Help! '98 i30 dash lights are out!

[reddy]

I am driving along, listening to the radio with the a/c on, around 8PM tonight and it's getting dark, so I switch on the headlights. Next thing I know, my head unit is blank, my climate control display is blank, and the dash gauge lights are off (including the odometer, completely blank). I can still hear music, the digital clock is still on, and the gauge needles are functioning. I turn off the headlights, and everything is back to normal. This problem occurs whenever the headlight switch is set on anything other than daytime mode, and the headlights themselves work fine.

Any ideas? Am I doing damage by still driving?

[maxhopper]

Have you checked the dimmer switch?

[reddy]

ok there are 2 perfectly reasonable explanations for this:

a. i am an idiotb. i had the car detailed so i guess thats what turned the dimmer down

either way... thanks for the help!

[MinisterofDOOM]

Hey, at least now you don't have to tear into the dash or spend money on parts!

[reddy]

Damn right! I'll take human error over electrical problems any day.

[maxhopper]

It happens to the best of us, don't worry about it.