Hi

(Firstly, apologies if this question is ignorant or dumb!)

I have a Lancer GLXi 1999 model. The other day, after work, I started the car and it ran perfectly...except that the instrument panel (speedo, odometer, fuel gauge, everything!) was completely dead. After about 20 minutes of driving, the instrument panel started working again.

Since then, and over the course of about two weeks, this problem has occured 4 more times.

- So far, this problem has only occured after the car has been sitting in the carpark near work for 8 or 9 hours.
- Never occurs first thing in the morning.
- On one occasion, the instruments started working after 20 minutes of driving.
- On another occasion, the instruments started working after 35-40 minutes of driving.
- On a third occasion, no improvement after half an hour of driving, but after stopping the car, and leaving it parked for an hour, the instrument panel worked correctly the next time I started it.
- On other occasions, no improvement after 30 minutes of driving, but working correctly the next morning.

Is this just a symptom that the battery is on it's last legs, or is it something more sinister than that??

Thanks