Overiding interior dome lights

[darmahsd]

This may have been discussed before. Can't find it in my manual or a search from my droid. '05 Expedition. I want to leave the rear tailgate open to dry out the interior from a water jug valve that leaked onto it overnight. The dome lights don't seem to shut off over a set amount of time like on my old '97.
I already had a dead battery (new) from this experience when I left it open for another reason earlier this summer. Any way to adjust the time that it stays on or overide it completely to shut it off when left open for a length of time?
Stephen

 

[Bedrck47]

just pull the fuse or make up a harness with a fuse and switch and install it into the spot where the original fuse is

 

[darmahsd]

That would be a good idea that I can handle. You'd think there would be a simpler solution built into the vehicle. Thanks.

 

[Stoned06]

Open the rear window and slide the lock mechanism on the hatch where the window latches to "lock" as if the window were shut. It will turn off the dome light. To unlock, simply hit the button to open the latch back up.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

On my 05, all I have to do is rotate the instrument panel dimmer switch all the way down until it clicks. It turns the lights completely off and then you can leave any or all the doors open. I do this all the time when I'm at the flying field flying my model airplanes.

 

[darmahsd]

That would be the trick I'm looking for, but I'm not getting it. If your '06 is like my '05, when I open the rear hatch window, there's a square opening to the left of the wiper drive. That's the only latch I see, and there's nothing to slide. If you depress the two fingers inside, the lights still don't go off, so there's something deeper inside that switches them. Am I missing something? Is there a mercury switch for the domes inside the tailgate rather than an old school door button? When you slide the switch on the rear middle dome light all the way to your left, just that light goes off. You still have four more dome lights to deal with. There should be a position on that switch to turn them all off.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

That would be the trick I'm looking for, but I'm not getting it. If your '06 is like my '05, when I open the rear hatch window, there's a square opening to the left of the wiper drive. That's the only latch I see, and there's nothing to slide. If you depress the two fingers inside, the lights still don't go off, so there's something deeper inside that switches them. Am I missing something? Is there a mercury switch for the domes inside the tailgate rather than an old school door button? When you slide the switch on the rear middle dome light all the way to your left, just that light goes off. You still have four more dome lights to deal with. There should be a position on that switch to turn them all off.

DarmahSD,

Try your dimmer switch next to the headlight switch, and turn it all the way down until it clicks.

 

[GAINMOB]

make sure the switch is in the middle as well...

 

[darmahsd]

Bingo! The answer I was looking for. Never saw the post from ExpeditionAndy while responding to Stoned06 earlier. Somehow it slipped in between with an earlier post time and I had put the Droid away. But I can't thank you enough, Andy. So simple, I'm embarrassed that I didn't figure it out. Maybe speed read though manual and missed Ford's discription of how to do it? I want to thank the rest of you guys for your ideas. Sometimes, I over think something that was so simple as bringing that dimmer switch down past the click. Crazy.
Once again this forum has shown how invaluable it has been to me.
Stephen

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Stephen,

I figured it out by accident because I had other cars that let you turn off the lights so I tried it and it worked.

Then I looked in the owner's manual and it's on page 104.

PANEL DIMMER CONTROL
Use to adjust the brightness of the instrument panel and all applicable switches in the vehicle during headlamp and parklamp operation. Move the control to the full upright position, past detent, to turn on the interior lamps. Move the control to the full down position, past detent, to prevent the interior lights from illuminating when the doors are opened.