Prevent cargo light from turning on when doors open?

[Kart20]

Just getting to know my 2021 Classic Tradesman. I noticed the stupid cargo light always comes on when I open the doors to exit the vehicle. This is not good.

I can't find an option to disable that feature within the UConnect settings on the dashboard/radio. Turning off the interior dome lights when the doors open doesn't effect the cargo bed light, either.

Anyone know any hacks or ways of preventing theat danged old cargo light from coming on and staying on for a time after opening the doors?

I'm an outdoorsman often in the legal pursuit of furbearing animals after sundown. The last thing I need is Johnny Sneakum seeing me operating out in the fields or along the ditches after dark. I usually use a very dim, red headlamp when I need to see better than the ambient moonlight will allow. I can't have that big light blazing away every time I get in and out of the vehicle. I really don't need the attention.

I love my new truck but all these electronic gizmos drive me nuts. Dang it, if want a light on, I'll flip a switch. I don't need some computer doing or not doing it for me.

 

[British Bulldog]

I never noticed this till you said. The only way I can think is take out the bulb? Shouldn’t sent any codes hopefully.

 

[GTyankee]

One brands option, another blacked out 3rd brake light may be available directly from the dealership

Another option is to Smoke your own lights

They do make this 3rd brake light with a back up camera

Ram Rebel Recon 3rd Brake Light | Ram 1500 Interior Leak | Recon LED Lights

In this video we track down and fix an interior leak & we also install the Recon Smoked LED cab light.onto the 4th gen Rebel

www.youtube.com

 

[Kart20]

One brands option, another blacked out 3rd brake light may be available directly from the dealership

Another option is to Smoke your own lights

They do make this 3rd brake light with a back up camera

View attachment 466621

Ram Rebel Recon 3rd Brake Light | Ram 1500 Interior Leak | Recon LED Lights

In this video we track down and fix an interior leak & we also install the Recon Smoked LED cab light.onto the 4th gen Rebel

www.youtube.com

I'm not sure I understand your point. It looks like all of those aftermarket brake lights still include the cargo lights. I don't see how installing those would give me control over when the cargo light comes on and when it doesn't. And, what difference would a smoked lens make? A smoke colored lens isn't going to keep the light from coming through is it? If it does, it seems like it would be easier to just take the bulbs out of the lamp I already have.

I hate to just take out the bulbs because I really do like having the cargo lights - I just want to have control of them and be able to turn them on when I want them on - not when some computer thinks they should be on.

 

[Rlaf75]

You're pretty much **** out of luck with the light. If you're jacking wildlife after hours and need to be sneaking around then use duct tape to cover the light. Or hunt during the legal hours so you wont have to worry it

 

[SOKY_RAM]

If you could locate the wiring under the dash it wouldn't be too hard to put a switch inline. Or you could just pull the fuse when you go hunting.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

I'm not sure on newer ones but my '12 if I turn the dash light dimmer switch all the way down till it clicks my interior dome light or cargo light doesn't come on when I open the door. The cargo light still comes on if I lock or unlock with my key fob. I'll have to say these newer vehicles wouldn't have worked for me as a teenager, I prefer to turn my own stuff on and off if given a choice! LOL

 

[Daw14]

Wire a switch in to control them if the above post doesn’t work.

 

[SOKY_RAM]

Another thought...

If you have the factory bed lights you can use the switch in the bed to turn them off.

 

[Kart20]

You're pretty much **** out of luck with the light. If you're jacking wildlife after hours and need to be sneaking around then use duct tape to cover the light. Or hunt during the legal hours so you wont have to worry it

Tape just might work as a reasonable and seasonal solution. It's a bit of redneck engineering, but it might a quick and easy adjustment that is just as quick and easy to reverse.


But let me ask... do you hunt deer by chance?

This is a perfect example of why I don't need any lights on. Mr. Green Jeans and I are perfectly fine. It's mostly the deer shooters that cause me all the problems. Best day of the year is when deer season is over and the pumpkin army goes back inside to watch football.

 

[Rlaf75]

Tape just might work as a reasonable and seasonal solution. It's a bit of redneck engineering, but it might a quick and easy adjustment that is just as quick and easy to reverse.


But let me ask... do you hunt deer by chance?

This is a perfect example of why I don't need any lights on. Mr. Green Jeans and I are perfectly fine. It's mostly the deer shooters that cause me all the problems. Best day of the year is when deer season is over and the pumpkin army goes back inside to watch football.

I have deer hunted a couple times but I'm not one to sit in the woods all morning covered in pi$$ hoping to catch a glimpse of one. In fact I dont do much hunting at all. You're looking for solutions to stop your light from coming on. I suggested duct tape because it's simple and cheap and not a permanent thing. Before you get in the truck put tape on. When you're done you take tape off. Not really brain surgery

 

[Bigs]

Paint the bulbs or even the lens black. Use Plasti-Dip as you can remove it if need be!

You'd hate mine, I changed them for super bright LED's!

 

[BadHemi2014]

You're pretty much **** out of luck with the light. If you're jacking wildlife after hours and need to be sneaking around then use duct tape to cover the light. Or hunt during the legal hours so you wont have to worry it

He said he is in legal pursuit of furbearers.
In many locations it is perfectly legal to hunt varmints such as coyotes at night, or hunt raccoons with hounds.
To the OP unfortunately I don't have an answer as my 2014 doesn't do that, but I can sure see why it would be a real problem.

 

[SOKY_RAM]

So I had to go get something out of my truck last night and thought about this. While not ideal, because you would have to do it every time, you can just hit the cargo light button on the headlight switch after you open your door to get out. This turns them off and they stay off when you shut the door.

 

[Kart20]

So I had to go get something out of my truck last night and thought about this. While not ideal, because you would have to do it every time, you can just hit the cargo light button on the headlight switch after you open your door to get out. This turns them off and they stay off when you shut the door.

I didn't know that. That will help for sure!

 

[Nick14]

I ended up removing the bulbs. I have no use for this feature and it would be nice to just disable it. Nick

 

[jjjefferson]

Here's your answer. You can even use it to cover the interior lights....which are white....your backup lights....which are white and your cargo bed light. Since you don't want white light everywhere when you get into the fields. If you have the lights on your side mirrors....might as well cover them too. Now everything is red light....to match those uber bright brake lights when you come to a stop in that field.

 

[Dean2]

Just pull the fuse out far enough to shut off that circuit. Fast and easily reversed. Some of the trucks you can turn off the cargo light by turning off your interior lights but it varies by model.

 

[Itinerant]

I removed the bulb. I found that it blinded me without shedding enough usable light on what's in the bed for me to do whatever I want to do. I replaced it with a string of LEDs under each rail and a push-button switch inside the bed next to the tailgate. I did it myself with instructions on YouTube. It cost me about $75 or so and took a couple of hours. Now the cargo light doesn't come on when I open the doors and I have **far** more usable bed lights when I need them. If you decide to do the same, I recommend three things: (1) get your power for the lights from the constant power wire on your trailer light harness as Waterfowler 41 does in this video, instead of wiring it all the way to the battery; (2) get some bright continuous LED light strips, **NOT** groups of LEDs separated by wire like he did in that video. I've been very happy with the Nilight TR-05 lights. (3) Make sure you get a waterproof switch. If you want to put a magnetic switch in your tailgate so that the lights go on automatically when you open the tailgate, ChrisFix has a video for that on YouTube.

 

[Dean2]

Thanks for the update and info.