Car interior lights can be broken down into several categories, such as dashboard lights, dome lights, map lights, and others, and they can all go bad at once or one by one. Because there are so many different types of car interior lights, a malfunction can be annoying or a real safety issue. Either way, figuring out what to do when your car’s interior lights stop working is usually a fairly simple diagnostic process that can be accomplished with some very basic automotive diagnostic tools, such as screwdrivers and a test light.

Interior lighting is one of two fairly broad umbrellas that encompass all the different types of lighting in and around your car. The other category is exterior lighting, which includes everything from your headlights to your taillights and everything in between.

Car interior lights can be further divided by their specific purposes. Dome lights are usually located overhead and illuminate the interior of your car at night, while map lights, located on or near the sun visors, were originally designed to literally make it easier to read physical maps (PDF links) at night. Dashboard lights can help you see your instruments, such as the speedometer, at night and are often adjustable to prevent night blindness.

Some cars also come equipped with other specialized categories of interior lighting, such as step lights that help you get into your car at night without tripping, and some even have “welcome mat” lights that project a logo or pool of light onto the ground when you open the door.