My interior lights (gauge lights especially) are way dim, especially with the car off. Radio seems to work fine but it's also dim.

My headlights quit working as well (not sure if this is related!) - the parking lights still light (and outside are quite bright) - but not inside. I have swapped headlight switches and it does the same thing. I hooked the headlights (just the bulbs) to a different switch for now so the car is drivable, but I want a proper fix.

Wipers, heater, etc all seem to work fine...

Any idea WTF is going on here and how I can fix it? Spring is coming very soon and I want my car working!

 

Check the headlight relays.

As for the dim interior, it's probably a bad connection at the engine bay fuse box. There's a thick black wire that goes through the body harness to supply the 12V power to the interior. If the lug or wire is bad, you get voltage drop. In stock config this wire also has a connector near the shock tower, which can also cause problems.

 

Are you turning the rheostat on the light switch to its fullest??????? Never hurt to ask.

 

yep!

but it wasn't the first place I checked :P

The interior lights almost don't light at ALL with the car not running, it's only once the alternator is spinning that they light.

I tested the headlight relay last year (when this problem started) - it did not appear to be functioning correctly as per the test procedure so I swapped it with a spare I had, didn't fix it... so I swapped it with the one on my Vert, and still no workie.

the tune + button stopped working on my radio today, looks like it's going to finally get replaced with an aftermarket unit... about the last stock thing in the car LOL.

 

Something after the rheostat is killing the voltage. How about the cigar lighter wires. Using them for something else?