S40 2003 dashboard illumination - dim

[Paul Sanderson]

We've just started using our first Volvo - an S4 (first series). The car is in very good condition and everything works. There is a knurled rotary adjuster to alter the brightness of the instrument panel, but all it seems to do is alter the brightness of the red pointers and nothing else. If the figures on the dials behind are altering then it is such a small difference that it is difficult to decide if anything is happening or not. The two digital displays (odometer and clock) certainly don't alter.
With my old eyes, I could do with everything being brighter and can't believe that Volvo took the trouble and expense to design in a brightness control... but one that only affects the pointers and not the stuff you actually want to see. In daylight all the dashboard information (dials and digital) is dim and hard to read. Any opinions on how the dashboard lighting can be bettered?