Dash lights only come on when rear defrost is on

I own the LX model. My check engine light came on after an exhaust leak. i used an OBD II code reader to check and clear the code. Three days after clearing the code the rear defrost light came on and stayed on for about a day then it went out. The next day the dash lights stopped working strangely they came on when the rear defrost was turned on and would turn off when the rear defrost was turned off. I checked all the fuses on inside panel and under the hood, i disconnected the battery and let it sit for a few minutes then reconnected. i also disconnected switch for defrost. I also checked light switch. None of it seemed to help not sure what else to check. Any ideas?