Help!!! I have a 1999 Accord LX with 40,000 miles that has developed a dash light gremlin. When I turn on the headlights, not only do the gauge lights not come on, all of the other dash lights that are normally light, the speedo, clock, and drive indicator all go off. The headlights work but I'm left driving in the dark with no way to read the speedo. If I turn on the bright lights, the blue bright indicator lights up but all of the other lights remain off. My local Honda dealer is willing to check it out if I pay them the 80 bucks or so an hour labor rate for however long it takes to "diagnose" the problem. Would not mind if I knew it was going to be less than an hour but I cant afford to give them a blank check. I'm a reasonably good shade tree mechanic but I have littleexperience when it comes to electrical stuff. Any help would be appreciated.

 

I'm suspect of the light switch itself;
I'll repost some test points later today, if you have a test light or multimeter.

I'll try to get some more info for you before it gets dark. [sm=smiley17.gif]

EDIT:
Is it dark there yet? LOL I crack me up.

Fuse #10 -10 amp in the passengerside underdash fuse panel.
[Not really underdash but you have to open the passenger door]
If the fuse is good, drop off the steering column shroud [screws on the underside] and then lower the steering column so you can get the top shroud off.
On the back side of the light switch at the connector, pin #7 has a RED/black stripe wire.
There should be power there with the headlights turned on.

Another quick check is to unplug the connector jumper pin #6 RED/green wire to pin#7 Red/black wire. RED/Green stripe wireis the 'inbound' power to the switch.