*PLEASE HELP* 1999 Accord has non-working Wipers, Parking lights, and

[TJH]

I am working on a 1999 Accord LX for my friend.
(He is moving out of town, and I need to have it completed in the next couple days). I have been working on it for two days so far. I can't give the car back to him like this.


The symptoms are:

Nonworking parking lights, cruise control light, odometer light, Gauges light, Clock light, and Windshield Wipers (might be unrelated).

The parking light bulbs and the backlit gauges themselves work fine when the switch is set to "on", but nothing when switch is set to "parking lights".
(And lighting for digital odometer, clock light, and wipers will not work in either setting). Hazards and turn signals work like normal, but nothing happens when I switch to "parking lights".


My Hunches are:
I am wondering what the following things have in common:
the cruise light (on the Push-in "Button" on the dash),
the parking-lights when in the "parking-light position",
and the backlighting for the gauges when in parking-light setting.

Could it be the switch, a relay, or a good ol' fashioned short circuit?
I have not driven the car over 30mph to test the functionality of the cruise control. (maybe it is separate.)
And what would the nonworking wipers have to do with it? (my friend "says" the wipers work "sometimes"). Maybe they are related, maybe thats a separate problem. It would be nice to have wipers, if anything, though.
also, there is an optional slot in the multiplex under the hood with a spot labeled "(7.5 amp) (Dimming Relay)" I can't tell if the receptacle for this fuse was damaged (pushed through), but it looks like it was always blank. The Dimmer in the gauge cluster seems to be working correctly when headlight switch is in the "On" position.


The 3 or 4 Big Questions:
How do I know if it is a switch or a gash in a wire?
(They are equally likely on this car). Should I be testing relays?
And Do the Wipers, parking lights, and cruise control have any specific wire, relay or switch in common? If I could address them in priority, it would be in that order.


Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone have any Ideas? Has any one else solved this anomaly?



-TJH