Interior Light By-Pass Switch Write-Up (PICS)!

[JeepinTJ99]

Well, I had some extra time today so I figured I'd chronicle the "installation" of my door switch by-pass (allows you just flip the switch when you go doors off to shut off the interior lights). Yeah, I know--it's really easy. But I know that some people like pictures to refer to and go by the experiences of others to get a simple project done! So here's mine on my 99 TJ--I emphasize because yours may not be the same, so make sure!:

This is how I used to shut off my interior lights...little springs for $10 from Quadratec.com...but I'm tired of fooling around with them and finding them every time I want to take my doors off.


Basically all you need is a philips head screwdriver, 2 butt connectors, 2 female disconnects, some hook-up wire, a crimper/wire stripper, and a 10A or higher tolerance on/off switch. It's such a cramped space, though, that I needed a couple of different plier to crimp the connectors on--I simply couldn't fit the big wire crimper back there. Not all the items are pictured here.


You'll want to disconnect the negative battery terminal because onviously your lights will be hot since you'll be working on them with the door open. I just used my springs I had so I could listen to music...LOL.

Take off your glove box and find fuse #4 behind it--it's located in the bottom right corner of the fuse box back there. It's tagged as "DOOR SW DEFEAT (10A)" and if you didn't know this already, it's the fuse you pull out to "defeat" your door switches and turn off your interior lights when you take your doors off. My switch makes that method obsolete! Move the wires out of the way in front of the fuse box and pull the fuse out.


At the top of the fuse box are two philips head screws. Unscrew them and pull the fuse box out.

Turn the fuse box around so you can see its back--it's tricky because the wires running to it are short, so work it around carefully. The two wires you want are the yellow wires with black tracers going into the one slot on the bottom left (if you're looking at the fuse box from its back). Strip the electric tape back enough so you can access as much of these wires as you can.


Giving yourself about 2 inches of wire to work with on the fuse box side, cut both of the yellow/black wires and strip about 1/2" of wires off of all four leads. Leave the two solid black wires in the slot next to them alone...that's the ground wires for the circuit, and you don't have to mess with them. Twist each pair of leads together and crimp a butt connector on each end of the lead pairs.


I didn't add the other end of the wires yet so I can drill the hole for my switch and find out how long the leads need to be. My switch needed a 3/4" hole to mount--you can use which ever kind of switch you want, and the hole size will be printed on its packaging most likely.
I found the space on the passenger side right uder the speaker was the best spot...hidden, easy to get to, and doesn't interfer with the door or anything else around it. You can put it anywhere you want to really, just make sure you have a clear space behind the area you're drilling.


I felt underneath the dash and took off the speaker grill to make sure nothing was back there.


I had to file my hole a little to clean it up and to make the switch fit. Fits very snug and won't come out unless you want it to!


Now you can route your wires through your newly drilled hole up through to your butt connectors and crimp them in. I'd use different colored wires, but I'm lazy. The green arrow goes to your switch input, the blue arrow goes to your switch output. You can switch the two and it would still work, but your switch would work backwards (when you turn the switch "on" your lights will turn off).



Make sure you put the wires through the screw ring that secure your switch on the backside of your mounting panel before you hook them up to your switch.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST...

[JeepinTJ99]

Crimp on some female disconnects and hook up your switch. Now would be a good time to test it (reconnect your battery terminal and put the fuse back in!)


Now you have an easy switch that was under $10 in supplies (if you needed wire, etc. like me) and looks great!


~J

[Erik T.]

Why put the switch on the passenger side of the vehicle?

[Steelman]

Originally Posted by Atla

Why put the switch on the passenger side of the vehicle?

I thought the exact same thing. I'm assuming it was done that way for ease on installation (not having to drag the wires under the dash to the other side of the rig...just hop from there up to the fuse box).

Looks good though!

[adp5025]

pretty neat dude!

[Trombino]

Nice write-up! Thanks

[Kerndone]

Originally Posted by Atla

Why put the switch on the passenger side of the vehicle?

You have to take the doors off on both sides...so while you are there you can flip the switch. On top of that, if you need the lights on, just use the dash switch by the steering wheel. If you look at the kits they sell, they wire it on the PS as well. There isn't really a point to run the wires all the way to the other side.

Very nice write-up, and a great way of doing it. I just used some connectors to plug right into the fuse box. While it was easy enough, I have to say yours is pretty slick. My switch just dangles there as well, you are making me look like a lazy bum!

[anebrich]

Hmmphh, you know it irritates me that you do it the EASY way and only cut the wires on the back of the fuse panel AFTER I went through the process of cutting the wires that go to the actual switch, yes on both doors, so I had twice as much work to do. Sure wish you would've done that before I did mine (just razzin' ya of course). Good write up and nice job.


Of course since I was doing both sides it was not big deal to put the switch in the middle. In the link below I origianlly was going to put it in the small hole above the lighter but then I found out the switch would've been in the way of the factory switches that I installed so I ended up putting it right between the two 12v outlets in the same picture and plugging the first hole with a plastic cap, I used a small switch from RS.

http://nebrigich.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album08&id=100_1206

[esad_b]

on my jeep u can pull that plug right out and unplug it and the lights go off

[JeepinTJ99]

Originally Posted by Atla

Why put the switch on the passenger side of the vehicle?

As Steelman and Kerndone said, basically for ease of installation. I didn't feel like running wires all under my dash, even though it'd be easy to do. I can actually reach the switch from the driver's seat if I take my seatbelt off...but as Kerndone said, just flipping the switch while taking the passenger-side door off or asking a passenger to flip it is my intention.

Originally Posted by anebrich

Hmmphh, you know it irritates me that you do it the EASY way and only cut the wires on the back of the fuse panel AFTER I went through the process of cutting the wires that go to the actual switch, yes on both doors, so I had twice as much work to do.

I'm sorry for your un-needed hard work! LOL...I was actually going to do this about month earlier but never got around to it! Maybe I could have save you then...

Originally Posted by esad_b

on my jeep u can pull that plug right out and unplug it and the lights go off

You're talking about taking the actual door switches out and unplugging them, right? If that works for ya then keep on doin it! I was just tired of using my method (stupid springs) so I wanted to make it easier. Plus...who's gonna argue from putting in another neato switch in their TJ?...not I!!

Thanks for you compliments, hope your try at it goes as easy as mine!
~J

[anebrich]

Originally Posted by JeepinTJ99

I'm sorry for your un-needed hard work! LOL...I was actually going to do this about month earlier but never got around to it! Maybe I could have save you then...

Nope, did mine last year, I think? Anyways it was alot longer then a month ago...

[AZDAVE]

Anyone figure out a way to just cut off the interior light while keeping the "headlights on" alarm when you shut the vehicle off?

When I yank the #4 fuse I keep leaving on the headlights

Can I just wire a switch to the interior lights? Or is there anyother thing controlled that would stay on I would need to worry about?

[Zice]

Take the bulb out of the light.



My interior light is a mag light that I keep in my door pocket...

[BCwrangler]

Originally Posted by AZDAVE

When I yank the #4 fuse I keep leaving on the headlights

Did that today, But for whatever reason, I turned around and noticed before I got to far away. A friend of mine who's a mechanic pointed out that some of the newer vehicles don't respond well to alarms being cut out, he wasn't sure if Jeeps were in that catagory. I'm not a big fan of chopping up wiring harnesses, and I'm very confident at my wiring/electrical abilities; I like there to be a valid reason and a irritating door chime isn't it. I'll have to stuff the fuse back in soon.

[tcestes]

Great writeup. Thanks for taking the time to post it. Think we could have a section on the forum just for Write Ups?