Interior Lights Stay on - No Door Ajar

[cpriest10]

Hi all,

Recently purchased a new (to me) 2004.5 Ram 2500 5.9 Cummins. I've been driving it for about 4k miles with no issues. Yesterday morning, I went to go start my pickup (started right up), but then the interior lights came on, flickered, and then stayed on. I tried the dimmer switch already but that didn't help. In a hurry, I disconnected the batteries and took the wife's car to work. When I got home, I reconnected the batteries and truck started, lights went off as normal. Drove for 30 minutes or so and they came back on going down the road. My next thought would be a bad door jamb switch. However, the "door ajar" light is not lit up. It does light up when any of the doors are open... I searched for the forums, but it seems like mostly door switch. I really need to get this one going soon as it is my only truck.

Thanks so much for the help.

 

[Dean2]

Well, for the time being you could just turn off the interior lights or pull the fuse for them. It is going to take some diligent searching to locate the source of the problem. Outside of the door switches there are only a couple of other things that turn on the interior lights. I would start with the non-door activating switches first since you aren't getting a door ajar warning.

 

[cpriest10]

Sorry forgive me if this is a stupid question... How would I turn them off for the time being?

 

[Dean2]

My 96 2500, you had to pull the fuse to turn off all the interior lights but the dome had a switch. My brothers 2009 half ton you could turn them all off with a switch on the dome light. You can also turn them to no light with the headlight switch by turning down the cluster brightness on some models. Dodge really did have a ton of different ways of doing it based on year and model. Easiest is to try different things on yours to see what shuts them off.

 

[cpriest10]

Fuse it is I suppose. The dimmer switch has no effect, and "clicking" the lights does not either, not to mention the interior dome can't be clicked.

 

[Dean2]

Fuse it is I suppose. The dimmer switch has no effect, and "clicking" the lights does not either, not to mention the interior dome can't be clicked.

Have you checked the headlight/dimmer switch to make sure it clicks off and on when you turn it full right then back left. That is the postion that should turn off and on your interior lights when no doors are open. I have seen that switch fail, most of the times it fails to turn on the interior lights but I could see it leaving them on too and it is an easy replacement.