How/Turn off interior light - hatch open

[jimwww]

Hi,
I did search but I did not find an answer yet. I have a 1996 and I want to leave my hatch open and get my interior lights to go off. (have not checked the timed thing yet of 30 min). I also do not have a dim switch that if you turn it all the way down and then click some more it turns them off - we I can dim my dash lights but there is no - turn it more part on my 96.

Any advice?

 

[bobflood]

I do it all the time and the interior lights do go off after about 30 min.

 

[jimwww]

I will time it and see. thanks.

 

[NCRYPTD]

wanna turn the lights off too

This is an issue that has bugged me since the day I first went camping with my '95 Explorer. There is a button in the back to lock the doors, that I have never used. I wish it could be used to turn off the inside lights leaving the lift gate open. I have used the open lift gate as protection from rain many times while camping. I have done the doors open method. I think it is 40 minutes before the lights go out. The one problem is I usually screw up and shut a door, which starts the timer all over again. When my original battery was nearing end of life, I got marooned at a camp ground for awhile, when the interior lights left on too long resulted in running battery down too far to start the engine. I have looked at the doors, and can't even figure out how it can tell they are open, because I don't see any switches that I could defeat, must be latch position or something.

 

[bobflood]

I assume there is a fuse that could be pulled to kill the interior lights. Understand it is an additional PITA, and don't know what else it might kill, but it could present a short term solution. Long term, it's would take spending some time with the schematics to find a place to install a cutoff switch - maybe connected around the light timer??

 

[96_sport_ct]

ive got a simple solution that requires no modifications. look at the latches on each side that usually lock down. simply push them to how they would be when the door is closed on both sides and the lights will go off. i had to do this at work since the ac doesnt work and it works every time. push in the inner latch then the one over it. if you need more explanation i can get pictures for you

 

[96_sport_ct]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VlISUt4nNo

this is my short vid. i hope this is what you meant haha

 

[bobflood]

Hey 96 sport: Very cool solution and great video. Hope jimwww who asked original question sees it!

 

[bobflood]

PS: I assume that you just turn the handle on the door to "unlatch" them before you shut it?

 

[96_sport_ct]

yes. be sure that you turn it all the way so that both sides fully unlock. if they don't you will know when you try and shut the hatch and it slams against the metal rod. its really loud and you'll only do it a couple times before you learn not to do it again haha. sometimes its a hassle to get both sides to pop like that so that the lights turn off but when you get it right the interior lights will shut off as if the door were shut and will come on when you pop the latches again

 

[jimwww]

Excellent. Turn the handle - make sure sides unlock before putting it down again - Great!

 

[Diff Whack Daddy]

You only have to do the drivers side latch on the first gens. May be the same on the 2nd gens as well.

 

[FordwheelerSean]

The lights on my 95 don't come on at all with the rear hatch open, they come on with the doors only.

 

[Jstcruz]

I have a 88 Ranger that I show and the doors are open all the time and they will not turn off with a timer, so what I did was pull the lense off, drill a small hole in it for a small toggle switch, and cut the ground wire and wire it to the switch. that way with the door open (on my ranger anyway) if i want the light on i turn it on independantly. with the explorer you just have 2 or 3 lights to deal with instead of just one.

 

[96_sport_ct]

i just converted my main interior lights to leds anyways. draws less power and they are brighter. got both my front dome light and my rear cargo light to blue leds

 

[NCRYPTD]

ive got a simple solution that requires no modifications. look at the latches on each side that usually lock down. simply push them to how they would be when the door is closed on both sides and the lights will go off. i had to do this at work since the ac doesnt work and it works every time. push in the inner latch then the one over it. if you need more explanation i can get pictures for you

Tried this with mine, and it did not shut the lights off.

 

[96_sport_ct]

there's a possibility that you didn't push the latches in far enough. they will latch in two different positions, one at half engaged and the other when the latches are fully engaged. i apologize that the video isn't up anymore since i haven't really been active online but if you push the latches all the way in then usually the lights will shut off due to the fact that the sensor for the lights should be inside those latch assemblies. if this still doesn't work then look around the back of the hatch for one of the sensor buttons that shut off the lights. good luck to you.

P.S. you have to push the latches up on both sides for this to work