Interior Lights Come On While Driving
New User
Joined: May 2018
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Broken wires
Wolfy, Do you remember what color the wire was that was broken that fixed your dome light coming on periodically? My windows and door locks quit working and ultimately found out that it was broken wires in the door hinge area. I spliced about 5 wires that were broken and everything worked fine except the dome light still comes on periodically. I'm thinking that its a wire in the door hinge, but there are no visible wires that are broken anymore. I'm thinking that the wire is broken inside the insulation and cant see it. I need to know what color wire would be the one that may be affecting the dome light. Any help from anyone would be great. Thx
New User
Joined: Jun 2018
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Fixed 2005 ford f150 dome light courtesy light cargo light. Intermittently turns on while parked
Fixed 2005 ford f150 dome light courtesy light cargo light. Intermittently turns on while parked and key off . Parasitic draw .Battery drain over night .
if you tap the glass on the instrument cluster and the lights flicker of turn on then take off the plastic bezel covering the wires on top the cluster and on the left closest to the drivers door pillar . Wiggle the wires plugged into the cluster. If the lights flicker or come on then disconnect the socket and use compressed air to blow away any debris inside the socket and cluster . apply small amount of dielectric grease to socket and push the wires into to socket to insure a good connection . Plug it back in and try to wiggle the wires again. If the light does not come on . Then it's fixed it it does then repAir the wire to cluster or solder the connection inside the cluster if it is broken. Hope this helps .
if you tap the glass on the instrument cluster and the lights flicker of turn on then take off the plastic bezel covering the wires on top the cluster and on the left closest to the drivers door pillar . Wiggle the wires plugged into the cluster. If the lights flicker or come on then disconnect the socket and use compressed air to blow away any debris inside the socket and cluster . apply small amount of dielectric grease to socket and push the wires into to socket to insure a good connection . Plug it back in and try to wiggle the wires again. If the light does not come on . Then it's fixed it it does then repAir the wire to cluster or solder the connection inside the cluster if it is broken. Hope this helps .
New User
Joined: Jun 2018
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This may sound odd, but I have this problem with my wife's 07 Freestyle. I narrowed it down to the ignition where the key goes in. When the light comes on, if I push the key inward toward the steering column, the light will go off. Sometimes I have to do it a couple of times, but usually it works. See if that may be tied to the problem. Probably not a cheap fix either, but at least you will either find the culprit, or knock a suspect off the list. Good luck.
New User
Joined: Jan 2019
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Same exact issue.
Sorry for bumping this thread, but I have the same problem aswell.
2008 Ford F150 XL 5.4L V8 Flex Fuel (Regular Cab, long bed)
This thread seems to relate to my problem, except it doesn't seem like I'm getting same results to the symptom of the issue.
Basically, in the morning when I start the truck, I leave my driveway, once I'm down the street, the dome/back light comes on randomly then wont shut off till maybe a mile down the road. But each time I encounter this, I try to "Diagnose" where it may be caused by. I try banging on the head liner in case water/moisture is leaking down somewhere to cause this such thing. But never get results. I try opening/closing my door, nothing changes. (I did lubricate my latch(s)), and tap on the console area incase it may be the cause. I tried messing with the dome switch, nothing happens. It just comes on by it self (Even when parked) and goes off by itself.
I just want a better direction to where to look, if anyone can give me some tips on where to check. I suspect is maybe (JUST MAYBE) its a relay sticking open or somewhat. Possible a wire is shorting out somewhere, but I don't see anything visually broken/exposed.
2008 Ford F150 XL 5.4L V8 Flex Fuel (Regular Cab, long bed)
This thread seems to relate to my problem, except it doesn't seem like I'm getting same results to the symptom of the issue.
Basically, in the morning when I start the truck, I leave my driveway, once I'm down the street, the dome/back light comes on randomly then wont shut off till maybe a mile down the road. But each time I encounter this, I try to "Diagnose" where it may be caused by. I try banging on the head liner in case water/moisture is leaking down somewhere to cause this such thing. But never get results. I try opening/closing my door, nothing changes. (I did lubricate my latch(s)), and tap on the console area incase it may be the cause. I tried messing with the dome switch, nothing happens. It just comes on by it self (Even when parked) and goes off by itself.
I just want a better direction to where to look, if anyone can give me some tips on where to check. I suspect is maybe (JUST MAYBE) its a relay sticking open or somewhat. Possible a wire is shorting out somewhere, but I don't see anything visually broken/exposed.
I'm having the exact same thing in my 06 at 350 seems to be worse if it's cold or wet out anyway this morning when the light would come on I could hear the relay clicking under the steering wheel I gave it a couple thumps and it shut off. Now tonight it's 10ﾟ and the lights are on and won't shut off so I pulled fuse 35. I'll get to it tomorrow, .maybe even get a schematic
New User
Joined: May 2019
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I was reading about all of the same problems everyone along with myself is having. I spoke with a ford rep and they knew nothing about this problem, I also spoke with a private mechanic and he can't find the problem either. Has everyone complained to ford about this? Has there been a definitive fix because it's still driving me crazy.
New User
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2
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I'm thinking mine is a broken wire as well. I had several of them broken and I spliced them back together, but didn't fix the problem. I'm thinking that the wire may be broke in the insulation and I can't tell which one it is. Do you know what color the wire is that would control the dome light? This way I can cut a section out and splice to see if that fixed it. I really don't want to have to cut all of them and splice them, but may have to if I don't know what color wire to look for. Any help??
New User
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 1
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This may sound odd, but I have this problem with my wife's 07 Freestyle. I narrowed it down to the ignition where the key goes in. When the light comes on, if I push the key inward toward the steering column, the light will go off. Sometimes I have to do it a couple of times, but usually it works. See if that may be tied to the problem. Probably not a cheap fix either, but at least you will either find the culprit, or knock a suspect off the list. Good luck.
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 2,912
Likes: 506
I thought it was well documented this is in the instrument cluster, particularly if you also get the random BRAKE light (but not necessarily)
Our '08 F150 does it too. Sometimes it'll be sitting in the driveway at night and you know it's happening 'cause the cargo light comes on (anyone else picture the Indian guy in the original Poltergeist telling Craig Nelson "CAR VERY ANGRY"?)
I need to send our '08 F150 cluster out for service - I tried to contact one place I found via Google but they never responded and then my motivation dwindled and I chased a squirrel in a different direction....if anyone has recos from recent service please post up and maybe I can start chasing this squirrel again!
Our '08 F150 does it too. Sometimes it'll be sitting in the driveway at night and you know it's happening 'cause the cargo light comes on (anyone else picture the Indian guy in the original Poltergeist telling Craig Nelson "CAR VERY ANGRY"?)
I need to send our '08 F150 cluster out for service - I tried to contact one place I found via Google but they never responded and then my motivation dwindled and I chased a squirrel in a different direction....if anyone has recos from recent service please post up and maybe I can start chasing this squirrel again!
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Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 2,912
Likes: 506
Also with enough time I think it's possible for this problem to "mature" to a different stage. My beater '07 had every dome and cargo light bulb removed when I purchased it. Presumably at one time the lights were staying on long enough to drain the batt.
I reinstalled all the bulbs haven't had a single problem in several years, but the BRAKE light went from flickering to constant on -- for now a piece of black tape remedies that. Also my Airbag light does not work at all, ever. And the odo backlight is now DOA but for a year or two I could revive it with my fist..
I reinstalled all the bulbs haven't had a single problem in several years, but the BRAKE light went from flickering to constant on -- for now a piece of black tape remedies that. Also my Airbag light does not work at all, ever. And the odo backlight is now DOA but for a year or two I could revive it with my fist..
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 88
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I've had the same problem for a while. At first it was the brake light, which was a hassle because it trips the cruise control off when the brake light illuminates. I did the fix on this video and it was good for several months, but I guess my solder skills are not that great. Getting ready to try again and since I now also have the dome light problem and the dead airbag idiot light, I will try to melt all the connections to make sure they are all good. Apparently it is a very common issue and there are some shops that will do it, but I dont have a couple weeks to send it away and wait for someone else to fix it.
New User
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Fantom Lights
04 F150 4.6L Super Crew. Original miles on the whole Truck; 348,780.@@
Every area mentioned can be a problem.... with mine it is in the BCM.... I have yet to take it out and repair it.... also on the Gauges there seems to be cold solder joints that can be doing this..... an Automotive Electrician is costly.... because of the man hours required to troubleshoot the root cause... being a Union Electrician myself.... I can say... That I can’t even afford myself..... 99% of all work performed on my Truck is performed by myself.... I used to race when I was younger.... I know enough to get myself into a full size reck. Yet don’t know enough to say that I know what I am doing... Not an Engineer.... yet like anything..... Start at 1 and follow the path until you reach 10.... in order. That is how troubleshooting is started. Follow the line diagram from a to b... look at what others have found to be the fix on theirs... see what is the malfunction on yours... the answer might surprise you
Every area mentioned can be a problem.... with mine it is in the BCM.... I have yet to take it out and repair it.... also on the Gauges there seems to be cold solder joints that can be doing this..... an Automotive Electrician is costly.... because of the man hours required to troubleshoot the root cause... being a Union Electrician myself.... I can say... That I can’t even afford myself..... 99% of all work performed on my Truck is performed by myself.... I used to race when I was younger.... I know enough to get myself into a full size reck. Yet don’t know enough to say that I know what I am doing... Not an Engineer.... yet like anything..... Start at 1 and follow the path until you reach 10.... in order. That is how troubleshooting is started. Follow the line diagram from a to b... look at what others have found to be the fix on theirs... see what is the malfunction on yours... the answer might surprise you
Cargo Master
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 2,912
Likes: 506
I was thinking about the door thing......but on both my '07 F150 and '08 F150 if a door is opened while in RUN it gives the wonderfully annoying shrill beep.....so if a door latch is the culprit I'd expect a beep accompanying the light coming on.
Furthermore if a door latch is the culprit whilst parked in the middle of the night it should "time out," but our '08 does not.
Anyway funny this should be resurrected as I just (FINALLY) sent our '08 cluster to Texas Speedo for repair. The only hope now is that USPS doesn't lose it -- they seem to be especially struggling with package volume and panic these days.....
I may never have instruments again. At least if we had a GMT800 we could still drive the vehicle sans cluster....and I'd have a nice reliable pushrod V8 instead of timing chain noise. Apparently I enjoy torturing myself with products designed by Team TTB (heavy sigh)
Furthermore if a door latch is the culprit whilst parked in the middle of the night it should "time out," but our '08 does not.
Anyway funny this should be resurrected as I just (FINALLY) sent our '08 cluster to Texas Speedo for repair. The only hope now is that USPS doesn't lose it -- they seem to be especially struggling with package volume and panic these days.....
I may never have instruments again. At least if we had a GMT800 we could still drive the vehicle sans cluster....and I'd have a nice reliable pushrod V8 instead of timing chain noise. Apparently I enjoy torturing myself with products designed by Team TTB (heavy sigh)
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
I did almost the same thing. I removed the lower panel and then the panel around the instrument panel and exposed the wires on top. With the door closed I wiggled the 2 wire plugs on top and it made the light flicker on and off. I just disconnected both plugs and blew them out with air. Then put them back and wiggled them again and bingo they didn't come on. Hope this helps.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 123
Likes: 10
I did almost the same thing. I removed the lower panel and then the panel around the instrument panel and exposed the wires on top. With the door closed I wiggled the 2 wire plugs on top and it made the light flicker on and off. I just disconnected both plugs and blew them out with air. Then put them back and wiggled them again and bingo they didn't come on. Hope this helps.
I had this problem and interior light will not just come one while driving, but also when parked. This issue drained my battery 4 times, and pretty much killed it. I knew how to fix, but was just too busy to disassemble cluster. LOL.
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 2
Likes: 1
It usually is cracked solder on instrument cluster PCB. Wiggling wire may fix temporarily, but will come back.
I had this problem and interior light will not just come one while driving, but also when parked. This issue drained my battery 4 times, and pretty much killed it. I knew how to fix, but was just too busy to disassemble cluster. LOL.
I had this problem and interior light will not just come one while driving, but also when parked. This issue drained my battery 4 times, and pretty much killed it. I knew how to fix, but was just too busy to disassemble cluster. LOL.