I realized that this is happening- if I forget to lock the car the dome light will not turn off.

I came out the other morning after driving another car for a few days to find the light still on in the car and the car unlocked (forgot to lock it).

Has anyone else encountered this?

 

Never had that. The most likely culprit is either that one of the doors (or boot) was not closed properly, or that you hit the unlock button on you remote. That lights up the dome light on my 03.

 

I guess I'll have to make sure everything's shut and then not alarm the car. How long should it take for the dome light to then go off?

Couple minutes?

 

Yeah...a couple of minutes should do it.

 

My interior lights go off after only about 30 sec. I wonder if this may be the cause of some of those dead batteries we keep hearing about?

 

Without arming the car, the interior lights stay on very briefly, then fade off. As soon as I arm, however, they instantly go off.

Now the interior lights do have a "permanent on/off" mode, and most likely you've activated that.

Just pressing the lights toggles them on or off.

If you press AND HOLD any of the dome lights or map lights for 5 seconds, you turn them to permanent on/off.

 

however would it be safe to assume that in 'permanent on/off' mode they would stay on even after locking the car w/ the remote?

Or would they exhibit the symptoms I mentioned?

Thanks, wasn't aware of this mode.

 

i'm pretty sure that even with the doors open the dome light will eventually go off. however it take more than a few minutes. it could be a faulty body control module or a shorted wire. have you had any electrical accesories intalled in the car?