# Dashboard Reminder Light Out...Fuse?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 5, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850 "2024-04-05T01:48:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850/1 "2024-04-05T01:48:44Z")

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My sister says her dashboard light that indicates your headlights are on (and possibly the “ding” that reminds you to turn off the headlights) have died. She asks: Is this as simple as a bad fuse? And, if not, what could it cost to fix (ballpark)? She has a 2014 Toyota Camry LE with 67,000 miles.

My gut instincts:  
a) I wager is it not a fuse.  
b) I’m sure it is a pricey fix. I know fixing it sounds a little extreme as most would live with it, but she’ll easily forget her lights are on and get stuck with a dead battery a few times before remembering becomes habit.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850/2 "2024-04-05T07:15:59Z")

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I’m surprised that car doesn’t turn the lights off automatically.

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**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850/3 "2024-04-05T16:03:31Z")

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If everything else works, it’s not a fuse.

Do you have access to the car? I’d do some goofing with the headlight switch stalk before taking the dash apart.

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**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850/4 "2024-04-05T22:28:43Z")

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I agree it’s not a fuse…

> [@Jinx](#):
>
> I’m sure it is a pricey fix.

But might not be. Admittedly, this car is newer than most I’ve tinkered with, but the instrument bulbs are often easily replaced once you get the cluster out, and those are not so difficult. Search Youtube, they got everything! If you don’t have easy access to a spare bulb, switch it with another one, like the seatbelt one. You don’t need a light to remind you about that!

My question is, if she doesn’t see that the lights are on, how is she gonna see the little thing on the dash? 😄

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**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\
**Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dashboard-reminder-light-out-fuse/999850/5 "2024-04-05T22:53:07Z")

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> [@Jinx](#):
>
> My sister says her dashboard light that indicates your headlights are on (and possibly the “ding” that reminds you to turn off the headlights) have died.

My first instinct is that the most likely culprit here will be _different_ depending on whether it’s just a dashboard indicator light that no longer illuminates _or_ if there really _is_ a headlight chime and _it, too,_ no longer works.

Can we verify??