# Lights **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353 "2014-12-13T23:25:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![spider-man](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/spider-man/32/2451_2.png) [@spider-man](https://community.cartalk.com/u/spider-man)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/1 "2014-12-13T23:25:54Z")
dashboard lights out, on 1999 jeep cherokee. seem string because transmission gear level lights is also out. on the floor. any ideal ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/2 "2014-12-14T01:14:04Z")
Have you checked the fuses? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/3 "2014-12-14T01:25:48Z")
I hate to be _Captain Obvious_ again, but…Are you sure that the rheostat that controls the brightness of those lights hasn’t been turned to the “off” position? Before anyone says that this is unlikely, I want to mention that I have a friend who is just as ancient as I am, and he went into panic mode with the same situation a few weeks ago. I had him check that control, move it back to a normal position and–of course–it resolved his “problem”. ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/4 "2014-12-14T02:52:59Z")
+1 for @VDCdriver because it sure sounds like the dimmer is turned off. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/5 "2014-12-14T03:12:06Z")
+2. Don’t know how it happens but I’ve done it. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 3:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/6 "2014-12-14T03:26:03Z")
The OP sent me a direct message (or whatever you call it on this site), telling me that the rheostat is in the normal position. So…I think that we have to revert to mountainbike’s suggestion of a blown fuse. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 5:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/7 "2014-12-14T05:56:51Z")
I hope that’s all it is. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/8 "2014-12-14T06:14:37Z")
If the rheostat is in the correct position then the next possibility in line is whether or not the rheostat is any good. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/9 "2014-12-14T06:36:40Z")
If the fuses turn out to be good, I agree. I wish I had a ten-spot for every time I’ve seen someone go through involved diagnostics only to discover a blown fuse (or, in the case of our aircraft, a popped circuit breaker). I’ve done it myself on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 8:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/10 "2014-12-14T08:19:53Z")
Told the story before but its a slow day. I was shampooing the interior of my Riviera and decided to take the buckets out to do a complete job. Got all done and the car wouldn’t start. Fussed for an hour or so and finally gave up and had it towed to the shop. The shop found a missing fuse. How it happened who knows but it cost me $80 for their best tech to spend an hour finding the missing ECM fuse. Motor club paid for the tow anyway. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 8:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lights/88353/11 "2014-12-14T08:21:16Z")
We’ve all been there at one time or another.