Dash lights flicker off and on

[harkauto]

The dash lights on my 2001 Dakota have suddenly started going wonky.
At night when driving home my dash lights (except for the odometer and gear selector lights) suddenly started flickering off and on and sometimes staying off for a few minutes and then coming back on and staying on for several minutes. Sometimes staying on for the rest of the trip home.
Then for several weeks they would work fine and not flicker or go off at all.
After about a month of working fine it happened again last night; flickering on and off all the way home and staying off for several minutes.
All the gauges work fine, it's just the dash illumination lights that are doing this.
It makes me think that it is not a bulb problem, because when they come on they are nice and bright as normal.
I'm thinking it might me something as simple as a fuse that has oxidized pins, but I don't know where the fuse is located.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thanks!

[Stealthee]

If the fuse is the issue then not only are your dash lights flickering and going out, but so are your parking lights (taillights, corner lights, etc)

[harkauto]

Originally Posted by Stealthee

If the fuse is the issue then not only are your dash lights flickering and going out, but so are your parking lights (taillights, corner lights, etc)

Thanks for your reply. I will have to look and see if that is happening with the other lights that you mention. When the dash lights go clear out it should be easy for me to see if these others are out especially at night.
I notice that the dash lights flicker on and off most often when driving on especially rough road. I'm thinking this is an indicator that something must be loose behind the instrument panel. I plan on attacking the problem from that angle as soon as the weather warms up a bit.