Courtesy Lights Stay On (1 Viewer)

[80 Cruiser Rod]

I've been struggling with this for a while. At one point I would play with the courtesy light switch (pushing it in and out) on the driver's side and it would only come on when temps were below freezing. Strange, I know! Then I decided to remove it and spray contact cleaner. That seemed to work for a while. Next I decided to replace it with a new one after it started to act up again. When I examined the old one, it did look like the spring for the switch was weaker than the new one. Now even driving down the road my interior lights intermittently go on and off for no apparent reason. Can anyone tell me what is going on and how to fix this?

 

[BigAxeJack]

Sounds like a faulty door switch. Maybe you could disable them one at a time to isolate the naughty one? Good luck!

 

[greentruck]

Check the grounds. Haven't looked at the EWD there lately, but there have to be some and they're where they could get corroded and cause issues.

 

[Tedward]

I now have the intermittent courtesy light. Mine problem is the passenger door. If one pushes on the door from the inside the map light comes on. Or if hitting some good bumps it flashes on real quick. Had to leave home before any ivestigation. I did replace the door jamb switches recently. I now think I need to adjust the door some so it closes tightly and engages the switch. Also you could operate the switches by pushing on them with your finger when the door is open to make sure they work correctly. Or you can add a little piece of whatever to the button on the switch so it gets pushed in further when the door is closed. I glued a piece of gasket on to the old switch and that worked.

 

[ton504]

I placed the felt protectors that you place on your furniture's feet in the door where the switch makes contact. It was a couple bucks at walmart and you can't beat the easy install with the double sided tape backing.

 

[solidfrontaxle]

I have the same problem with my passenger door. You can lightly push on the door from the inside and make the light come on. Took the switch out and it was in good/normal shape. I think the door latch mechanism is wallowed out so the door is a little loose in there (doesn't rattle, held tight by weatherstripping). The slams the door too much. I ended up putting the tip of a marker lid on the end of the switch to extend it. Working good for now...

 

[80 Cruiser Rod]

I finally got around to try and troubleshoot my light problem. I think it is coming from the rear hatch. Does anyone know where I can find the switch for the rear hatch?

 

[mingles]

The light switch for the rear hatch is integrated into the mechanical latch. If you remove the latch mechanism from the hatch there is a wire pigtail that can be unplugged allowing removal from the vehicle.

The electrical switch in the latch seems (at least in my case) to gum up with grease from the mechanical latch. There are threads on MUD about folks disassembling the switch to clean it but this involved drilling out rivets. Before I went that route, I soaked mine in contact cleaner while repeatedly working the latch mechanism. Worked like a champ and now my rear hatch lights work reliably.

While I was in there, I also added a toggle switch inline with latch switch wiring pigtail that allows the hatch to be open without triggering the interior lights. Very useful for camping.