97 blazer just failed smog because the service engine light failed to come on.

I yanked the instrument gauge panel out of the dash and replaced the bulb with the recommended number 37 bulb. Put the panel back in and it failed to light. Any ideas on where to go from here?

 

The next step would be to test continuity from pin 24 on the back of the instrument cluster to connector 4 pin 5 on the PCM under the hood. This is the wire that controls the SES light by completing the ground circuit. You can test the operation of the lamp by grounding this wire as well.

 

This just turned out to be a bone head mistake. I guess when I stuck the new bulb in it didn't make connection with the holder so it wasn't turning on. I swapped it with another bulb and the one I swapped turned on it the SES spot but the new bulb still didn't work.

I seem to have caused another problem though. Now when I flip on my brights the indicator light illuminate for only a fraction of a second and then turns off. Any idea why it might be doing that? Also my flood lights aren't working now either. I think I may have messed up the switch.

 

Sounds like you have opened a can of worms. It likely is a connection problem with the high beam indicator that has been caused by the work you have done on the SES bulb.