I see it has been a while since this post, but I recently have been dealing with a similar issue.
My ac/heat/etc would suddenly quit. I never noticed a blinking ac light. It would usually pop back on by itself. But this last time I started it up and had no air. The only thing that shows on the hvac panel is the clock. No fan speed, temp, avg mpg, etc.
I have checked magnetic clutch relay, fuses, and i just replaced the hvac panel. I thought that would solve it as half of the old panel would no longer light up. The new one lights up as it should but still only shows the time.
Do you think the issue may be the amplifier?