Electronics forum was no help, search is half broken to find the very few digital dash threads that there are...

87 t/a digital dash. When the car is running with no headlights on the digital dash is still lit up even during the day, and at night when you turn your headlights on the brightness changes (im assuming because the daytime lights are a little bright when it's dark out) this all seems to be normal operation. BUT when i turn my headlights on the light behind the oil/coolant/battery guage section does not light up at all and i cannot see the gauges while night driving unless i put a light up to it to see, like a cellphone or something... i dont know anything about taking apart digital dash or if its a normal light bulb back there or what.. any help?
It used to turn on and off if I hit a big bump in the road that made the interior rattle or shake abit.

just carefully unbolt the dash/gauges and see which bulb it is, im sure you can easily replace it at autozone or radio shack.

and just make sure the connection is good and tight for any more rough road vibration

I don't think that there is a bulb that you can change. You would either have to take it to a speedo shop or find a replacment section. There was once a thread on here that had a website that had used parts for these dashes.

So it wouldnt be that dimmer switch ive read about?

I wish i could find that website, sucks the forum search doesnt work right.

The digital dash is backlit with normal 194 bulbs. Some of the smaller indicators are a smaller bulb whose number escapes me. If you have a dark section of the dash, but can still see the LCD functioning properly, then you just need to replace the 194s. Removing the dash is pretty self explanitory, but squeezing it out between the dash pad and steering column can take some patience. Once it's out, you can see the sockets that hold the 194s from the back. Turn them half a turn and they'll come right out.

Well you learn something new everyday, thanks for the info!!! I now know that if and when mine goes out as well.

BIG HELP! thank you!