OK, I've read the entire 13 pages of this thread and it covers most of my problem. I've had this problem for about 5 to 6 years. Originally, when I lived in Maryland, it only happened in the winter. So, I moved to sunny Florida. Then it only happened when it got really cold. Now it happens whenever the temperature is lower than 72 degrees, even when the car is garage kept.
For about the past year, when I start the car and drive, everything works correctly, then after about 5 miles, the dash begins to flash and the entire thing (Cluster and A/C and shifter and even door button lights go out). Then after driving about 20 to 40 miles, everything begins to come on again. First, it's the shifter on the console and the radio buttons and the HVAC lights begin to flicker, Then as they flicker more the dash needles begin to flash. Then these lights stay on and the back lighting on the cluster begins to flash. Each time they flash on, the fuel gauge needle comes off the end pin. After several minutees of this, then everything is lit up like the car was new. While these lights are off, the odometer doesn't accurately register miles driven.
Is all this tied to what ever is causing the cluster lighting problem that everyone has been describing on this forum since 2003?