air direction" controls is clearly visible. (Max Dimmer.jpg below)

However, when I dim the interior gauge lights to a level where all the other gauges aren't blinding/distracting, the lighting on the "temp/fan/air direction" controls is too dim to see. (Normal Dimmer.jpg below)

The full-size versions of the attached photos approximate what I see (although these preview thumbnails don't show anything but arrows).

Are these disappearing control lights normal for Sept '04 builds of the 2005 MCS,
or do I have a problem the dealership should fix?

Thanks in advance for your shared experience,
Ed

 

is there still light coming out? if so... yes if not.. bring it to dealer and see what they say.

-Josh

 

It appears to me that all of the center console lights are the same intensity in both shots (radio, controls, and toggles). Are you wondering about the difference you see between the gauge (speedo, tach) lights and the center console lights?

 

[put me in the wierd box - I had to go out and look!]

GBMINI#3 behaves I think much like your car.
With the dimming all the way down, the general dash lighting and buttons are still relatively bright but the rings around the HVAC controls are basically invisible.
So I guess it's "normal" and a "feature" - not enough lights for the large rings, compared with small buttons, or something like that ...

 

Thanks, Ian.
Confirming that this symptom isn't unusual is exactly what I sought.

Merry Christmas,
Ed