So I have had my 98 for few months now and I only drive it once or twice a week. Is there a way to cut the interior lights off when the door is open. Ive tried turning the dimmer switch till it clicked. Ive tried to push on the lens cover but when I open the door the lights still come on. I tried looking in the owners manual and it only mentioned the rear cargo light saying nothing about the map lights. Am I missing something here or is there no way to cut the lights off with the door open.

It isnt often but occasionally I need to be able to leave my doors open while working on it or sitting in the back and would like to be able to do so without the interior lights being on.

 

I also have not found a way to get the lights to turn off with the front doors open. I don't think it's an option with the factory settings. I've been thinking of trying to figure out how to install an inline switch to turn them off manually. Maybe someone else will chime in with a better method though.

 

You have (2) options.

1) put tape over door plunger switch
2) remove door plunger switch with, iirc, a 8mm or 10mm socket

Or option 3) find a wiring diagram for the lighting and install a switch inline with the lighting

 

Well at least I know Im not asking a stupid question after all. Not being able to cut them off is dumb. Somewhere in bowels of the Chrysler engineering department is an engineer that needs to be smacked up side his head.

I can live with it as it is. If I need to leave them open without draining the battery I will just tape the switch. Occasionally I like to go into stealth mode and opening the door at night turns the interior into a beacon so I may install an inline switch but its not really an issue so I doubt I will ever get around to it. Thanks for the response.

 

Easiest way may be to replace the door plunger with a locking one. Can find them in the junkyard on Volvos, my 1991 wagon had them. Push the plunger in and give 1/4 turn, it stays depressed.

 

I've been considering adding an inline switch as well. Glad to see I'm not the only one that this annoys.

 

Ground interrupt would be the easiest way to rig a switch.

 

Now thats a good idea. If I want them to stay off just leave them in the locked position and you dont need tape or have to cut into the wiring. Have you actually done this swap and was pretty straight forward. If not did the plunger on your Volvo look to be close to the same size and length as the plungers on an XJ.

 

I removed every single bulb that would drain my battery if something is left open. Glove box, under hood, all of them.

 

I just unplug my door plunger. Only takes about 30 seconds including finding a wrench

 

In the rear the light lens is a switch. Push it in to shut the lights off while the rear hatch is open. Thats how my 98s works.

 

Maybe it's the same guy who designed the HVAC system with no recirculate mode except for the A/C. (At least that's the way it looks to me on my '99, I don't have an owner's manual.)

 

Thats a very common design in the 90s. My 98 Taurus wagon had that "feature" and so does my 99. If your on recirculation you probably want ac anyways as it will just fog the vehicle up.

 

The wife is very sensitive to things like soot/smell from diesels so as soon as she sees a semi or a bus she's reaching for the recirculate button. That didn't go over well in the XJ! (In her own car she'll tend to leave it on recirculate all the time if I don't change it when she's not looking.)

 

Tell her to put it on ac and just adjust the temp then.