Interior Light Question
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From: san diego
Interior Light Question
Is there any way to have the back glass window open without the interior lights staying on? When we go to the beach I'd like to keep it open to play music or get stuff easily but the interior lights won't go out and I don't want to drain the battery. Any advise ??
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Joined: Oct 2007
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From: San Diego, CA
I don't believe there is a setting, but I leave my rear doors and that hatch open often. And it usually all turns off after about 15 minutes or so.. Everytime you open or close a door though, it resets and stays on again for another 15 minutes or so..
I think it's just a safety feature that prevents you from wearing your battery down over night or something.
Noe that I think about it, it may not ever turn off if you have the key in the ignition and the door open.. I'm doing this without a key in the ignition..
I think it's just a safety feature that prevents you from wearing your battery down over night or something.
Noe that I think about it, it may not ever turn off if you have the key in the ignition and the door open.. I'm doing this without a key in the ignition..
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
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From: Washington State
There are many threads about wiring a switch to defeat the interior lights. Try searching to see which method you like best.
One is to wire it into the wires at the junction box under the dash (what I did on my 2000) and the other is to put a switch in the ground wire up top. Looks a lot easier.
Third would be to get a light switch from an 03-05 Expedition and use it since it has the dimmer switch which has a detent on the bottom that allows you to turn off the interior lights. I think you should go this route because I have an 03 Expedition switch in mine and it doesn't work. Seems there is a wire missing from the truck that would let this feature work. I want someone else to figure out how to make it work so that I don't have to.
One is to wire it into the wires at the junction box under the dash (what I did on my 2000) and the other is to put a switch in the ground wire up top. Looks a lot easier.
Third would be to get a light switch from an 03-05 Expedition and use it since it has the dimmer switch which has a detent on the bottom that allows you to turn off the interior lights. I think you should go this route because I have an 03 Expedition switch in mine and it doesn't work. Seems there is a wire missing from the truck that would let this feature work. I want someone else to figure out how to make it work so that I don't have to.
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 35
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From: San Diego, CA
You may want to do some testing and see if it will work with the key in the accessory position vs. no key at all.. It may not ever go out that way.. Not sure if you caught that before..
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Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2007
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There are many threads about wiring a switch to defeat the interior lights. Try searching to see which method you like best.
One is to wire it into the wires at the junction box under the dash (what I did on my 2000) and the other is to put a switch in the ground wire up top. Looks a lot easier.
Third would be to get a light switch from an 03-05 Expedition and use it since it has the dimmer switch which has a detent on the bottom that allows you to turn off the interior lights. I think you should go this route because I have an 03 Expedition switch in mine and it doesn't work. Seems there is a wire missing from the truck that would let this feature work. I want someone else to figure out how to make it work so that I don't have to.
One is to wire it into the wires at the junction box under the dash (what I did on my 2000) and the other is to put a switch in the ground wire up top. Looks a lot easier.
Third would be to get a light switch from an 03-05 Expedition and use it since it has the dimmer switch which has a detent on the bottom that allows you to turn off the interior lights. I think you should go this route because I have an 03 Expedition switch in mine and it doesn't work. Seems there is a wire missing from the truck that would let this feature work. I want someone else to figure out how to make it work so that I don't have to.
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Heres a pic of the F-150 switch. The switch on the right is the one I'd like to have on the Excursion.
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=regular_table height=560 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=640 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle height=50></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
Likes: 20
From: Washington State
The f-150's have a square switch or a more integrated switch. The 03-05 Expeditions' switch is direct replacement but the feature doesn't work... Much to my disappointment. I need the wiring diagram for both trucks to figure it out.
The switch I have also has the pull out for fogs (which I don't have) that I want to use for when I French the 04 F-150 square fogs into my bumper.
Got a diagram handy?
The switch I have also has the pull out for fogs (which I don't have) that I want to use for when I French the 04 F-150 square fogs into my bumper.
Got a diagram handy?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,440
Likes: 1
The f-150's have a square switch or a more integrated switch. The 03-05 Expeditions' switch is direct replacement but the feature doesn't work... Much to my disappointment. I need the wiring diagram for both trucks to figure it out.
The switch I have also has the pull out for fogs (which I don't have) that I want to use for when I French the 04 F-150 square fogs into my bumper.
Got a diagram handy?
The switch I have also has the pull out for fogs (which I don't have) that I want to use for when I French the 04 F-150 square fogs into my bumper.
Got a diagram handy?
Posting Guru
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Posts: 2,440
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Oh, one more thing. So are you going to try and get that switch to be operable?
Last edited by aortizexcursion; Apr 15, 2008 at 07:54 PM. Reason: add to the post
Sit. Stay.
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 18,308
Likes: 20
From: Washington State
The entire unit is replaced. Here's a pic of my old one. Both the light and dimmer switch are integrated together.
I want to get the interior light defeat function to work. You see, our Excursions don't have the ability built in in the switch whereas the Expeditions do.
However, what I've found is that it is not all about the switch. There is a wire "missing" from the truck as I've noticed that one pin on the switch doesn't have a corresponding wire in the plug coming from the truck.
It is that "missing" wire that I need to find out what it does and where it comes from on the Expedition to see if I can wire it up on the Excursion.
I want to get the interior light defeat function to work. You see, our Excursions don't have the ability built in in the switch whereas the Expeditions do.
However, what I've found is that it is not all about the switch. There is a wire "missing" from the truck as I've noticed that one pin on the switch doesn't have a corresponding wire in the plug coming from the truck.
It is that "missing" wire that I need to find out what it does and where it comes from on the Expedition to see if I can wire it up on the Excursion.