I’ve often wished they’d angled the tranny pad, and for that matter the entire driver’s-left console, at 30 degrees toward the driver. It would be plain old good “human engineering”, as we learned in college psychology class. In some driving environs, sun glare/sunglasses, nighttime, high-concentration situations, etc., it can be harder to quickly zero in on anything on that console.
I’ve often thought if I was ever ambitious enough I’d build a cherry escutcheon that fit between the console panel and its base, and that angled it to actually face the driver rather than straight up. Tilting the tranny pad back would help (on our coach it is up forward on the console). It would certainly help Bill see the tranny plate. I know how he feels... I often have to stretch forward over the wheel and to the left to verify the mode, if only briefly breaking my road concentration; it’s annoying, especially for someone like me that was taught significant road awareness and doesn’t like taking their eyes anywhere else longer than a second. When we’ve been home bound for years, it’s a bit stressful also until I’ve rememorized the left rocker switch configuration and can just feel my way to the ones I want.
In factory program, the tranny goes to 6th at 62mph and back to 5th at 57. Given that slight hills can kick you down to 5th easily, going to 62 and then backing off to cruise at 60 in flat country is a good way to max mileage. We once went from Portland to Twin Falls (600 miles) and still had plenty of fuel where I usually have to fill up before that. It worked out to nearly 10mpg. Using econo mode and cruise judiciously on the flats helped, but I think the good luck of a tailwind most of the trip certainly factored in, just as a headwind can ruin mileage. I got that mileage in spite of speeding up in Idaho to match traffic flow there.
Sorry, a mileage rehash isn’t addressing Bill’s lighting question. Maybe he has a weak ground in the backlight circuit, and a cleaning or connection snug is all that’s needed.
Joel
