Hi! I am having trouble with my dashboard lighting when the headlights are turned on. Here is a quick run down on my car. Any help would be appreciated.

I have a 2004 Mazda3s with 100,000 miles on it. Over the past two months Ive noticed that my battery has been getting weak, so I bought a new one. Finally the other day my battery was shot, so I installed the new one and began to drive. The car stalled almost everytime I came to a stop. I thought that I was having a computer problem and it would re-learn how to idle on it's own. Since then, the car is now okay when it idles but when I turn the headlights on, the dashboard lights are dim. Everything else on the interior works fine.

Could it be a coincidence that two things went wrong at the same time? Should I try resetting my computer? Spark plug?

Help!!

 

I was leaning towards corrosion on your battery terminals and you also need to trace down any pinched wires too. I'd also swing by the parts store and have them run a diagnostic on your alternator for free.

 

Could you have accidentally hit, or reset the dimming "push" switch just above the tach? Or possibly the dimmer rheostat on the LS dash?

 

^^ +1 try pushing the button between the tach and speedometer with the headlights on and see if that does the trick.

 

I'm having the exact same problem. The car seemed fine after a battery change yesterday, then I pulled up to a red light and it stalled. It restarted fine and drove fine until last night. When I left work I turned on the headlights and the dash lights are now on like a permanent low. The headlights work fine, not even dim at all. When I checked the terminal it seemed fine. I thought I would unhook the battery for like a "reset", when I touched the positive to the terminal it made a zzz sound. Yes the car was off, and when I restarted it everything seemed fine again, except the dash lights.

 

Danielle,
See my post above (-3) for a possible answer....