Dash lights go off when driving at night intermittently

[jbandy98]

Hi guys, I am new to the forums. Nice to meet you all. I have read and searched over the forums but I haven't been able to find a problem exactly similar to mine. I am hoping someone has had this happen though and has some ideas to what I should do to repair.

What happens is when driving at night (possibly during the day as well but I don't notice it?) my dash lights will 'dim' out intermittently, sometimes all the way black. I can actually hit the dash above the steering wheel and if done just right the lights will come back on, but its a struggle and they will continue to intermittently go off again. Sometimes without even hitting the dash after about 10 mins of driving dark they'll come back on, on their own. It doesn't affect the headlights or the interior lights that you can click on and off, just the dash lights, radio lights, temp control lights.

If there is any more info I can share to help out please let me know! My truck just ran out of an extended warranty and of course something would break!

---------- Post added at 09:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 PM ----------

I am so sorry just reread my post a 2nd time and realized I didn't point out my vehicle... Been a long day. I have a 2004 GMC Yukon SLT, 5.3L V8 Flex Fuel

 

[MrBalll]

Is it going out like if you moved the dimmer switch up and down or is it just bright then dark after a millisecond?

 

[chauncey0337]

Mine used to do something similar. My dash lights (everything controlled with the dimmer) would go out every once in a while and I would have to move the dimmer in just the right position to get my lights back on. One time I sat there for 3 or 4 minutes trying to get that stupid thing to work. My problem is the dimmer control. Try messing with yours and see if that's the problem.

 

[jbandy98]

I will try playing with the dimmer switch the next time this happens, maybe later tonight. It does not go completely black instantly. It 'dims' similar to the way the dimmer switch would, slowly, and usually ends up the way the dimmer would be if it was all the way to the bottom, where everything is almost completely black. The only thing i can barely see is the gear selector shows very dimly. But the last time it did this and I tried the same thing, the dimmer switch didn't really respond to me rotating it up or down. I guess that would be the logical first piece to change out.

 

[afpj]

Is the panel right around the dimmer hot? if so, that may give a clue that it's the switch going bad.