Headlamps and dashboard acting weird

[6asdf]

I've got a new problem, this time with the headlamps/dashboard. In periods my dashboard and headlamps won't come on. It can be out for a couple of days, at random be back again when I start up the car and then be gone again a week later (this is all in "OFF" mode on the switch). Everything else seems to be fine (parking, high/low beam, fog, etc). Electrical issue or just a setting I'm changing without knowing...?

 

[MattInARedMicra]

The dashboard lights, as in the backlighting? Does it affect the dials as well?

My best guess, is that it's a bad ground somewhere. If you have a multimeter you can check that. It's also worth checking your headlight connectors for melting which is common on these cars. I made a thread about it. Either a bad ground or a faulty loose connection somewhere causes intermittent issues, in some very rare cases it could be a hairline crack in a fuse. Corrosion in a fuse holder. A break in a wire. Electrical issues are always a b*tch to sort out

 

[6asdf]

Yes, I meant the backlighting. The warning lights on the dasboard are working as well as the dials.
"Electrical issues are always a b*tch to sort out". Indeed, that was why I was hoping I had missed a setting of some sorts x) I'm a car noob with a big N, not to speak of electrics.... I'll have a friend take a look at it and see if we can find something. Thank you for your reply!

 

[MattInARedMicra]

Yes, I meant the backlighting. The warning lights on the dasboard are working as well as the dials.
"Electrical issues are always a b*tch to sort out". Indeed, that was why I was hoping I had missed a setting of some sorts x) I'm a car noob with a big N, not to speak of electrics.... I'll have a friend take a look at it and see if we can find something. Thank you for your reply!

it could just be bulbs, usually if it's something more then the dials and the clock/mileage counter would be out as well

The bulbs are usually only a couple pounds each so replace all of them first and then next line of troubleshooting would be connectors/bulb holders. I'd say the headlights and the backlighting are probably unrelated and just occurred at the same time

The other thing is that the backlighting only comes on when you have the headlights on low/on/highbeam, when they're set to off it's daytime so the dials would be visible enough without backlighting. But then at the same time a loose connector for the headlights (or even a bulb out) shouldn't affect the backlighting in any way. The back lighting will workout without bulbs in the front headlights at all even though the same circuit from the stalks is used for all.

If you've tried all that and they're still not working like they're supposed to then possibly a problem with the circuitry inside the indicator stalks next to the steering wheel, or the other problems I mentioned with the wiring loom/grounding/fuses/fuse holders