dashboard stopped working

[Locks35]

Need help

Driving my 2004 pt cruiser last night and all of a sudden the dashboard lights, speedometer and revcounter stopped working, kept coming on and off (mainly off) sterio working fine headlights and all other systems seem unaffected.

Has anyone had this problem before? can anyone help please?

[Teeter]

You've checked your fuses and battery terminals, right? (mainly, I'd check fuses first, since other electronics are ok) Oh! I'd also check the wand (switch) where the lights are, that goes into the steering wheel column, make sure the wires aren't getting crimped.

[CREWZIN]

My guess is a bad grounding of the guage module if both the lights and the dials stopped working all together.

If you want to tackle it yourself, there's a sticky on top of the Tech & Performance section from Nickatnite called "PT Dash Lamp Replacement" that gives all the instructions on how to take the module out.

[epattyj]

I have a 2002 PT cruiser that did the exact same thing immediately after a front end collision. After I got my car back it seemed to be intermittent and I did not act on it. But I should have because it did not happen until the accident. It got worse last summer to the point I could no longer ignore it. When I spoke to the service technician at the dealership he told me that there is a computer part that regulates the dash that was defective and had to be replaced and was covered by my warranty. But the service invoice also lists corroded battery wiring that needed to be replaced. Hope this helps.