Interior lights wont turn off

[Jonesy]

Jeep Folk

My interior dome lights only come on when the rear doors are opened, or I switch the light on using the headlight bezel. The front doors have always been rusted where the switch was and never worked upon opening the front doors.

This has never bothered me in the past as I just switched the interior light on manually when getting in the car using the headlight switch.

Problem is, now the interior lights go on by themselves for no reason. They are dim and not as bright as if I switched then on at the headlight switch. I have come back to my car in a carpark to see the interior lights on. The only way I can get the lights to go off is to pull out the fuse.

The rear door switches look fine. The front are rusted to hell and back, but have never worked anyway.

As usual, any advice would be greatly appreciated. I love my cherokee, but was not prepared for so many electrical problems. Is this common to have heaps of electrical problems.

[reddog]

Welcome Jonesy! Seems that most electrical problems may have come due to the "repairs" done by PO (previous owners). First place to look would be at those front door switches. The interior lights always have power to them and come on when the circuit is completed by grounding it via door switch(es), dash switch or the rear cargo switch. If those rusty front door switches are not the problem then start searhing for a short in the ground wiring circuits for the interior lights.

Kerry

[Waggie82lim]

Look at the switch in the cargo area above the tail gate there is a swtich there that says"cargo lamp" make sure that isnt on

[Lindel]

I'd be willing to bet that to fix it, you'll have to remove the headliner. The interior lights (curtesy lamps) always have 12V applied, and just wait for a ground to complete the circuit. This ground is usually supplied by the headlamp switch, or by the door switches, but any ground will do.

I'd be willing to bet that the wires connecting the lamps to the door/headlamp switch have discovered another source of ground (the insulation has rubbed off), and as the truck bounces and vibrates, the lights go on and off. If you have the switch in the rear, that supplies a ground, as well, and deserves a look-see.

[ExpandingMan]

To solve a similar problem in mine, I just pulled out the switch in the door and wired it to a toggle. This way the lights don't come on when I open the door (stealth?) but only when I flip the switch. Why figure a problem out problerly when you can just rig it?

[shadowfax101]

I would say also pull out the rusty light tabs in the front doors. If they have rusted and moved around and found a ground that could do it.

If that is not the sorce I would pull out the back door tabs as well.

If still no luck you will have to do as the others say. Go into the headliner. It is not to bad, but I would much rather deal with the tabs and the one wire behind them first.

You might want to even replace the front two tabs. I got two from billyrd, mine were in bad shape as well. I am sure Crazy Jeepman can get you some to replace yours.