Can I disable "interior lights on when lifting exterior handle" feature?

[5.0]

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1997 XLT 4 door.

When the vehicle is locked and the exterior door handle is pulled up, the interior lights will turn on.

Is there a way to disable this? How does the light know to turn on?



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[martin123]

Turn the dimmer switch off and the light will not come on. That is what I do.

 

[budwich]

Not sure if that will work... but it could as various years have various setup... at least from the info on the forum. My 96 doesn't work like that (dimmer doesn't turn to an off position). Anyways, to answer the original question, a "simple vasectomy" of the P/LG wire coming from the "offending" door will stop "signalling" the GEM to turn on the lights.

 

[5.0]

of the P/LG wire coming from the "offending" door .

By P/LG, do you mean the purple/light green wire? And I can unhook the P/LG wire in each of the 4 doors? Or somewhere at the GEM?

I don't like the idea of someone eyeballin' my goodies at night by simply pulling up the door handle to see what I have to steal...



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[toypaseo]

subscribing...

 

[Ray Lobato]

Turn the dimmer switch off and the light will not come on. That is what I do.

That doesn't work on a 97.

To the original poster, That is a very good question. I wished I knew.
Maybe GIJoecam can chime in here. He's really good at finding out stuff like this.

 

[budwich]

I wouldn't touch your GEM unless of course you want other problems. As for the doors, as stated you can cut, unhook, or otherwise at each door.... but I think only the front doors have the switch.

 

[5.0]

Yes, only the front doors have the switches. I was checking it out earlier today, and the back doors wouldn't make the light come on. I'll pull the door panels off and disconnect whatever I need to. I may try to pull some new speaker wire while the door panels are off, but I've heard that the driver side is a real pain.