Why Jeep Grand Cherokee Interior Lights Won't Turn Off?

You’ve handled your Jeep Grand Cherokee like a pro always. The last thing you worried about was the lights. But recently, you noticed the interior lights are always on. You can’t shut it down, and it gets on your nerves.

So, why Jeep Grand Cherokee interior lights won’t turn off?

Jeep Grand Cherokee interior lights won’t turn off due to wrong switch settings, jammed interior light fuse, or the malfunction of computer parts. You should scroll the dimming knob down, reboot the computer, or replace the jammed fuse to turn off the lights. Most of the time, not understanding the switches is the main issue.

Are you interested to learn the fixes in more detail? Here I’ve provided all the explanations in easy to understand methods So, go through this article and save your jeep immediately.

Why Won’t My Interior Lights Turn Off in My Jeep Grand Cherokee? 4 Reasons and Solutions!

Sometimes interior lights in Jeep Cherokee show lots of problems. Not turning off is the most common of them. The reasons behind this problem are described below with their respective solutions:

Reasons	Solution
Wrong switch setting	Push the dial to the end so that the switch turns off.
Malfunctioning computer components	Remove the negative terminal of the battery and reboot the computer.
Jammed interior light fuse	Replace the fuse with a fresh fuse.
Door connectors not connected	Reconnect the door connectors
Lost retaining clip	Install a DIY retaining clip
Defective wiring	Replace the wire

Wrong Switch Setting:

Wrong switch setting is a major reason for interior lights not turning off. This happens while you’re driving and the lights are not turning off.

Many people fail to notice a dial on the turn signal or the multifunction lever. This is the dimming dial that controls the light. Apart from that, there’s an interior light button that controls the lights inside the jeep. If it’s in an On position, the lights will be On even when you’re driving.

These two switches, the general switches on the light and the dial or the knob together control the lights.

Solution:

It’s pretty easy to fix the lights if the dial is on the wrong setting. First, you need to turn off the switch present on the lights. That would immediately turn off the interior lights.

But the issue arises when you see that the switch itself if off still lights being On. You simply have to scroll the dimming light knob down for this under the dash. That would set the interior lights off. It’s like resetting the Nissan check engine light.

Wrong Switch Setting — Source: jeepgarage

Malfunctioning Computer Components:

Sometimes, the computers in the Jeep Grand Cherokee don’t work as expected. This is the reason for the interior lights not turning off when the battery is still on. It’s a technical problem that leads to the malfunctioning of the light switch. Hence, even if you try turning off the interior lights in your Jeep, they will stay ON.

Solution:

If you can detect it’s a computer problem, you have to perform some operations on the battery. What you have to do is disconnect the negative terminal from the battery. Then, wait for around 10 minutes.

It’ll help the computer components to reboot. After that, connect the negative terminal to the battery again. Finally, check if the lights have turned off as per your command.

Jammed Interior Light Fuse:

Sometimes, the fuse connected to the circuit of the interior lights can get jammed. This causes the interior lights to not turn off when the key is on. As a result, it gets hard to follow the signals you’re commanding. So, it’ll be hard to turn off the lights in your Jeep Cherokee.

Solution:

In this case, you need to remove the fuse and replace it with a new one. To do this, first, you have to open the hood and take out the fuse cover. You’ll find the fuse for the interior lights in slot 7. Pull out that fuse and replace it with a 10A fuse. Then, put back the cover and the hood. Your problem will get solved!

Before we get into the next segment a related problematic article suggestion is for you- screen delamination problem of jeep grand cherokee.

Door Connectors Not Connected:

Another issue is with the door connectors. Sometimes, when you take apart your door for painting or some other reason, you might forget about the door connectors. This is a very common problem among 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee drivers that they forget to connect the door connectors afterward. This might cause the interior lights to malfunction.

Solution:

You might have already guessed the solution to this problem. You simply need to reconnect the door connector cables. Remember, this is a problem that mostly arises if you have taken your door apart before the interior lights problem arose.

Losing the Retaining Clip:

Sometimes, the lights will stay on if the momentary switch key cylinder on the passenger side door is separated from its spot. You might also lose the retaining clip which is another reason the lights won’t turn off.

Solution:

So, if you face such an incident, you should follow the steps below to fix it-

Take a thin piece of welding wire and form it into a new clip.
Place the clip where the original clip is missing.

If you don’t want to get into DIY, you can buy a new switch for $40 to $60 and install it replacing the old switch.

Faulty Wiring System:

The interior lights not turning off of a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee is caused by a failed wiring harness. It is located from the door of the Jeep to the body.

When the ground wire gets torn apart or broken, it impacts the interior lights. Also, the passenger side wires can affect the lights if they’re damaged.

Solution:

In this case, you should inspect the wires first. Tug the wires slightly and check if they fall apart. If you notice any damages, you should change the wire.

The best budget-friendly option is to solder the broken wires. Make sure you clean all the corroded sections and add a fresh long piece of cable. You should keep it long, so there’s less strain while opening and closing the doors. After that, reinstall the wiring harness just as it was before.

If you don’t have a budget problem, you should replace the harness for a better connection.

Damaged Door Lock Sensors:

Most of the time, the interior lights don’t turn off in the 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee because of damaged door lock sensors. There are two types of sensors on the door, including sensors on key lock cylinders and the rear glass latch. You need to fix the problem immediately.

Solution:

First, you have to check if the switches work with an ohm meter. If they’re dirty, clean them like you would clean fcw sensors. But, if the sensors are faulty, you should replace them with new ones. The sensors will cost you somewhere around 22 bucks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Can interior lights drain the battery?

Yes, interior lights can drain the battery. For example, if two car lights of 10 watts are ON all night, it’ll impact the performance of your vehicle’s battery. Having a capacity of 45 Ah, a battery can be fully drained out if the 10 watts-bulb remains ON overnight.

Do interior car lights burn out?

Yes, interior car lights burn out. It can happen with only one light or many bulbs together. If there aren’t any electrical issues or wiring problems, an interior light mostly goes off because of burnout issues.

Which fuse is for interior lights?

The 20 amp IOD fuse in cavity 51 is the fuse for interior lights. It not only provides power to the interior lights but also to other components. These components are underhood lights, map lamps, courtesy lamps, instrument clusters, diagnostic connectors, glove boxes, and radios.

Final Words

So, hopefully, you are aware of the reasons and fixes of your Jeep Grand Cherokee interior lights won’t turn off.

All the fixes mentioned in the article are easy to do at home. However, you must contact a professional immediately if you don’t understand the technical issues. Or else you’ll risk yourself while fixing the interior light issues.