Most likely cause would be a blown fuse.
If the instrument panel is not working than its most likely to be a loose connection. This was the case with my corsa. also poor running due to the sensors which i had to change and air flow meter was faulty.
When i was trying to disable my DRL's (Daytime Running Lights) i pulled the fuse for them and my headlights and instrument lights were flashing intermittently. Check the fuse panel in the glove box and look for the DRL fuse. Check if its blown. Hope this helps!!!
What would cause the instrument panel on a 1997 ford pickup 150 not to work?
Check the fuse.
daytime running lights
That is the part with the gauges.
If it's doing this while the vehicle is running, it would be because the daytime running light system of the Grand Am included the instrument panel lights. Prior to the daylight sensor becoming standard, on some GM products, only the headlights were part of the daytime running lights system, while on others, it included all the lights.
Go to this website wjjeeps.com
http://www.bba-reman.com/content.aspx?content=Jeep_Cherokee_1999_Dash
you take apart the dash and get to the instrument panel. then you take the instrument panel out and on the back of the panel you'll will see the lights
An instrument panel might go crazy because of an electrical short in the system. When an exposed wire touches a metal area, this can cause the panel to spark or even turn on and off.