How to: Fake a Dark Car Mod 2005 Explorer

[Number Twelve]

The procedure: Remove the ceiling light bulbs that come on automatically. Remove the brown wire in the number 2 position in the center connector of the Vehicle Security Module. Open each front door panel and remove the black/light blue wire from the connector to kill the puddle lights.

Penalties: You lose the auto-headlight feature. You have to turn the ceiling light on manually if you want light.

I call this a Fake because it was just the most expedient way to get the car to stop announcing where I am. There might be other ways, better ways, if you have the time to get into the wiring harness, but 2/3 of this stuff is in the Central Junction Box which is nearly impossible to get at. I would like to keep the auto-headlight feature, and that can probably be done, but not without immense amounts of crawling under the dashboard and cussing the person who put a block of fuses and relays under there.

This does not affect the tail lights, turn signals, or brake lights. You will still light up if you press the brake pedal.

 

[Sweersa]

Why not just keep the dimmer switch off?

 

[Number Twelve]

Why not just keep the dimmer switch off?

because the dimmer switch doesn't stop the tail lights from blinking when you open the driver's door, it doesn't disable the puddle lights, and it turns off all the instrument cluster lights when it is in the "off" position.

 

[Sweersa]

because the dimmer switch doesn't stop the tail lights from blinking when you open the driver's door, it doesn't disable the puddle lights, and it turns off all the instrument cluster lights when it is in the "off" position.

I was not aware of the tail lights blinking. I'm pretty sure my '05 XLT disables the puddle lights with the dimmer off. I'll double-check later on that.

 

[Number Twelve]

You might be right about the puddle lights. I didn't pay any attention to them until I did the other mods and they were still on. Then, I didn't try the dimmer switch. I would be happy to hear from you about that idea.

 

[Sweersa]

You might be right about the puddle lights. I didn't pay any attention to them until I did the other mods and they were still on. Then, I didn't try the dimmer switch. I would be happy to hear from you about that idea.

The dimmer switch in the off position for sure kills the puddle lights. Even if they are already on (from opening the door/unlocking) it will kill them as soon as you roll the switch in the downward most position. I verified this tonight.

I remember now when I vacuum the Explorer, I usually have doors open so I roll it down to not keep them on. Same when I'm at an event with my rear hatch open for a long time.

 

[Number Twelve]

Thank you. My preference remains to leave the instrument panel lights operating normally at all times (never touch the dimmer switch). So I took the bk/lt blu wires out of the connectors inside the doors.

Besides, my car has a defect which keeps the front dome light on always, unless I use the dimmer to kill the instrument panel lights, too. I had to take out the bk/lt-blu wire to the front dome light. Already being on that warpath, doing the puddle lights by pulling their wires seemed a minor chore to me.

 

[Sweersa]

Thank you. My preference remains to leave the instrument panel lights operating normally at all times (never touch the dimmer switch). So I took the bk/lt blu wires out of the connectors inside the doors.

Besides, my car has a defect which keeps the front dome light on always, unless I use the dimmer to kill the instrument panel lights, too. I had to take out the bk/lt-blu wire to the front dome light. Already being on that warpath, doing the puddle lights by pulling their wires seemed a minor chore to me.

No problem. I also had a problem where my dome lights wouldn't turn off. My puddle lights also didn't work. It was that infamous door ajar issue. Fixing a few broken black ground wires in the door cluster fixed that. I didn't even know puddle lights existed until that was fixed. lol