2006 Corolla:  In diffuse/squinty daylight, the instrument cluster is a black hole. 

Can't see the speedo.  Almost passed a cop.

A switch should force those lights on and the manual obliquely alludes to it but nothing happens.  The lights work correctly at night.

Anyone have this car, this problem, solution?

I have a 2007 Honda Civic.  If I drive in the daylight with the headlights on its difficult to see the speedometer, kind of blacks out.  The speedometer is other wise fine.   In California its been the law since 2005 the if you have your wipers on for rain, in the daylight you must have your headlights on too. Many people seem to have never learned about this. but its supposed to increase visibility of your vehicle  during the rain or fog in the daylight.  

Anyway, I’ve never found a way around it, and have learned to pay special attention to the dash during the day if the lights are on because the speedo will be dimmer.  I think the problem is because the speedo has large digital numerals to display the speed.  When the headlights are on that also lights the back round of the whole dash display and digital numerals are washed out in the daylight,  too much light.

 I thought I’d hate the digital speedo when I first got the car, but quickly grew to like it very much.  Never a guess how fast I’m going.

Eddie

I don't own a Corolla but have driven several Toyota vehicles from the 80's through 2020. There should be an instrumental panel light control dial that dims/brightens the dash lights. Yours is probably turned all of the way down.

Scroll down to page 13/302.

www.toyota.com/t3Portal/d...

Nope and nope.  It's all the way up.  Even forced it in case it had a stubborn detent.  I've got a crick in my neck

from the 300-page manual.  Which speaks such generalities as "some models" and "some cars" without saying which is which.

Had to retire the 35yo Celica.  Too many booboos to fix practically.  No such problem, daylight found a way to light the gauges. 

Not this car.  Gauges down in a recess under an awning.

Asked google, got the usual gibberish.  Did find an obscure reference to a third push of the odo button, only thing I haven't tried.  Who's the genius that put the instrument lights under an odo menu?

Edit:  Did try the 3rd push of the odo button.  It just goes back to odo from 'trip 1' or 'trip2'.