ksbunting

While idling the engine to warm the car up a bit, (it is cold here in New England these last few days,) I turned on my parking lights and all was well when all of a sudden the dash lights went off.
Parking lights, front and rear as well as the interior dome light when turned to on position, work fine but all gauges are dark.
What happened?
Thanks in advance,
Kurt

TimAT

Possibly a short in the INST lights. Check the fuse. It's a different one from the courtesy lights and the rest of the lights are on their own circuits too.

Duke94

We had a thread on this just a couple days ago. Of course check the fuse but also the ground wire for the dash lights. It is on the hinge pillar above the courtesy light. If it's not one of these (the easy ones) check the headlight switch. To do that, turn on the headlights and see if there is voltage at the Inst lamp fuse (check both sides of the fuse just to be sure). The green wire going to the fuse box (from the headlight switch) is the hot lead, and the grey wire coming out is the wire to all the dash lights. If you do not have voltage coming from the switch, suspect a bad switch. Rotate the **** a few times just to be sure there's not a dead spot in it.

gq82

I sometimes have to do this.

capevettes

I agree that it could be the rheostat on the headlight switch. As you turn it to dim or brighten the dash lights it can lose it's conductivity.