Dead battery: Interior lights won't shut off

[BobK]

Jerry is a much wiser man than I, LOL.
I often forget that sometimes our computer overlords just need a Raytheon Reset.

I will take advice from you, Jerry, anyone that purports to have the answer....LOL

Unfortunately, the computer overloads failed to give me a reprieve after disconnecting the battery cables (touching them together after five minutes). When I reconnected and inserted the Accessories fuse, the damn lights stayed on no matter what I did, even after pulling the infamous #4 fuse for running without the doors.

I had the multifunction switch off and that didn't make a difference either.

Ok, so now I'm left grasping at straws. My wife asked, so what is different this week than last week? (a good question, but I didn't let on that I thought it was). Since last Sunday, I installed a winch - connect direct to the battery, no switches or relays. I installed a hard top and I installed seat covers. My son thinks its the seat covers......lol . But nothing that should affect the interior lights.

I'm stumped.

 

[mushdogs]

I will take advice from you, Jerry, anyone that purports to have the answer....LOL

Unfortunately, the computer overloads failed to give me a reprieve after disconnecting the battery cables (touching them together after five minutes). When I reconnected and inserted the Accessories fuse, the damn lights stayed on no matter what I did, even after pulling the infamous #4 fuse for running without the doors.

I had the multifunction switch off and that didn't make a difference either.

Ok, so now I'm left grasping at straws. My wife asked, so what is different this week than last week? (a good question, but I didn't let on that I thought it was). Since last Sunday, I installed a winch - connect direct to the battery, no switches or relays. I installed a hard top and I installed seat covers. My son thinks its the seat covers......lol . But nothing that should affect the interior lights.

I'm stumped.

Disconnect the hard top cargo area light where it connects at the left rear fender well. See if the sound bar light goes out also. Then disconnect the winch, see if that makes a difference. Eliminate those two new additions as causing the issue. I’m sure you did when you added the hardtop, but double check that you didn’t pinch the wiring. Also up around the sound bar.

 

[BobK]

Disconnect the hard top cargo area light where it connects at the left rear fender well. See if the sound bar light goes out also. Then disconnect the winch, see if that makes a difference. Eliminate those two new additions as causing the issue. I’m sure you did when you added the hardtop, but double check that you didn’t pinch the wiring. Also up around the sound bar.

Aftermarket top so no cargo light, but you make a point about making sure soundbar wiring is clear. I’ll disconnect the winch just for grins. If the wife sees me do that she’ll insist I take the seat covers off too! LOL

 

[mushdogs]

Aftermarket top so no cargo light, but you make a point about making sure soundbar wiring is clear. I’ll disconnect the winch just for grins. If the wife sees me do that she’ll insist I take the seat covers off too! LOL

The winch is just process of elimination.
Stand your ground on the covers! LOL

 

[BobK]

Also going to run to O’Reileys and get two new door switches just to be sure.

 

[BobK]

I'm sitting here thinking about the problem and wondering about a few things.

If the problem was the door switches why wouldn't the Jeep turn off the lights after 20 minutes to save the battery, as it has before and as the owner's manual says it will. Doesn't that kind of eliminates the switches from being the problem?

Why when I pull the #4 fuse for running without the doors, don't the lights go out?

What is it that is keeping the interior lights on?

Is it the computer that decides when 20 minutes is up and despite the doors open the lights should be turned off?

What device is it that waits 20-30 seconds after the doors are normally shut to fade out the interior lights?

As you can see, I have many questions but no answers.

 

[mushdogs]

I'm sitting here thinking about the problem and wondering about a few things.

If the problem was the door switches why wouldn't the Jeep turn off the lights after 20 minutes to save the battery, as it has before and as the owner's manual says it will. Doesn't that kind of eliminates the switches from being the problem?

Why when I pull the #4 fuse for running without the doors, don't the lights go out?

What is it that is keeping the interior lights on?

Is it the computer that decides when 20 minutes is up and despite the doors open the lights should be turned off?

What device is it that waits 20-30 seconds after the doors are normally shut to fade out the interior lights?

As you can see, I have many questions but no answers.

As far as I know, and someone with more knowledge please feel free to correct me, the computer is the timer. I can’t recall anything in the wiring diagrams that indicated otherwise.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The computer provides the timing function.

 

[RYAN17]

I popped out the fuse for mine i dont know if that helps

 

[BobK]

Day Two: No resolution.

At this point, the situation is this. I have unwired my winch directly from the battery (not that I believed it was the issue). I have reset the computer by disconnect the positive battery terminal, held it to the ground terminal for a minute, reinstalled the terminal, turned the ignition on (not started engine), turned the headlights on then off. This did nothing, the interior lights are still on no matter what.

If I pull the #4 fuse in the glove box they remain on. The only way to get them off is to pull the #26 fuse in the engine bay fuse box.

I'm assuming that if it was a door switch, then pulling the #4 fuse in the glove box would turn the lights off.

If it was the multifunction switch, then when I disconnected it, the light would go off.

I am now at a complete loss as to why these damn lights remain on. It would seem to be a computer issue (I'm assuming) but I don't know what else to try.

 

[dbbd1]

So, your jeep supplies +12 to the bulbs and grounds them to turn them on, either the door switches or the PCM. I'd start looking for chafed or nicked wire grounding out. I'll try to check out schematics today for you.

 

[BobK]

So, your jeep supplies +12 to the bulbs and grounds them to turn them on, either the door switches or the PCM. I'd start looking for chafed or nicked wire grounding out. I'll try to check out schematics today for you.

Thanks. I'm not 100% sure where to start looking for the short, but I've decided to replace the door switches as the least expensive start of the process.

 

[dbbd1]

Are your courtesy lamps (at your feet) also on?

Did you mess with the underhood light while installing your winch?

 

[dbbd1]

Here's a trick with shorted wires...

Remove the fuse (in this case #26) and install a 12 light bulb across the fuse terminals. Solder on some wires, go buy a bulb/socket combo, twist some wires onto the bulb, have your kid/neighbor/wife/postal worker hold the wires, etc. Start jiggling wires everywhere and anywhere, although I'd start where you were messing around last. When the bulb goes out, you've found your short.

 

[dbbd1]

Anything plugged into your OBD port?

(These are all things off of fuse 26)

 

[BobK]

Courtesy lights (foot well on) - Don't know, will go check right now.

Under hood light - new in the past three months, but I have it disconnected right now, since I have the hood up to get to the fuse box there.

OBD port - yes it has a device plugged in for the Insane Audio radio unit, but I will remove it next.

 

[BobK]

Courtesy lights (foot well on) - Don't know, will go check right now.

Under hood light - new in the past three months, but I have it disconnected right now, since I have the hood up to get to the fuse box there.

OBD port - yes it has a device plugged in for the Insane Audio radio unit, but I will remove it next.

1. Courtesy lights do remain on with the overhead (sound bar lights)
2. Under hood light is still disconnected, but has been installed for a couple of months
3. Bluetooth device for Insane Audio has been removed from OBD port

Lights remained on in all cases. I've even tried leaving them on for over twenty minutes to see if the computer woud turn them off. No dice.

 

[dbbd1]

Here is a screenshot of that schematic...

You are looking for a short in the yellow (YL) and/or yellow-orange (YL/OR) wires. I am looking into where the splice connections (S352 and S202) continue on to. Also, you may want to look at connector C300 (I believe it's on the outside wall of the footwell at your left foot) to make sure nothing wonky is going on. In fact, disconnect it, put your fuse back in and tell us what lights are still on.

 

[BobK]

Here is a screenshot of that schematic...

You are looking for a short in the yellow (YL) and/or yellow-orange (YL/OR) wires. I am looking into where the splice connections (S352 and S202) continue on to. Also, you may want to look at connector C300 (I believe it's on the outside wall of the footwell at your left foot) to make sure nothing wonky is going on. In fact, disconnect it, put your fuse back in and tell us what lights are still on.


View attachment 108344

Thanks for the schematic. I will study it and begin my research into the connector, etc.

I have purchased new door switches just to eliminate things. The switch plu is triangle shaped and has three connectors. The wiring harness female plug is also triangle shaped but has two wires and connectors. The switch seems that it could be installed in any direction with no polarity or difference. Does that sound correct? Does the switch simply close the circuit when open?

 

[dbbd1]

Yes, that all sounds correct. The switch grounds the bulbs while positive is supplied all of the time. If you just pull the switches out of their hole, leave them hanging, without touching the car body (ground), that will eliminate them from the equation.