Trip (trick) rear door light switch? (1 Viewer)

[little_joe]

I am looking for a way to trip or trick the rear door so that when I prop it open, all of the interior lights go off.

Backstory: On my 80, I could open the hatch, manually flip the catch mechanism in the upper part of the hatch with a key or screwdriver or something, and the lights would immediately go off. When opening any other door, lights would come back on, but turn off when closing the open door.

I haven't figured out how to do this on the GX, or I'm being very impatient. I've tried tripping the rear door latching mechanism, pressing the door sensor on the US driver side, but no go. I want to do this b/c my wife and I like to go somewhere, for example the beach, and prop the rear door open w/o any concern about drawing down the battery, esp due t opening the other 4 doors off and on regularly.

I realize this may seem like a nit, but it's important to us. TIA for any help. And I don't have a FSM to check the circuit.

 

[IanB]

Pull the fuse for the interior lights?

 

[GXO]

They do go off on their own after a period of time (I think). I have to look that up.

 

[little_joe]

Yeah pulling the fuse is an option, and they will go off eventually. I'd just prefer to do it at the rear door so I don't have to fuss. Lazy, and spoiled by the 80.

 

[nakman]

That's a good idea. I used to do this too when I had an 80- never worried about the battery necessarily, but for me it was the little bugs when camping, there'd be a swarm of little gnats and what not by each dome light, who seemed even more attracted to LED's than stock bulbs. Or maybe I could just see more of them.

 

[IanB]

I was looking in my wife's GX last night, the cargo light has a switch that lets you select from "on", "off", and "door" modes. Could you not just switch it to "off" from there, problem solved? I don't remember any of the other interior lights being on with just the rear hatch open.

 

[little_joe]

Opening the rear door causes all interior lights to come on in mine. If the cargo light is set to Off and the door opened, the dome and map lights still illuminate.