Dash lights flickering. Any ideas?

I have a 2000 DC with 171,000 miles. When I turn on the lights the right side of the speedometer and the AC control lights flicker and the clock doesn't light up. When they're off the clock keeps advancing the time and can't set it. Any one have any ideas?

 

My first thought is you may have a windshield leak (salt belt corrosion around the window seal) that's causing drips onto the interior fuse box. Wouldn't be the first time we've seen it. How confident are you in popping ours out to inspect it for mint-green colored copper oxide trails?

Check the 1st post's 2nd picture in this thread: https://www.tundras.com/threads/need-help-finding-passenger-compartment-fuse-box.95058/

That's basically what I'm thinking. Flickering suggests bad/corroded connection. If it was only the gauges, I'd think it was in the cluster. The fact it's in the center dash and the cluster, the only common cabling link-back I can think of is that fuse box, which is what splits your main power feeds coming thru the firewall and sends it out to the various interior circuits you've mentioned are having issues.

 

Thanks for the info! I'll check it out and see if that's the problem.

 

Gotta get the truck back from garage first. Took it in to replace brake lines and parking brake. Now he's having trouble with it, left side grabs good and right side doesn't and pulls you towards the left. Ordered a LPSV since that's the only thing not replaced on it.

 

Corrosion somewhere creating a short or ground could cause those symptoms. These models have incandescent bulbs and could be in need of replacement. That wouldn’t explain your clock issue.
FYI: Your year came as either an RC (regular cab) or AC (access cab). The DC (double cab) is the full four door that debuted in 2004 as the oddball of the lineup and got full release in 2005 with the upgraded engine trans combo. Yours appears to be the AC in your avatar, I have the same model. I swapped all of my dash lights out for LEDs. Very pleased with the light output and brightness. Good luck with your issue.

 

Thanks for correcting me! Was it hard to switch to LED's?

 

Hopefully only informing for future searches so you are looking for the correct info and getting the correct help. The LED conversion isn’t bad at all. There’s several threads here with the bulb sizes needed, some vendors even have packages with all the bulbs needed. I pulled the bezel around the dash with the 2 screws at the top and removed the gauge cluster with 4 10mm bolts I believe and unplugged it. I swapped the bulbs out in the kitchen and took it back out and reinstalled. Blue leds did not look good. Visibility sucked. Went with whiter color and colored the needles with a red sharpie. Got a special higher durability version of the sharpie and it has lasted for years.

 

Were your brake lines rusted out? Truck not qualify for the frame recall?

 

Previous owner did get a new frame and bed put on. Front brake lines were rusted and didn't want to chance them. Also replaced the rubber lines with braided to see if that would help with mushy brake pedal