I have just bought a '97 Chevy Blazer LS. After driving it one night, I realized that my dashboard lights were not working, even when I would fiddle with the dimmer switch (but the domelight comes on if I click the dimmer switch up all the way). I examined the fuse panel and saw that I had bought the vehicle with a missing #3 fuse. According to the manual, this fuse powers the Parking Lamps, License Plate Lamps, Electric Shift Transfer Case Module, Underhood Lamp, Rear Wiper, Fog Lamp Relay, Door Switch Lamp, Ashtray Lamp, and the Headlamp Switch. I replaced the fuse with a SmartLight fuse. As soon as I pushed the Parking Lamp button, I heard a 'pop'. Nothing of what the Parking Lamp button operates (dashboard illumination behind the gauges, taillights, hood light, license plate lamp) worked. The redlight on the fuse was on (showing that it was blown), so I replaced it with another to make sure that I didn't have a faulty fuse. Same thing happened.
Could this be a short circuit to the #3 fuse, or perhaps something wrong with the console that controls all of the lamps? Again, my domelight works, even the the dimmer does not brighten or dim the dashboard lgiths behind the gauges. My brights work perfectly fine. But the hoodlamp, the license plate lamp, taillights, and dashboard lights have not yet worked.
How much might this be to fix?

The attached photo is of the '97 Blazer lamp controls. That red light to the far left is the light from the #3 SmartLight fuse blowing out after I've pushed the Parking Lamp button, located to the upper left of the controls.

 

aftermarket deck? check illumination wires and make sure they aren't bare behind the radio. a lot of people who have no business messing with even simple radio wiring chop off harnesses and leave exposed wires in their weak attempts at installing something.

 

As far as I know from the dealer and from how the interior looks, everything on dashboard is stock model, from the radio to the AC/Heat controls, to the lamp buttons and gauges.
Thank you, zerepdivad. I'll look into that.

 

hmm well if the radio is stock then i'd imagine that is fine so long as it functions properly.
But you never know. won't hurt to check.
Does it by chance have a trailer hitch? often with those as well people use improper connectors and or leave the plug just dangling and such.

 

Same goes for folks monkeying about with fog lights or regrounding headlight circuits to either bypass DRL modules or get more output upgrading wire gauge. Someone likely caused a dead short or there's torn wiring. A systematic trace of fused circuits surrounding the shorted component may be the only way to trace it down. It could be a shorted harness on the transfer case plug also as I think it might share the same leg. Which thread shall we follow? It appears you have a few going.

Good luck and let us know.
A.