Dashboard lights not working!

[FantasieImpromptu]

hey there everyone let me give you a background on my problem. I bought the car June of this year and have been in love with my e30 since. lol anyway. I bought the car with the problem already of the dashboard lights. The only thing that lights up is the turn signals, High beam (Blue light) and the bottom foglight and check engine (During startup) and such. Since the speedometer fuel gauge and everything else does not light up am guessing its something with a main cable or so that might be bad. does anyone have any info for me about this and can possibly help me out. I haven't been able to even bother pulling out the dashboard which i have no idea where to start if you can help me with that first of all, lol. I am a full time student and a working musician so I bearly have enough time for much so am going to take advantage of this tedious and long fix that Ive been putting off for this christmas break. Sometime this week am going to open that sucker up and see whats up but if anyone has some info on this I would deeply appreciate it thanks. Oh and help me first on how to take the dashboard off in the first place lol thanks. Happy Holidays to everyone Thanks!! -Alex

[netcsk]

The four instruments are lit up by two bulbs. It's very possible that these two bulbs are out. You don't get any lights for ABS, battery, etc.?

I'd start with just replacing the bulbs on the lights that are out.

[DrMcDave]

if that didn't work i'd replace the headlight switch, i'd guess about 80 percent chance this is the problem.

[StereoInstaller1]

Do you own a testlight? If not, go to your local cheapass autoparts store and drop $5.

Do any of the other lights in the interior come on? (heater, etc?)

[Jaygo333]

I too have the same problem.
For mine, bought the car with the half the dashboard working. (only the speedometre and the Fuel Guage) The other half not working at all. When I bought the car from VacMan, he told me that the other half works just irregularly. I've only seen the other half working and that was once when I hit a really huge bump or pothole on the freeway. It worked for the rest of the trip but once I turned the car off, never came on ever again. Tried redoing the experiment to no avail.

I just want to know how to go about replacing the bulb. To begin with, where do I get these bulbs? Autozone, Kragen and secondly, How do I go about replacing these bulbs.

Any links to places where I can buy these bulbs online would help. (I prefer buying online)

P.S. If you are in a good mood, also could you go about to tell me how to replace the Trip Computer Bulb. Mine doesn't work, only when shining very bright light on it. Aka, the sun or a flashlight. Can't see it at night or daytime when there is no sun shining directly onto it.