No idea what kind of car we are talking about but anything directional related screams turn signal switch/harness on an older mopar. Dash lights? Did you check the fuse, headlamp/dimmer switch and connector?
He said headlights were working so that rules out the dimmer switch. Its unlikely the turn signal switch is bad. I have never seen one go bad other than physically breaking and he said it was indicating something on the dash.
Everything your having problems with rely on that housing ground. Start by temporarily or install a permanent ground wire and go from there. The instrument cluster is normally grounded with the mounting screws to the dash frame. People sometimes have issues after they paint the dash frame. It was never a great ground and I find a dedicated ground wire can help cure/prevent many issues.
