how do I turn on the dashboard light when the full light comes on?

if this is constructed anything like a '95 Toyota pickup, there is a separate potentiometer about knee level on the left side---easy to miss~

Yeah the system is controlled by two lines. headlights off dash lights can be adjusted to bright for use during the day. Head lights on the dash lights dim (because it thinks its night) however you can adjust the dash lights to suit your self by the dash light knob

Why would a person dim the instrument lights?....maybe driving where there are no lights like through the desert, you may not want blaring lights distracting you from lookin' at the hard-to-see road surface...aside from that really cannot speak to the need for making the illumination dim...are you with me on this?...save money, just have them full intensity, 'cause screwing around, and creating an additional source for failure just seems like a bad deal~

the long black button in the gauge cluster twists, adjusting the brightness of interior lights at night

thank you seth, you just made my wife a happy lady!

LOL Detailers they do funny things while they work, mine used to crank up my radio to ear splitting levels and mess up the adjustments on base/treble until I spoke to the owner.....firmly. But your situation is just the kind that drives us all crazy- until the answer is found LOL Good job!

I had my car serviced yesterday and i faced same issue, i wonder why service people put light to off and dim dash lights......

I had my car detailed and they turned the dash lights down

Thank you Seth and Burt both your comments help to get dash board lights on! They did turn off at car detailer.

Seth thank you so much you are a problem solver!