[Needleroozer]

I I thought my instrument panel was a little dim and I didn't know how to adjust the brightness. So I looked in the owner's manual and it told me there's a little knob on the left side of the instrument cluster which you can adjust the lighting. To use it, you push on it and it pops out, then you adjust the lighting, then you push it back in. My knob was already out. I adjusted the lighting, and when I went to push it back in, it would not. So, I started fiddling with it. And I pulled it out. Like, all the way out, So I attempted to put it back in. Eventually, I got it in. And that's when I noticed my automatic headlights don't work anymore. It's dark outside, I have the automatic headlights on, and the headlights themselves are off. What have I done? What do I need to do to fix it? How much is this going to cost me?

 

[wallyp]

What happens if you turn the headlamps on manually by turning the knob all the way clockwise? Does the dimmer stalk do anything? If you turn the knob all the way clockwise and pull the knob out one notch, do the front fog lamps come on when the dimmer stalk is in the low-beam position?
Do the tail lamps come on at all?

 

[Needleroozer]

Yes to everything. The only thing that's broken is automatic headlamp mode. It's like the car doesn't think it's dark out. Since the instrument lighting brightness is also controlled by the light sensor, I wonder if I damaged something when I pulled the knob out.

 

[ArchAngel2190]

This is a far shot but if it's anything like my 02 Silverado, you can deactivate the auto headlamps by pressing the dimmer switch in. Try pushing in/popping out that switch you messed with a few times (not all the way out this time, maybe) and see if that makes any difference.