No lights in my 2005 toyota corolla ce

I have a 2005 Toyota Corolla CE. Last night, I was in a lighted parking lot, so i didn’t notice right away, but neither the dashboard lights nor the headlights came on. I tried turning them on & off, and I tried turning on the high beams, but it didn’t work. I discovered that when I pulled the lever for the high beams (the turn signal lever) towards me and HELD IT, the high beams came on. When I let the lever go back into place, they went off again, so I drove home holding the lever pulled toward me. What should I try? In the past, I have replaced my own fuses and bulbs for my dome light and my tail lights. I had a friend replace the headlight bulb - I couldn’t reach in far enough. I’m handy if it’s not too complicated. I haven’t had a chance to check the fuses (is that what you mean by “connections?”) I don’t believe it’s the bulbs as they wouldn’t all go out a once, and also the high beams come on when I hold the lever pulled towards me. I would like to fix it myself, if possible.

More than likely the problem lies in the multi-function switch.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=941637&cc=1433059&jsn=405

Tester

I had a multifunction switch go haywire on a Voyager van a few years ago. When I pulled it to switch from hi to lo beam, the wipers came on. I was able to remove it, open it, clean and lube it and put it back, and it was OK. But a new one is probably not very expensive and may be a better deal for a busy person. Now that I am retired I enjoy spending more time and less money where I can.

Thank you for the info.

Thank you for the info. Spending less is ALWAYS desirable!