Auto Parts: 2002 galant, type fuses, windshield wiper

Question
I have a 2002 Galant and my dash lights, headlights, windshield wiper, and backlights are not working. All other lights work. What would cause this and how can I fix it.

Answer
    Ordinarily I would think this was a fuse issue.  However, all of these items would not be on a single fuse.  While it's possible that more than one fuse has blown, the first place that I would look is the fusible links.  Attached to the positive post of the battery, aside from the large positive battery cable itself, are a couple of large fuses.  Sometimes they are just strips of metal, sometimes short pieces of wire, sometimes even Maxi type fuses.  They are designed to protect the battery from systems that can draw a lot of current.  I would check to make sure that they are not damaged, and to make sure that their connections have not become loose or corroded.  If all of that is working properly, then I would look at the switches.  The headlight switch and the wiper switch are both located on the steering column.  Down under the column is a connector or several connectors that connect the switches with the wiring harness of the car.  Check those connectors; you will probably have to remove the cover from the bottom of the column.  The other problem could be the ignition switch.  All of these items are "switched" items, they are controlled by the ignition key.  If the ignition switch went bad any single item, or more than one item, could fail to operate.  It could still do its other jobs of operating the engine and so forth, but not those items that are bad.  Oh, and please look at the fuses first, if you haven't, 'cause that's the easiest thing to check and fix.