2002 Hyundai Accent - Dash Light problems

The 2002 Hyundai Accent's dash lights do not work properly. In the
evenings when the headlights are turned on the dash lights may turn on
too; however, after an unspecified amount of time the dashlights will
turn off. This only affects the instrument panel behind the steering
wheel, which houses the speedometer, gas gauge, etc.

After a while the dash lights might turn back on. There is no specific
manner or activity which may trigger it to turn back on. For instance,
on night, I was going on a trip to the neighboring city (about 60 miles
away), I started the vehicle and turned on the lights. As I was
starting to pull out of the garage the dash lights turned off. I
continued to drive and after about 5 minutes they turned back on for
about 30 seconds (if that). I got on the highway and continued my
trip...during this drive time (about 50 miles) the dash lights would
turn on and off intermittingly. I thought I would "test" the problem. I
would accelerate and most of the time there was no change, then I would
brake, and most of the time there was no change either. Even when drive
over rough patches in the road it still did not have an impact of the
problem. This dispelled my thoughts of a loose wire...am I wrong?

There is nothing wrong (does not affect) with the other lights in the
car, the headlights, brake lights, blinkers, and middle instrument
panel (clock, radio, a/c, etc.) when the dash lights go out.

I have taken the vehicle to dealer for service and they could not
duplicate the problem. I question their knowledge because I clearly
informed them the problem occurs at night and they were attempting to
duplicate in the daytime.

Are there others who have this similar type of problem? How can I get
this problem fixed? Am I talking "girl" to them in my explanation of
the problem, what might I say that can get this problem resolved?

By the way, their resolution to this is "...the car is 5 years old, you
should just get another one..."

Please help!!!!

 

The loose wire is a possibility, but I wouldn't concentrate there.

Lets start with what we know. If the center dash illumination doesn't go
out, then we already know the rheostat (dimmer switch) is still working
properly.

I'd primarily suspect something with the cluster itself. In your cluster
is a device called an inverter. It connects to the background of each of
the gauges and illuminates them. (Don't ask me how it works. I don't
know. All the schematic shows me is a box that says "inverter" and some
wires running to it.) The inverter could be going bad; the screws that
connect it to the cluster circuit board could be loose; there could be an
intermittent open circuit in the circuit board itself; there could be a
bad connection in the cluster connector. Considering the circuit layout,
it's possible there could be a poor splice or bad wire to the cluster, but
that's *very* unlikely. If I had to guess, I'd surmise the inverter
itself.

But here's the problem. If you're still within the warranty period,
Hyundai requires dealers to duplicate the problem before making repairs.
The fact that the dealer tested your car during the daytime is irrelevant.
They can still operate the lamps and see if they're working. If you've
told them what you've told us here, I have no reason to suspect they
didn't check it and drive and so on a few times. Hyundai doesn't require
the dealer to duplicate in order to give customers a hard time, but rather
to avoid spending unnecessary money in repairs. Within the warranty
period, I'd ask my manager if he'd like me to put in an inverter. And
then it's between him and Hyundai. Whatever they want is what I'll wind
up doing. (It is Hyundai's money, after all).

If you'd be paying for repairs, you'll need to consider how willing you
are to pay for a repair based on a guess. As long as the lamps are
working, the shop will be unable to conclusively diagnose the issue. Will
you be unhappy with the dealer if you spend your money on the guess and the
problem isn't fixed? If so, then you should wait until they can diagnose
the problem while it's occurring.

 

I have this exact same problem with this exact same vehicle. I don't
think it has a lose wire, because going over a bump never generates a
reaction from the light... it just goes on and off at random. I have
not tried to get Hyundai to fix this yet, because as you say, it is
difficult for them to duplicate. The status of the light is impossible
to determine visually during the daytime.

Sorry I don't have a solution for you, but at least you are not alone!