Ok, slight annoyance. So, I hopped into the monster tonight, to go get some chocolate milk down at the AMPM. I was Craving it, don't ask me why. I get her cranked and turned the light switch and NUFFIN'. The lights marking the light and wiper switches were on, the lights for the heater/fans came up, headlights came up, but no instrument lights. The Left Turn Indicator light has been acting up, not coming on, that kind of thing. But, now, the blasted instrument lights are Kaput. Any ideas, before I start pulling things apart and cursing under my breath?

what car do you have? I had my dash lights go out on the loyale as well as the running lights on exterior too. If that's your situation, its one of the 4 relays behind the dash, almost directly behind the fuse box.  

Check fuses, loose wiring, relays. 

If your switch back lighting came on then I would say check the bulbs on your cluster.

Related story:

Years ago I had a truck brought to me for no dash lights.  It had been at a shop and they charged a few hundred in diagnostic fees to no avail.

I start troubleshooting things.  It surely can't be all the bulbs burnt out. Well what do you know?  All the bulbs on the cluster were burnt out.  Yep believe it.

Another time I had a Subaru Outback brought to me.  No low beams.  A shop said it needed some new headlight module and they wanted around $600 to replace it.  I thought that was one of the stupidest things I had ever heard so I had her drop it off with me.

After studying diagrams I discovered this was a 100% an analog system.  No modules or logic involved.  I started testing things and quickly realized both low beams were burnt out. Yep, believe it.

Edited April 5, 20169 yr by firehawk618

She's a 1980 DL 1600 4WD, but she's been tweaked, ever so slightly, by NWSubie. She's running an EJ22 motor, but I don't believe he fiddled with the light controls. If I recall correctly, he did mention that he'd had the cluster out before. I may have to message him and check.

 

I believe ya when ya say that shops charged a ton for diagnostics that weren't needed, and wanted to charge even more for other stuff that was unneeded. I drove a tow truck for a year and had to steer several customers away from certain shops that I Knew were prone to doing things that caused the customer to need to go in again and again. One, in particular, I picked up the vehicle of one of their own former mechanics, he told me stories that ensured I'd keep customers Far away from them. I'd already had suspicions about them, but he cinched it.