Mankind’s invention of small fluorescent light bulbs was revolutionary. It made it possible for us to see things that we cannot see without sunlight. This invention is very important for people who drive their cars at night as we cannot see small buttons on the dashboard. Dashboard lights help us in seeing these small buttons but there are many cases where these lights stop working due to certain reasons, depending on the conditions. Now, there is a huge possibility of you having this issue as you are reading this article. But, you’re in luck as this article will help you stop wonder “how to fix my dashboard lights?”
If your engine requires a check of any sort, malfunctioned dashboard lights will not tell you or show you this issue. The low fuel indicator will not be able to blink and also the speedometer will not be able to illuminate.
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What Causes Dashboard Lights To Stop Working?
There could be many probable reasons for the dashboard lights to stop working and they are related to the car’s electrical system. Most of these are mentioned below-
1. Dimmer Switch:
If the dimmer switch is turned on accidentally it can dim the lights or make them not light up at all. This is a very common problem and the fix is very easy. All you have to do is adjust the dimmer switch.
2. Broken Fuse:
A fuse is a safety device that melts off when too much electricity is passed through it. It is a conductor that is supposed to protect the electrical appliance from burning and breaks off when too much power is passed. This stops the conducting link between the appliance and the power source. This could have possibly made your lights stop working.
3. Faulty Gauge Cluster:
This is probably the reason for your dashboard lights not working if the reasons above did not cause the issue. One of the bulbs in the gauge cluster is faulty and that is the reason for your dashboard being dark.
How To Fix My Dashboard Lights?
For fixing the issue, you should first know what is causing it. It could be as easy as adjusting a dimmer switch as it can also cause your dashboard lights to not work. First, find the dimmer switch and adjust it. If you can’t find the dimmer switch, look for it in the owner’s manual. After that, just adjust it back to normal and your problem should be fixed.
If a broken fuse is causing the issue, the problem becomes electrical and also complex. The fix also becomes quite complex but easy for someone who has prior car knowledge. Find, the fuse boxes. They are tucked under the hood and also in other places. After that use an electric tester and check whether the fuse is malfunctioned. Make sure the engine is running and the lights are also on. If the fuse has stopped working pull it out with a pair of nose-pliers and then replace it with new ones.
Any faulty bulb in the gauge cluster could be causing your lights to not work. Firstly, remove the beautification panel by popping it by removing the mountain screws. Now look for the fasteners and remove them. Then remove the gauge clusters but make sure to remove all the connectors. Then remove the bulb sockets and also check if the bulbs are working or not. If they are not, replace them with new working ones. After that, connect everything back to normal and your dashboard lights should be working.
How Much Would It Cost To Fix Dashboard Lights?
The price of the fix is going to vary, depending on the issue. This is not a major problem and anything that would require a replacement will be quite cheap. You should be able to fix this problem under $50 in most cases. If you get this fixed from a garage, they will charge you almost double for the labour charge.
Conclusion:
The issue mentioned in this article is not very common but the fix is very easy. I’d say there isn’t any need to panic about this and fix it calmly. Do not ignore this issue, as this will be very inconvenient. You should first try fixing it by the methods above, depending on the cause. If you cannot do it, then you should go to a repair shop. You will save a few bucks if you can do it yourself. I hope this article helped you stop stressing about how to fix my dashboard lights just like I did in the past.
