diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/MainCarActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/MainCarActivity.java
index 366b85cb..17724949 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/MainCarActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/MainCarActivity.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.mqbcoding.stats;
 
 import android.content.SharedPreferences;
+import android.graphics.Color;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.preference.PreferenceManager;
@@ -92,9 +93,14 @@ public void onCreate(Bundle bundle) {
 
         SharedPreferences sharedPreferences = PreferenceManager.getDefaultSharedPreferences(this);
         String selectedTheme = sharedPreferences.getString("selectedTheme", "VW GTI");
+
+        //todo: make signal and other icons optional:
+       // Boolean signalOn = sharedPreferences.getBoolean("signalActive", false);
+
         Log.d(TAG, "Selected theme: " + selectedTheme);
         setTheme(R.style.AppTheme_VolkswagenGTI);
 
+
         switch (selectedTheme) {
             case "VW GTI":
                 setTheme(R.style.AppTheme_VolkswagenGTI);
@@ -155,8 +161,18 @@ public void onCreate(Bundle bundle) {
         Log.d(TAG, "Set theme: " + selectedTheme);
 
         setContentView(R.layout.activity_car_main);
+       // getWindow().getDecorView().setBackgroundColor(Color.WHITE);
+
+
+        // todo: make background user selectable:
+       // View someView = findViewById(R.id.fragment_container);
+
+        // Find the root view
+        //View root = someView.getRootView();
+
+        // Set the background
+        //root.setBackground(someView.getContext().getDrawable(R.drawable.background_incar_outrun));
 
-        
 
 
         CarUiController carUiController = getCarUiController();
@@ -164,6 +180,7 @@ public void onCreate(Bundle bundle) {
         //force night mode
         carUiController.getStatusBarController().setDayNightStyle(DayNightStyle.FORCE_NIGHT);
 
+        //todo: make these user options
         //hide all stuff you don't want to see on your screen
         //      carUiController.getStatusBarController().hideBatteryLevel();
         //     carUiController.getStatusBarController().hideMicButton();
@@ -209,10 +226,10 @@ public void onCreate(Bundle bundle) {
                 .setType(MenuItem.Type.ITEM)
                 .build());
 
-       mainMenu.addMenuItem(MENU_CARDATA, new MenuItem.Builder()
-               .setTitle(getString(R.string.activity_carstatus_title))
-               .setType(MenuItem.Type.ITEM)
-               .build());
+//       mainMenu.addMenuItem(MENU_CARDATA, new MenuItem.Builder()
+//               .setTitle(getString(R.string.activity_carstatus_title))
+//               .setType(MenuItem.Type.ITEM)
+//               .build());
 
         mainMenu.addMenuItem(MENU_STOPWATCH, new MenuItem.Builder()
                 .setTitle(getString(R.string.activity_stopwatch_title))
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/StopwatchFragment.java b/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/StopwatchFragment.java
index 74899ba7..26c7ac1d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/StopwatchFragment.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/mqbcoding/stats/StopwatchFragment.java
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ public View onCreateView(LayoutInflater inflater, ViewGroup container,
 
 
 
+//todo: make stopwatch clocks identical in styling, to the dashboardfragment
 
         mStopwatch = rootView.findViewById(R.id.dialMeasStopWatch);
         mStopwatch.setSpeedTextTypeface(typeface);
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/styles.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/styles.xml
index 051c7ab8..04badb5a 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/styles.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/styles.xml
@@ -110,13 +110,13 @@
 
     <style name="AppTheme.AudiTT" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi4</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_audi4</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi4</item>
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_plain</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_audi4</item>
         <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/dial_background_audi4</item>
         <item name="themedNeedleColor">@color/red</item>
-        <item name="sv_tickPadding">20dp</item>
+        <item name="sv_tickPadding">5dp</item>
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.Volkswagen" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks</item>
@@ -130,23 +130,23 @@
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.Audi" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_audi</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi</item>
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_vw3</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_audi_red</item>
-        <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/white</item>
+        <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/sw_background_audi</item>
         <item name="themedNeedleColor">@color/red</item>
         <item name="sv_tickPadding">20dp</item>
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.AudiVC" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi3</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_audi3</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_audi3</item>
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_vw3</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_audi3</item>
         <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/dial_background_audi3</item>
         <item name="themedNeedleColor">@color/red</item>
-        <item name="sv_tickPadding">20dp</item>
+        <item name="sv_tickPadding">5dp</item>
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.Clubsport" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_vw2</item>
@@ -193,17 +193,17 @@
     <style name="AppTheme.SkodaVC" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_black</item>
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_skoda3</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_skoda3</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_skoda3</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_skoda_2</item>
         <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/dial_background_skoda3</item>
         <item name="themedNeedleColor">@color/red</item>
-        <item name="sv_tickPadding">20dp</item>
+        <item name="sv_tickPadding">5dp</item>
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.SkodaOneApp" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_skodaone</item>
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_skodaone</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_empty_skodaone</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_marks_skodaone</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_mib2p</item>
         <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/sw_background_skodaone</item>
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@
         <item name="sv_indicator">HalfLineIndicator</item>
         <item name="sv_indicatorColor">#FFFFFFFF</item>
         <item name="sv_indicatorWidth">4dp</item>
-        <item name="sv_tickPadding">20dp</item>
+        <item name="sv_tickPadding">0dp</item>
         <item name="sv_speedometerWidth">400dp</item>
     </style>
     <style name="AppTheme.Testing" parent="AppTheme.Car">
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@
     <style name="AppTheme.Minimalistic" parent="AppTheme.Car">
         <item name="themedCarBackground">@drawable/background_incar_black</item>
         <item name="themedDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_minimal</item>
-        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_empty_minimal</item>
+        <item name="themedEmptyDialBackground">@drawable/dial_background_minimal</item>
         <item name="themedNeedle">@drawable/needle_mib2p</item>
         <item name="sv_markColor">@android:color/transparent</item>
         <item name="themedStopWatchBackground">@drawable/dial_background_empty_minimal</item>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/settings.xml
index 05e59ae9..205b337f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/settings.xml
@@ -144,6 +144,17 @@
             android:key="debugQuery"
             android:summary="%s"
             android:title="Debug query" />
+        <!--todo: make clock and signal and stuff optional
+        <EditTextPreference
+            android:defaultValue="false"
+            android:key="signalActive"
+            android:summary="@pref_showsignalstrength_summary"
+            android:title="@string/pref_showsignalstrength_title" />
+        <EditTextPreference
+            android:defaultValue="false"
+            android:key="clockActive"
+            android:summary="@pref_showclock_summary"
+            android:title="@string/pref_showclock_title" />-->
     </PreferenceCategory>
     <PreferenceCategory android:title="@string/pref_notifications_category_title">
         <CheckBoxPreference