Anyone know why the instrmenet panel (radio, dash lights, oil gauge) would flicker when the van is running? It stops once you turn on the lights (park lights or head lights). I was guessing it was the switch but one other thing I noticed is that the dome light and the dash illumination lights are very dim no matter when so I didnt know if it might just be a short somewhere.

 

Actually, my 1999 does the same thing. I'm an MECP certified technician with a good amount of 12 hour work days under my belt... and I couldn't figure it out either! I first guessed it was a bad ground. Checked it, replaced the big 3 (cables) and even took out my alternator to diagnose it. Everything ran back fine, so I'm at a loss as well. I can, however, tell you that it's not an uncommon thing. I worked on an Astro recently, installed 4000 watts of Pioneer equipment (about $9000 install, overall) and replaced the alternator, power cables, and ground points. Sure as ****, we still had that odd little flicker in the instrument panel! I ran an ociloscope on the frame to positive, and got an almost perfect DC, which leads me to believe that it's a fault that affected a certain number of Astros or something that God, Himself, couldn't explain. I drew a blank on it, but I thought I'd leave my experience with this particular problem.

Tom.