dome light stays on in door position.

The dome light in my 2008 Access Cab won't shut off when it's in the door position. The dome light turns on and off in the other 2 positions without a problem. Is the door switch the usual culprit? Any ideas?? Thanks in advance.
Mark

 

A few months back my dome light wouldn't come on when the driver's door was open and the light's switch was on the "door" setting. I wiggled the door jam switch and found that to be the culprit. Since that time the door jam switch hasn't acted up, but if it does again I will replace it. I was dreading replacement because I'm not a "spark chaser," but once I saw a picture of the switch on ebay it looks very easy - one screw and an electrical connection and that's it!



http://www.ebay.com/itm/Airtex-1S31...fits=Model:Tacoma&hash=item2eba568db6&vxp=mtr

 

close the doors...

 

Does the indicator light on the dash show an open door? You do know there is a 30 second-ish delay for them to shut off after you close the door?

 

+1

SWMBO is always "reminding" me that the light is still on.

Had the Taco since December... yesterday was the first day she didn't comment on it, but she was looking at the cab really hard until it did shut off... I could tell she wanted to say something.

 

I am also not a spark chaser. I'm going to check the door switch, hope it is the switch and not some pricey module that's toasted.
That dome light is still on 5 minutes after I've closed the door. I'll check for the door open indicator light.
Mark

 

The dash indicator light for "door open" works. I'm going to start by replacing the switch in the door.
Mark

 

Works as in when the doors are closed you have no light on the dash?
If the light works properly, then the problem is not likely to be the door switch. It's somewhere closer to the blue wire coming down the A-Pillar.

 

Rich, the door open indicator light on the dash goes out when the doors are closed. I guess that means it can't be the door switch.
Do you know how to locate the dome dimmer module, relay or whatever that is used to dim the dome light?
Instead of replacing the module, I'd prefer to bypass it. I'd like something more dependable than a module that croaks after less than 5 years of service. I'd be happy with a light that came on with the door open and shut off with the door closed, like my /76 Ford truck (now sold).
I looked throughout Haynes Repair Manual, not on word that I can find re replacing the dome light dimmer module.
Mark

 

Ya, the Hayne's manuals are not good for electrical specifics.
They used to have good wiring diagrams back in the 90s, but the new ones are terrible, and they've gotten worse now that Chilton's and Hayne's are the same company and the manuals are now clones.

I'm not familiar (yet) with that area of the system.
I know it's all tied together behind the driver's kick panel and the fuse box, but I'm not sure where the body control module is located or how to safely bypass it.

If you have keyless entry, the door switches are also tied in with it, so it's more than a matter of moving the dome light blue wire to the pin switches.

 

I've got the keyless entry.
I'm going to get a hold of Toyota and find their price for repair and parts. Might give me an idea on the complexity of the job. It might not be too much of a job to bypass the dome dimmer module. If the wire from the door switch to the dimmer module remains the same colour, it would help a lot.
Thanks for the input Rich.
Mark

 

just switch the light to off (not door). If you want the light to come on, and go off with no delay, I would guess you could connect the blue wire to the door switch. Tho I am not sure how they are wired yet.

 

my bad.

 

You could run the blue wire to a 2nd set of door switches, but I would not run them directly to the switched side, not knowing what else that line operates and the 12v from the light could screw with the module's logic circuit.

If everything else, including the keyless entry, is operating properly, then it sounds like a problem with the output buffer or relay.
If it's a relay, it would be a simple plug-and-play fix, likely on the back of the underdash fuse box. If it's solid state, then it's buried in the body control module... hopefully not the ECU/ECM.

 

Maybe remove the lense from the light and check for anything amiss with the switch (off/door/on)?? It might be way more simple than you're thinking?

 

Thanks for the input guys.
I switched the dome light "on/off/door", back and forth a number of times. It is now working normally. Go figure.
Mark