Odd Domelight Behavior

This question would be related to my personal 2004 F350.  I don't know if the older trucks have the same setup for the interior light with the timed exit delay and battery saver setup as the newer trucks...I honestly don't remember my 2001 having those features.  Anyway...

While they work normally most of the time, there are times when I'll open a door (any door, more than one door, etc.) and the domelights will not come on.  Since the domelights are computer controlled via the Instrument Cluster Microprocessor, I figure this is some kind of stupid computer logic issue.  I'm wondering if this is a known problem or if there any "fixes" I should know about for this issue.  It's worth noting that if needed, I can turn on the domelights with the dimmer switch on the headlight control, but when I turn it back off they go out again, even if a door is still open.

I guess it's possible that this issue is related to the fact that I'm not using the factory keyless entry (key fob or keypad), so the VSM (vehicle security module) isn't directly controlling my door locks and such.  Instead, I've got an aftermarket alarm triggering the lock relays.  The alarm is monitoring the 12v+ OUTPUT side of the interior lights relay as one of it's triggers, and I even tried adding a diode to the alarm trigger wire to make sure it wasn't somehow interfering...but that didn't help.

If anyone here is intimately familiar with the electrical workings of the GEM, VSM, Cluster Computer, etc...and has any insight as to why my domelight might be misbehaving...I would appreciate it greatly.  I'm not bothered as much as the family about getting into a dark truck at night, but it is somewhat annoying when stuff doesn't just work like it should.

THANKS!!!!!!!!

I'll tell you one easy thing I've found on a lot of ford trucks rangers and the lot. Lube up the door latched with wd40 when you run into this problem. Lots of times that's all it is. Other than that, vehicles with keyless entry, the door trigger wires are found at the BCM, green plug. The LF door trigger is BLACK / YELLOW in pin 4. The RF door trigger is BLACK/ pink in pin 5. The LR door trigger is BLACK/ lt. blue in pin 12. The RR door trigger is BLACK/ white in pin 13. Use all wires and diode isolate each. BCM is on DS firewall. Dome supervision wire is BLACK/ lt.blue in dkp gray plug pin 6. With this info, wire up relay to make it work.

Hey, i was just reding your posts and maybe this is a stab in the dark but do you have the auto/headlight feature? some of the king road  top of the line trucks and lincolns only turn on the interior light when it NEEDS to be on.

just a thought

rich

I could do that, though taking the dash apart is a royal PITA with the other stuff that's installed now.  The question is, why would I want to go through the trouble to tap into EACH door signal wire (4 of them) when I should just be able to watch the domelight for power when any door is opened (and don't say "because your domelight doesn't work right").

Also, if  "Domelight Supervision" is the feature of the alarm that turns the interior light on when I disarm and leaves it on for a period of time when I exit the truck...I'm not using that.  I think that wire is just taped up out of the way somewhere since the truck does something similar from the factory.

If there is a really good reason to change the wiring from how it is (beside the fact that my domelight is working goofy sometimes right now), please be specific.  I really don't want to tear into the dash again if I don't have to...if the stupid stock domelight would work like it's supposed to this wouldn't need any changes.

I don't think it's that smart.  The domelight works most of the time, day or night.  It doesn't appear to make any distinction as to the level of light outside.  It's most annoying when you are getting into the truck at night and the domelight doesn't come on...that's when the family complains "what's wrong with the stupid lights in this truck?".

Remember...the lights work 90% of the time...they just fail to come on "sometimes"...that's the part that's most confusing.