Auto Parts: Gas Guage Light, mitsubishi eclipse, dash lights


Question
When you turn on the headlights in my sons 2000 Mitsubishi eclipse all of the dash lights come on. The only one that doesn't illuminate is the gas gage. Is this a burned out bulb? And how would you replace it?

Answer
    It is almost certainly a bulb out.  You will have to reach up behind the dash and find the bulb for that location.  Sometimes lying on your back in the driver's footwell and looking upward with a flashlight makes things easier.  The bulb is in a little black plastic holder that twists into the back of the printed-circuit dash (this lies directly behind the stuff that you can see from the seat).  It twists out counter-clockwise, and back in the opposite.  Go ahead and get the bulb first, it's a number 74 (everyone uses the same nomenclature).  You might want to consider changing all of the bulbs while you are under there.  They are all of the same age and this is a disagreeable, although not difficult, chore.