I would like the option of turning off my interior courtesy lights when the door is open. (whether I have the ignition on or off)
The manual states:
"interior lights may be turned off by rotation of the INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHT DIMMER CONTROL SWITCH all the way down past the "detent" or click"
I can only turn them ON, but NOT OFF. I do not want to pull a fuse or take ALL of the bulbs out each time I want to listen to the radio with the doors open,...
Can anyone help me out please?

2003 F-150, Lariat, SuperCrew, 4x2, Automatic 5.4 V8

 

the lights will go off on their own after a few minutes.

 

That only happens when I close the door. They NEVER go off if I leave the door open.

 

Mine go out, but it takes a LONG time, like 30 - 45 minutes I think...

 

It is prob. more like 10 - 15 min. but they will go out on thier own. try working under the dash at night sometime , the lights go off just when you get to where you need to see..... I haven't heard about a way to bypass the interior lights but now I will loook into it just because!!

 

Sorry it took so long to look this up, busy weekend.

The interior lamps are a few circuits, and the only way I can see turning them off, is to cut the harness and install switches.
The GEM should turn off the lamps with the doors open or closed by themselves. I foget the time, the owner's manual might given this info.

The courtesy lamps are from the GEM, circuit 53. This is a black with a light blue stripe wire from the GEM, on pin #20.

The next instance of circuit #53 is on the GEM pin 33, also a black with a light blue stripe. This runs the interior lamps and the rear cargo lamps.

The only way I can see to put a manual switch is inline from the GEM to the harness. You would need to dig around the GEM to get to the circuits, else you wold need mutliple switches to get this done after the splices. Easy switch is a DPST switch to turn both on and off, at the same time.

Check the owner's manual, my 01 SCrew the lamps shut off on thier own, even with the doors open, or the hood up ( same timmer on my SCrew.

Let me know if you need anything else on this.

Good luck

 

It's a long story but I ended up with this - the dome light doesn't function but the two map lights work as normal with their switches. The bed light works with a switch mounted just behind the dome/map light. They are powered by a line from the cigarette lighter which I never use anyway. Door buzzers are disconnected. Now when I want interior lights I push one or both map light switches, when I want bed light I push bed light switch. Nothing happens when I open the doors.

 

I am assuming that you want the door dome and cargo lights out. You don't care about the Hood or glove box? If so Steve has the best solution. The Dome, door and cargo lights are in the same circuit_. Unfortunatly where the connector is located they come out on 2 wires. Get the double pole single throw(DPST) toggle switch and wire it up. It acts like two switches but it has only one lever/button. Don't go too far from the connector as the farther you go the longer the wire.....

JMC