How to disable automatic dome light features?

Hi folks,

I just found the forum today (after someone posted a link to some excellent wiring info), and searched to see if I could find the answer to a question I Have (just wanted to let you know I did try first before posting a new topic).

Anyway, there are two (interconnected) features on my 1998 Ford Econoline E-350 van based RV that I would like to change/disable.

1) When I get in, the dome light and the lights on the aftermarket (but installed by van converter when new) rear view mirror light up. They only go out when the key is put in the ignition (and I think turned). I really hate this function as I'm one who leaves the dome light(s) off by default and only uses them when desired, which is rarely.   This also means that I can't just leave a door open (like say I'm working on something) without the lights putting a drain on the battery.

2) When I lift (or barely touch!) the outside door handles, the dome lights come on. In this case they do go out after awhile, but I don't like it because it means that anyone can just come along at night and "see" what's in my cab by touching the door handle.

A bit more information:

1) Rotating the headlight switch doesn't change this behavior.

2) The dome light fixture looks to be a stock Ford one. It's single, wide black oval and has two round, aimable lights in it. There is a round push button on each side which controls that side's light (but doesn't disable the automatic on thing).

3) The rear view mirror is an aftermarket "Prince" mirror that has temperature/compass and two lights on the bottom that go along with the dome lights in automatic mode. They also have push button switches like the dome light.

4) I don't mind giving up the mirror lights permanently, as I never use them, although I do like the temperature display.

5) On the Ford center dome light, if one of the switches can be re-purposed then I don't mind if the second switch simply controls both lights.

Thanks in advance for any help with this. I have Googled and etc. but never really come up with anything concrete.

Eddy

It's basicly a rewire bypassing the body ECM.
Very complex and fully of problems. you really need to take all the door triggers at the BCM, connect them to the dome light.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Hi Howie,

Thanks for the reply. Can you elaborate a bit more? Which function are you speaking of, the part where the lights come on when you touch the door handle, or the part where they stay on indefinitely when the doors are open, or the part where they stay on when you get in until the key is turned in the ignition?

That last part is the one I would MOST like to get rid of. I hate being in an illuminated theater box when I get in my vehicle at night.

I'm not super familiar with doing Ford wiring, although I have designed and wired up my boat's and Rv's house systems, so I'm not a complete bumbler.

Thanks again, and if anyone else can contribute, I'd very much appreciate it. It's very annoying not being able to control something as basic as a dome light. Also somewhat of a security issue when traveling alone in certain areas.

Eddy

You can only delete the door handle part by cutting the wires to the lights, either inside each door or where they enter the vehicle.
I'll draw you a basic circuit.
BTW you're in a minority of 1, most people want the feature!

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Try this:-remove_domelight_delay.png

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Thanks, Howie,

I understand lots of people like it. That's cool. I just wish it were controllable. There are many times I don't want to "broadcast" to the world (or the dark campground) who I am and what I'm doing.

Anyway, I can live with the door handle part (the thing where you touch the doorhandle and the dome lights come on, but then go off after X period of time. So since that's fraught with problems, I'll just let it go.

So that leaves two things:

1) If you have the doors open, the dome lights are always on drawing power. So you can't just have the doors open for an hour while you're doing something, or whatever. The dome lights won't shut off.

2) When I get in the dome lights come on and stay on until I put the key in the ignition. Therefore I'm always "telling everyone" that I'm traveling alone, plus my night vision is ruined.

Again, I'm all for the feature, no problem. My issue is that you can't NOT have these things happen. Or at least I have found no way.

I do very much appreciate your help!

Eddy

Yes agree and this I'm not sure of but if you leave the door open, power to the dome light should shut off after about 10 mins.

-------------
Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

It sounds like you know your way around these systems, so let me ask you about this idea. It's based on what someone else did to their Ford van, but apparently it did not have the illuminated entry (or whatever you call it). But it did have the same dome light fixture (no lighted rear view mirror though). Because of these differences, I wasn't sure if I could copy the idea, but maybe you could comment?

Anyway, what this person did was re-wire the main dome light (which has two lights, driver/passenger, and each one has a push button switch. He wired it such that one switch controls both lights, but that somehow (?) allows him to turn the lights off so that they are just dark (even though the van is "telling" them to come on). If I could do that, then would that make the illuminated entry and lights on when I enter the van "powerless"? In other words, I would not mess with the ECM or BCM (as you mentioned that is fraught with trouble), but would simply let them "tell" the lights to come on, but since I would have the lights turned off at the switch on the dome light, they would just ignore the command?

That would I think still allow me to turn on the dome lights.

On the mirror, if I could just "break" those lights somehow it would be fine with me. I never use them as they shine down on the middle of the dashboard, and I can't really even reach that area with a map or etc. when I'm sitting in the seat. Maybe I could remove the bulbs? I'd like to keep power to the temperature readout if possible, as I do use that all the time. The compass doesn't work (darnit) so that's not an issue.

I can plan and install a main DC house system, but the "car systems" are all new to me (as you can tell). I'm willing to learn and do though!

Thanks,
Eddy

Without wiring diagrams or working on the vehicle, I've no idea, there can't be more than 10 F150's in the UK let alone 250 and 350.
The principle is the same whether it's a Ford, BMW or Toyota.
The principle is as follows, door trigger to CPU (AKA BCM/BCU/GEM module), this latches on the light for up to 10 minutes unless door locked or door closed and ignition on.
House DC system? I don't think so, in Europe we use higher voltage (230) and lower current although the line going into US houses is 220V but AC not DC.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Not sure if this will help, but the body control module has a police mode built in.
This feature can normally be activated by a ford dealer with a scanner.
I do not know if this applies to your vehicle. But is an option on later trucks/cars.
You may wanna check with a ford tech. The police mode deactivates the automatic interior lighting.

Howie,

Thanks for the input. Sorry about the "house" confusion; in boats and RV's, "house" power typically refers to the main DC system, usually 12 volts in the US. This is as opposed to "start," which is the engine starting sub-system (also DC). In contrast, 110 power is "shore power." I apologize for the confusion.

At any rate, I managed to get the dome light to do what I wanted it to. I now have the right-hand button turning the "automatically comes on with door feature" on and off (I mostly leave it off), and the left-hand button turning the dome light on and off manually. Both dome lights work together from both of the buttons now, as opposed to originally when each button controlled that side's light (and you couldn't disable the door feature at all).

If I had wanted to, I could have added a switch and kept the individual light button feature, but I decided I'd rather just stick to the stock buttons (the lights are aimable anyway).

Thanks for everyone's input.

Eddy