Door jam lights stay on if key is left in ignition
08-29-2013, 10:04 PM
#1
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Door jam lights stay on if key is left in ignition
I noticed this when I was replacing the door arrest this past weekend.
Not sure this has been noted before or it is correct, but if you leave your key in the ignition your door jam lights, the red ones remain on. I think that explains why on a couple of occasions my battery was drained. I typically turn the door lights off so I never noticed this.
Not sure this has been noted before or it is correct, but if you leave your key in the ignition your door jam lights, the red ones remain on. I think that explains why on a couple of occasions my battery was drained. I typically turn the door lights off so I never noticed this.
08-30-2013, 11:06 AM
#3
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Interesting.
08-30-2013, 12:11 PM
#4
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Sounds like a sneeky way to find out whos keys are in the ignition 
match it to show me your rear end thread and picture of my shop thread and it is gone!
I cant help myself!
Thomas
match it to show me your rear end thread and picture of my shop thread and it is gone!I cant help myself!
Thomas
08-30-2013, 12:32 PM
#5
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Why would you leave the key in the ignition e.g. overnight to run down the battery...
This is not a smart thing to do for a lot of reasons. Not least that the car has a switch to detect the key is inserted and as soon as it is - it enables monitoring of the doors ready to sound the gong... even if these door end lights weren't on - your battery would be depleted much faster than if you took the key out...!
The door jamb lights are the same as the interior lights (but not switchable individually). The key/lock has some interaction with the interior lights (varies by model year). Unlock gets you interior lights even with the doors closed, lock or ignition on truncates the light-off delay. You will get the usual lights off delay after the door is closed....
So was someone being creative? - or your lights stay on for some other reason - if they don't work - best to fix them so they don't mask issues like this by being off.
Alan
This is not a smart thing to do for a lot of reasons. Not least that the car has a switch to detect the key is inserted and as soon as it is - it enables monitoring of the doors ready to sound the gong... even if these door end lights weren't on - your battery would be depleted much faster than if you took the key out...!
The door jamb lights are the same as the interior lights (but not switchable individually). The key/lock has some interaction with the interior lights (varies by model year). Unlock gets you interior lights even with the doors closed, lock or ignition on truncates the light-off delay. You will get the usual lights off delay after the door is closed....
So was someone being creative? - or your lights stay on for some other reason - if they don't work - best to fix them so they don't mask issues like this by being off.
Alan
08-30-2013, 12:58 PM
#6
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If you can drive it away with it 4 feet in the air go for it.
08-30-2013, 03:01 PM
#7
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08-30-2013, 08:42 PM
#8
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Randy - I do, always, - you should too - even if you think its secure - since you will run the battery down faster that way (not really fast - but faster than without).
On new cars with push button start - you will rapidly deplete the remote batteries if you leave the remotes in the car. The communications level from the proximity remote is much higher once it detects the car in range - until after the car is started...
So better to get used to bringing them into the house with you now...
Alan
On new cars with push button start - you will rapidly deplete the remote batteries if you leave the remotes in the car. The communications level from the proximity remote is much higher once it detects the car in range - until after the car is started...
So better to get used to bringing them into the house with you now...
Alan
08-30-2013, 09:02 PM
#9
Team Owner
to be clear...
the red door lights come on when the doors or the hatch are opened,
the door pin switches or the hatch pin switch triggers these lights.
They will depending on the year and timer used go off when the door is closed or stay on till after the doors are closed and they will stay on for up to 2 minutes .
These lights are also on the interior light circuit,
so you could leave one of the interior lights turned on so it also comes on when the door is opened and thus when the interior light goes off then the the red lights go off.
To check to see when they go off ,
roll down the window then you can look inside the door to see these lights illuminated,
The key in the switch has nothing to do with the lights being on.
Though as Alan noted the key switch will be triggered if the key is left in the switch
the red door lights come on when the doors or the hatch are opened,
the door pin switches or the hatch pin switch triggers these lights.
They will depending on the year and timer used go off when the door is closed or stay on till after the doors are closed and they will stay on for up to 2 minutes .
These lights are also on the interior light circuit,
so you could leave one of the interior lights turned on so it also comes on when the door is opened and thus when the interior light goes off then the the red lights go off.
To check to see when they go off ,
roll down the window then you can look inside the door to see these lights illuminated,
The key in the switch has nothing to do with the lights being on.
Though as Alan noted the key switch will be triggered if the key is left in the switch