Instrument Panel Problems

Sometimes when i start my 93 dakota and my 89 dakota and go to turn the headlights on the gauges will go wacky and the dash lights wont come on. but if i give the dash a light smack everything works fine.. does anyone know what this is so i can stop beating my truck????

Sounds like a loose wire. You may have to take the dash apart...but that's where I'd start.

just to let you know your gas gauge is going to go out on youbut its in the gas tank. ive owned 5 dakotas and never had a gas guage work on any of them for the first year of owning them

Loose wire/ground on the instrument cluster or a bad solder joint on the printed circuit board on the back of the cluster.

On the top of your instrument cluster there is a small pc board that has contacts on it and slides down onto the cluster. Take it off, clean it, and the problem will go away. Mine hasn't done it once since the fix!

Thanks guys i am going to check on everything that you all said!!! i will let you know what happens