When the temp was under approx 50 degrees and the headlights or parking lights were turned on, the dash lights would not come on, and all the gauges would act as if the ignition were turned off. In addition, the bright light and overdrive lights, and turn signal indicator lights would light up. After the car was warm, suddenly all would be ok.

I had noticed that the rheostat which controls the dash lights would sometime cause the turn signal indicator lights to dim.

On Saturday I swapped out the rheostat with one from the boneyard, and the problem has gone away. I can't verify that the rheostat was the problem since during the replacement of it I had to remove and tighten the leads from the voltage regulator, but I am sure not going to swap the old one back in now!

Cost of the replacement rheostat was a couple of dollars.

BTW, I opened up the old one. There is a frigging circuit board in there with a chip along with assorted resistors and and the pot. Hey, all it does is dim the dash lights.. Why a circuit board?

-David