This is for our 2004. When the doors are opened,the only lights that come on are the dome light in the middle of the vehicle. The light in the front compartment where the driver is does not come on when the door is open. Is this normal? It has been this way the 5 months we have owned the vehicle. Kind of a pain in the butt to not have lights in the driver or front passenger's area. The dome lights in front do work when the switches are turned on,so I know the bulbs are good. If this is normal,is there a way to program the lights to come on when the door is opened?

 

No, the lights up front should come on when the doors are open.

Do the map lights work when you push the buttons next to them? Does the light come on when you roll the dimmer switch wheel (that's next to the headlight switch) all the way up?

 

The map lights do work with the switches. I will have to double check when my g/f gets home,but if I remember correctly,the front lights do not come on when the dimmer switch wheel is turned all the way up.

 

I *think* - though I could be wrong - that the dimmer/dome light is a separate bulb from from the map light. Or at the very least, another filament in the same bulb. If I have the map lights turned on, I can scroll the dimmer switch up and (faintly) see the dome light come on, and vice-versa.

There could be something else going on, but that might be something worth checking as a first step.

 

Ok. looked at it for a minute just now. took the cover off,both bulbs work with the switches. There isn't a separate bulb for the dome light,only one bulb for each map light. Guess I can change the map bulbs out(looks like it should be lots of fun for a guy with fat fingers.lol) and see if that helps. otherwise I have no clue what the problem could be.

 

Does the light in the cargo compartment also come on when the door is open? It's been awhile since I've had either of my 2004's (Mountaineer and Aviator) but I thought there was a cargo light that also came on with the interior lights.

I'll try to check the service manual wiring diagrams this evening to see if there's a logical source of this issue.

-Rod

 

yes,the cargo light(I guess that's what the light over the middle seat would be called) comes on when the door is opened or the dimmer switch is turned all the way up.

 

According to the factory service manual for a 2004 Explorer there are 3 physical bulbs in the front overhead console - 2 map lights and one interior light. The interior light is controlled by the interior light relay, the 2 map lights are controlled by separate switches. There's a very similar setup in the middle of the vehicle (1 interior light bulb, 2 map light bulbs). There's also a cargo light in the way back cargo area that has a switch to turn the cargo light off, turn it on with the liftgate open, or set it to work with the interior lights. There is one bulb in the cargo light assembly.

All three sets of lights are controlled by the interior light relay so if the front is not working, check the interior light bulb. If the rear cargo light is not working, check the switch position. If the bulb does not work in any position with the rear liftgate open, then check that bulb as well.

If you have a multimeter or test light you should consider testing for voltage, current, and ground to each of the bulbs that don't work as well.

-Rod

 

Thanks Rod,very helpful. There is supposed to be a 3rd bulb in the front light,then. I can't see it or even a place where one is supposed to be. There are only bulbs to the left and right for the map lights,nothing or even anything that looks like a place for a bulb in the middle. There is a silver conical shaped piece of aluminum in the center of the map lights.

 

I'll double-check the diagram this evening to make sure I was looking at the front overhead console. Unfortunately I didn't find an image showing the three bulbs, only the schematic diagram showing 3 distinct bulbs. And I no longer have a 2004 in the garage to go look at.

-Rod

 

Thanks Rod.....anybody else have a picture or have an 04 that could pop the cover off and take a picture?

 

Confirmed with the service manual that for the 2004 model year Explorer, all varieties of front overhead lights are referred to as "Interior/Map Lamps Assembly, Front" show three distinct bulbs with the bulbs labeled Map Lamp 1, Map Lamp 2, and Interior Lamp.

-Rod

 

hmmm would be nice if I could find a picture. I don't even see a socket to put a 3rd bulb. Just the map lights on either side and reflectors in the middle.