Maintenance Mystery: Dome Light

[TallPaul]

So I have a 1999 Plymouth Voyager and when you shut the door the dome light will stay on for a minute then go out. Nice feature but I hate it. Prefer the light go out immediately upon shutting the door, like they did in the good old days.

But..... Sometimes it is nice and you shut the door and the dome light goes out immediately. It is almost weird like as if every other time I drive it at night it either goes out immediately or stays on. The key is always in the same position, and the dome light/instrument panel dimmer is always in the same position.

What gives? And is there a way to make it so it never stays on after shutting the door?

 

[Kira]

Hello, I am SO IN AGREEMENT with the guts of your post.

"Magic Dimming Lights" is a bit of the evil soul of the fifties which oddly lives on.

Stupid erratic things which happen to parking lights is included.

To the Car Industry: I bow before you.
I buy your goods.
PLEASE.
PLEASE.
PLEASE.
Cut the "convenience option" carp gilding from so long ago.
Just make cars good.

EXAMPLES:
#1) Completely unfamiliar parking lights came on in my 13 year old European car for the first time. I swear.
#2) The EXACT SAME thing happened to my friend with a Japanese SUV.

Remove the stuff which is accessed through a "diagnostic hook-up". BEEPS, light levels, horn honks, seat pre-sets, radio pre-sets etc.

May I kill my alarm please?

Clean it up. Fewer loose ends. Kira

 

[Oil Changer]

You have an electrical gremlin. PCM, ECM, both? Chassis ground. Negative battery cable...

 

[michaelluscher]

I like all the modern conviences that the BCM and inbuilt logic brings.

Start checking/cleaning your grounds
Charging and testing the battery wouldn't be the worst idea either.

 

[FSully1]

Also check pin switch.

 

[JHZR2]

So I think that the retained accessory power, which keeps everything powered (not necessarily on) until the door is opened is nice. I hate the dome light to come on with the doors personally.

Sounds like a bad switch or relay.

 

[eljefino]

There's something different you haven't caught on to yet.

If it's in drive, the light goes out faster. If you buckle your seat belt, it might. If it sees vehicle speed, it might.

Brand new cars on the dealer lot, with under 20 miles, kill the lights faster to save the battery.

Gory details in the manual.

More than likely it's ground switching, so if you find the BCM output to the dome, scotch tap into it. Find the door pin feed, cut it off, and attach it straight to the dome bulb.

 

[TallPaul]

Thanks. I'll try some of that stuff when i get time next spring. No sense working on it in this cold.

 

[Vikas]

You guys think this has a BCM on the 1999 model?

On the same vintage Odyssey, the light stays on only when you close the driver side door. But when you close the passenger door, there is no timer.

 

[TallPaul]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
You guys think this has a BCM on the 1999 model?

On the same vintage Odyssey, the light stays on only when you close the driver side door. But when you close the passenger door, there is no timer.


I just opened and closed the passenger front door and the light stayed on.