Most dashboard lights will never stop working for the entire life of the car. That said, it's possible that something could, eventually, go wrong with them, as they need electrical power from the engine to run. On this page, we've compiled four possible reasons why the dashboard lights aren't working in your car. Once you have an idea of what might be wrong with your car, place a call with our service center and schedule an appointment to get it fixed by the pros who know it best.

Reason #4: The Dashboard Light Bulbs Burned Out

Many of today's modern cars are equipped with LED bulbs in the dashboard, because they won't burn out for years and years, and shouldn't ever need to be replaced. Of course, if you're driving an older car equipped with ordinary lights in the dash, they may eventually burn out. If your car seems to be working fine, except for a few missing dashboard lights, visit Carter Subaru Ballard to meet with one of our technicians. It may be as simple as pulling out the gauge cluster and replacing a few burned-out bulbs in the dashboard.

Reason #3: Worn Out Alternator

The alternator is responsible for sending electrical power to all the car's accessories that use it -- including the lights in your dashboard. As the alternator starts to wear out, you're likely to encounter all sorts of issues with the car's electronics. You may notice that your dashboard lights and headlights are far too dim or flickering, the engine dies on the road, or the car simply won't start.

Installing a new or refurbished alternator should get you going once again!

Reason #2: Bad Wiring Harness

The wiring harness routes the wires throughout your car -- and there might be as much as a mile of wire in a modern car. If the wire delivering electricity to the dashboard lights becomes cut or shorted out, the lights won't work until the wire is replaced or patched.

Because there's so much wire running throughout a modern car, this service is best left to the dealership experts. Our special tools and insights help us pinpoint your car's problem in the complicated wiring system.

Reason #1: Blown Fuse

The dashboard lights aren't really susceptible to damage, and they're designed to last the life of the car, so you shouldn't experience any problems with them. If you do, the most likely cause is also the fastest and easiest to fix -- a blown dashboard fuse. Just like the breaker box in your home, the fuse box in your car protects all your electrical components from surges and ground faults. When a fuse blows, the circuit becomes interrupted and none of the connected components will work. To fix this problem, you'll simply need to replace the blown fuse with a new, identical one.