GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I have a serious problem and need some help quick. My vibe has recently started turning all lights on the dashboard and stereo off whenever I turn on the headlights, or if I put the car in drive and apply gas. There is a green light on the dash that normally tells me when the headlights are on, but no other lights. This problem happens at all times of day and night. It doesn't matter what the conditions are outside. If I turn on a turn signal indicator, or the bright light indicator, they will come on, but no other lights do. Does anyone please have any suggestions or ideas on what is causing this?!?

Check the brightness dial on the left side of the dash, next to the mirror controls...make sure it is set to any setting below OFF. and not on the lowest brightness setting.It's likely set to OFF or the lowest brightness setting, in which case anytime the headlights turn on, the dash lights revert to the setting on the dial...

Unfortunately, I've already tried that. It doesn't matter what I set the dial on, the problem still reoccurs. Today, I just noticed that when the low gas warning light came on, all of the dash lights came on and stayed on...

The dimmer control turned all the way down?

I second that. Check the dimmer control next to the mirror control to the left of the steering wheel. Is it all the way down?

Quote, originally posted by jaheem98 »Unfortunately, I've already tried that. It doesn't matter what I set the dial on, the problem still reoccurs. Today, I just noticed that when the low gas warning light came on, all of the dash lights came on and stayed on...Sounds like a perfect problem for Click & Clack on "Car Talk."

Car Talk was my next solution. Yes, I have tried the dimmer on all settings and it doesn't make any difference.

Have you talked to your dealer about this problem or is your warranty up? If you talked to the dealer, what did they say?Inder

If the dimmer is set at full intensity, and adjusting it changes nothing, I would suspect the dimmer itself has issues. If it were just the gauges going blank, then you would probably have an issue with the cluster... But if you're losing gauges as well as illumination for the radio, A/C controls, etc. I would think that it is the dimmer control itself.You may want to pop off the panel where the dimmer switch is and disconnect/reconnect the wiring for the dimmer... It could be something as simple as a loose connection... Don't know though, probably won't do anything for you but never hurts to try...

If it's not a dimmer switch setting, then maybe it's the dimmer switch , or a short or a bad ground in some lighting circuit somewhere. Since it says you are in APO AE, then there's probably not a Pontiac dealer "around the corner". Did the problem just start hapening all of a sudden, or was it a gradual thing? Was any work/mods done to the car at the same time that the problem started?

This just started happening to me too. I have an '03 Vibe that is way past its warranty period. My problem may be slightly different and I don't know whether it has anything to do with the fact that my Vibe is Canadian. DRL is mandatory here. The cluster and radio lights turn on and off with the headlights, but this is controlled by the DRL sensor. If the sensor senses daylight, then everything is on and okay. But if it is dark or the vehicle is inside a garage, then the cluster and radio lights completely turn off. Normally it should just go into a dim mode. Anyone else experience this?

I had a similar problem a little while back. Mine also is Canadian 03 with DRL It ended up being the dimmer switch.One thing I tried was to push the dial on the side and lo and behold everything lit up the way it was supposed to.The dealer eventually replaced the switch.http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=14399