No brioght lites, dimmer switch appears to be defective

Check the dash lite fuse first, if that is ok remove the dash lite dimmer control switch and check to see that 12 volts is present at the switch with the headlights turned on, the dimmer is defective if you have 12 volts present.

may be just a loose plug to the switch

Your dimmer switch (lever you have to hold) is bad. It's basically a dual function switch and one function (hi beam) is defective, Replace dimmer switch and you'll be good to go...

Hi, with thse symptoms, the most likely cause is a failed connection or dimmer switch, but the headlight switch is also a possibility. Your dimmer switch is integrated into the control wand. I cannot seem to find the instructions for removing the wand, but I think you remove the clamshell from the column and then unscrew the wand assembly from the column. You can test the switch by leaving the cable attached and back-probing the connector with a 12 volt test light or voltmeter. The light green wire should be hot when the headlights are turned on. Leave it on and then probe the red and purple wires. The purple wire should be hot when the switch is on low beam. The red wire should be hot when the switch is on high beams or flash position. If there is no power on the green wire, the headlight switch has failed or the green wire is disconnected or loose. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for using FixYa.

mcdevito75 here, It could be the dimmer section of the headlite switch, when dark outside put head lites on and see if you can turn the head lite switch either to the left or right to get the instrument panel lights on. Turning the headlites on and off could have turned the switch enough to keep the instrument lites from comming on, specially if your not the only driver.

You either have a bad dimmer switch or a bad ground then.

I had to replace my dimmer switch when this happened to me even though I thought my dimmer switch was fine

Could be a couple of things. One would be that the dimmer switch has over time come loose and is now out of adjustment. Or the plastic piece in the column that pushes the rod that goes to the switch has broke. Or the switch is bad.

check the dash lite dimmer switch

Have u tested the dimmer switch for the instrument panel lites? it is near the hd lite switch, they are a common cause of the problem, very common, also have found that allot of folks don't know there dimmer is trurned off.