More than likely they are just turned off. There is a rheostat that is used to adjust the brightness of the instrument lights. If it is turned too far the lights will go out. Find this rheostat and turn it left or right until your lights come back on. Quite likely it is that useless wheel mentioned above. It took me a year to realize that my dashboard light was always out after I cleaned the interiors and when my toddler finally started playing with that wheel, I noticed the lights went back on... The dash dimmer switch that they mentioned is also bad to go out. I had the same problem and had to replace mine. 40-50 at the dealer, 8 from a junkyard. The problem was so bad that Nissan redesigned it sometime after 91, so make sure you get the same type of switch.
Bulbs mis-installed, blown fuse, connector not plugged in, wrong bulbs, etc.Bulbs mis-installed, blown fuse, connector not plugged in, wrong bulbs, etc.
wrong bulbs or bad earth
short or wrong bulbs
either the switch is not working or a wire to the switch is broken
And 'appen the brake lights come on when you switch on the side lights? Someone has swopped the wiring over... or forced the bulbs into the sockets the wrong way 'round!
Probably the wrong bulbs or the brake lights are getting stuck "on". Or maybe a combination of the two. Check that you have the right bulbs and check to make sure something isn't keeping the brake lights on. FriPilot
Assuming the bulbs aren't burned out, it is likely a blown fuse
You will have to diagnose what is wrong with them before you can fix them. Check the fuse and the bulbs first.
Check bulbs
Until you say what is wrong, I recommend using a sledge hammer.
If all the fuses and bulbs are new and work properly, the lights could be malfunctioning due to a short in the wiring. The wiring may also be damaged or burned out in places.
They are either the wrong bulbs or one of the filaments is burned out. The bulbs should have two filaments. One is illuminated when the lights are on. The other is brighter when the brakes are used.