2015 dodge journey interior lights stay on

Why Dodge Interior Lights Won’t Turn Off (And How To Fix)

Dodge is famous for its interior and exterior styling. Not only is this a unique car brand, but it’s fun to drive and has a history of being built for quality.

Unfortunately, if you’re a Dodge owner, you probably know that Dodge is ranked low in terms of reliability, and many owners have faced numerous issues with their vehicles.

One of the most common issues is the interior lights staying on.

The likely reason Dodge lights won’t turn off is that one of the switches is left on. Most times, interior lights can be turned off by pushing on the light or switching it off at the dimmer knob. There could also be an issue with the light, in which case it will need to be replaced.

Most cars, including Dodge, have interior lights known as dome or courtesy lights. These lights are commonly fitted in the ceiling and are activated by touch.

Occasionally these lights are accidentally pushed and will stay on, but what if they won’t turn off? What can you do to fix this?

Reasons Why Dodge Interior Lights Won’t Turn Off

There are numerous threads discussing interior light issues on a Dodge. Owners have reported issues like interior lights deteriorating, dome lights that have stopped working, wiring problems, and interior lights that won’t turn off.

Multiple switches control the interior lights of any car, including a Dodge. The interior lights work with a control system which is an automated system in most cars. But lights that stay on and won’t switch off can be caused by many things.

Here are the most common reasons why Dodge interior lights won’t turn off:

The Light Has Been Left On Accidentally

Dome lights are installed in the interior ceiling and automatically turn on when the doors are open. However, sometimes you may find these lights are turned on accidentally, and simply pushing them will turn them off again.

In other cases, there is a knob that controls the brightness of these lights, and if you find a dome light is left on even after turning this knob, you can try pushing on it to switch it off.

How to fix this issue:

Push on the dome light to switch it off, or find the dimming knob and turn it down. If you notice the light is still on after the dimmer knob has been turned down, try pushing it on again to turn it off. Follow along with this video to help you troubleshoot this issue.

Wiring Issues

If you’ve tried adjusting the knob and pushing on the lights to turn them off, then you may want to consider the wiring of the lights. Wiring issues may be the cause of your lighting issues. You could get a professional to check the wiring or do it yourself.

You’ll need to trace the wires from each door frame to the dashboard to check the wiring. There will be a point where one section of the wiring will be responsible for operating the lights. Inspect the wires and look for any wear and tear, burnt wires, or damage.

If you notice any damage to the wiring, then new wiring should be installed, which could resolve the interior lighting issues.

Faulty Door Switch

If you find that all the interior lights in your Dodge won’t turn off, then the likely cause is a faulty door switch. Door switches are found inside the doors and are also known as door jamb switches.

When the car door is open, this switch will turn on and then turn off again when you close the door. Likewise, if your lights are working correctly, this switch will turn on and off when you open and close the door; if not, the lights may stay on.

To resolve this issue, the faulty door switch needs to be replaced.

Bulbs Need Replacing

If one or more lights aren’t working, the bulbs may need to be replaced. Also, bulbs will eventually burn out and need to be replaced. It’s simple enough to replace the bulbs yourself, but you can always contact a professional to do it for you.

Replace the interior bulbs.

A Door Is Left Open

Most interior lights are activated when the door is left open. Check all your doors; if one is open, close it and see if the issue is resolved. Sometimes the most likely cause of lights being on is that one of your doors is open.

Check all the doors and make sure they are correctly closed.

How Do You Switch Off The Interior Lights In A Dodge?

There are a couple of ways to switch the interior lights off, depending on the model you have. If you have a Dodge Charger, you can turn the interior dome lights off by flipping the toggle switch on the dome lights.

In the Dodge Journey, you need to rotate the dimmer control switch downwards to turn off the interior lights.

To switch off the interior lights in a Dodge Caravan, press on the lights to switch them off. You can also use the dimmer control switch to turn off the lights.

Most Dodge models will have interior lights that can be switched on and off by pressing on them or using the dimmer switch.

Will Having Interior Lights On In A Dodge Drain The Battery?

If your interior lights are on for short periods, it is unlikely to drain the car’s battery. However, if the interior lights are kept on overnight, it may drain the battery, and you may need to jump-start your Dodge in the morning to get it started again.

There’s usually a simple way to fix Dodge interior lights when they don’t turn off. Most times, you can use the dimmer switch to turn it off. In other instances, you may need to replace the wires or the faulty door switch to resolve the issue.

References :

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-c1758_ds558145

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen-dakota-tech/363740-dome-light-wont-turn-off.html

https://www.lifewire.com/car-interior-lights-not-working-4143242

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Dash lights turning on and off while car is off

My 2015 dodge journey died last night. I think how I know why. My dash lights are turning on and off while the car is OFF. I cant find anything online about what could be the cause. I’ve found a few things about what to do while the car in on but nothing about it happening the a car that’s off.

On some cars the lights stay on for like 30 seconds after the ignition is off. But if they are on all the time even when the light switch is fully off, something is wrong, that is NOT normal.

That happens sometimes due to somebody wiring some accessory to the nearest hot wire, which might be the dash lights wire. That’s fine unless there is another source of power to the device, and that feeds back up the dash lights wire.

The old Audi’s had this bug— if you held the high-beams flash switch, that would feed power back into the accessory circuit, even when the key was out. They considered that a “feature” not a “bug”, as it let you close the sunroof without the key.

Anyway, if someone has done some wiring lately, that’s probably the problem. Has someone added a security system, a radio, an amplifier, or something else electrical? That’s probably it.

If nothing has been messed with lately, then it’s likely that there is a short in the module that controls the lights. In the olden days the lights had a regular plain old switch, those very rarely failed. Today they use transistors to do the switching and they do sometimes fail, usually shorting out. They can be helped along toward shorting out if someone accidentally shorts out the cigar-lighter power outlet, with like a bad charger cord.

It can also be a faulty door latch switch inside the door…thinking the door has been opened. The days of pin switches in the door jamb have seemed to go the way of the Dodo Bird…the way its done these days is inside the door latch. That sensor could be on the verge of open/close and it fluctuates back n forth.

A good engine diag scanner will show you live data of these things…and even allow you to manipulate items on and off. Without this piece of equipment you are flying blind.

Heres a trick for ya… Open the drivers door (Most suspect door and switch btw)…use a phillips screwdriver sideways inside the door latch to simulate the door being closed onto its lock hasp…this will simulate a closed door while it is still open… IF you have no probs during this test…it shows the latch is not going onto the hasp far enough to fully trigger the switch inside the door.

ALL of this assumes you dont actually have door pins in the door jamb to indicate a closed door… Methinks unlikely on a 15’…but you never know these days…so see what system your vehicle uses to know the door was closed…no door pins…then its in that door latch on the door.

Fairly easy test

Fuse 130–15 amp, you could try pulling that fuse to see if it will stop instrument lamps. I realize, courtesy lamps will stay on for a bit after exit, I didn’t realize dash would stay on? I don’t know if link will highlight or not? Pulling the fuse may allow cluster to reset?

The problem might be caused by a faulty Totally Integrated Power Module.

Could be a bad ground connection somewhere inside the dashboard.

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Fix for the door ajar/interior lights staying on

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My 03 2500 has the common door ajar light, interior lights staying on issue. It started last summer on vacation. Pulled fuse and have driven it without interior lights since. Thought I had the issue tracked down to the problematic drivers rear door actuator. Took door apart yesterday. Found 8 out of the 10 wires in the passenger door wiring broken. Fixed all of that. Put it back together. Still no improvement. Before I replaced the actuator and fixed the cut wiring, the door ajar light was not lit. Now it is on along with same interior lights still on. Pulled battery cables for a hour. No help. Checked wiring on passenger rear harness, it all looks good. I haven't looked in the front door harnesses. I see alot of threads dealing with this issue, but no responses on what actually fixed the issue, other than when the cut wiring was actually the problem. Where do I look next? Can the dealer actually scan/find the root of the problem? Thanks in advance for any help.  

The door position switch is in the door latch assembly , replaced as an assembly . This is assuming the door to chassis wires are ok.  

I'm all too aware of how the door actuator/lock assembly functions. Lol. Is there what to isolate which one is bad? Or just buy 3 more and change all 3? Btw, my interior lights will not shut off, ever. I left fuse in last night for approx 30 mins. Lights never turned off.  

I would run cluster check could give clue to narrow down if wiring or communication issue, between cluster and door switches, light never goes off because right now cluster is seeing closed circuit resets timer for fade funtion. If no cluster codes, physically individual wires/switches/lamp should be tested for closed circuit issue. FWIW Some aftermarket light bulbs/accessories can cause issues.  

How do I do a cluster check? A buddy is going to hook his body scanner to the truck today. See what that shows.  

Can run EMIC, electromechanical instrument cluster, test by The instrument cluster actuator test will put the instrument cluster into its self-diagnostic mode. In this mode the instrument cluster can perform a self diagnostic test that will confirm that the instrument cluster circuitry, the gauges, and the indicators are capable of operating as designed. During the actuator test the instrument cluster circuitry will position each of the gauge needles at various calibration points, illuminate all of the segments in the Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) units, turn all of the indicators on and off again, display any Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) information, and display the number of ignition key cycles that have occurred since the DTC was detected. It is suggested that a note pad and pencil be used to write down any fault information that is displayed during the test for reference. Successful completion of the actuator test will confirm that the instrument cluster is operational. However, there may still be a problem with the PCI data bus, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), the Engine Control Module (ECM), the Front Control Module (FCM), the Transmission Control Module (TCM), the Transfer Case Control Module (TCCM), the Airbag Control Module (ACM), the Controller Anti-lock Brake (CAB), or the inputs to one of these electronic control modules. Use a DRBIIIt scan tool to diagnose these components. Refer to the appropriate diagnostic information. (1) Begin the test with the ignition switch in the Off position. (2) Depress the odometer/trip odometer switch button. (3) While still holding the odometer/trip odometer switch button depressed, turn the ignition switch to the On position, but do not start the engine. (4) Release the odometer/trip odometer switch button. (5) The instrument cluster will simultaneously illuminate all of the operational segments in both VFD units, perform a bulb check of each operational LED indicator. The VFD segments and LED indicators remain illuminated as each gauge needle is swept to several calibration points and back. If a VFD segment or an LED indicator fails to illuminate, or if a gauge needle fails to sweep through the calibration points and back during this test, the instrument cluster must be replaced. Following these tests, the actuator test will proceed as described in Step 6. (6) The text “C Code” is displayed in the odometer VFD for about three seconds. If there is no stored fault information, the display will show two pairs of zeroes in the format “00” “00”, which indicate that the display of fault information is done. If there is stored fault information, two sets of two-digit alpha and alpha-numeric fault codes will appear in the odometer display for a three second interval. The first pair of digits represents a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC), or fault code for the instrument cluster. The second pair of digits is a counter for the number of ignition key cycles that have occurred since the displayed DTC was set. The instrument cluster will continue to display additional sets of two pairs of digits at three second intervals until all of the stored codes have been displayed, which is again signaled by a code of “00” “00”.  

Being an 03 how much slop in the drivers door top hinge? My 04 2500 door hinge is getting worn and will not close most of the time and displays "door open" or such. I have the new hinge for mine but have not installed it yet. I also found lots of broken wires in the left rear door when the window would not work to commands. Just grab the bottom end of your drivers door and lift up - watch for slop in the top area of the top hinge, that's where mine moves. Good Luck!  

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Inside Car Lights Won’t Turn Off: Causes and Fixes

Are you perturbed because your inside car lights won’t turn off? Are you skeptical about whether the situation may endanger your car or any of its components? The problem is not unnatural with vehicles, as it is a sign that one or more parts of the car are faulty.

One essential feature of a car is the inside lights that keep the car’s interior bright at night so that you can see everywhere within your vehicle when you need to use the light. Multiple switches control the interior lights in your car, and the control system is designed to work automatically, especially with modern cars with sophisticated interior lighting.

However, if your car’s interior lights stay on while driving, it could be that you manually turned it ON with the switch next to it. If this is not the case, it is a sign that one or more components of your car’s electric connection are faulty. It is not an issue for you to bother yourself about.

Sufficient information has been provided in this article to enlighten you about the causes of your car’s challenge and how to fix the problem.

What Causes Inside Car Lights Won’t Turn Off

The interior lights of your car have been designed to function both manually by the different hand switches on the roof next to the light, on the doors and the dashboard, and automatically whenever you open and close the doors of your vehicle.

However, sometimes there may be a bit of malfunctioning whereby the lights stay ON instead of going OFF based on their original way of functioning. If you experience this situation, it is likely caused by any of the following.

Failure to close the door properly

Your car’s interior lights are linked in connection to the door of your vehicle, and in some cases, to the trunk. The lights turn ON when you open the doors or the trunk, and they turn OFF when you close them.

Therefore, if you find out that your car’s interior lights fail to turn OFF at any point in time, the challenge is likely traceable to one or more doors you failed to close properly.

Damaged or faulty switch

The lights are fashioned with a manual switch on the roof close to the light, on the door, and on the dashboard. If you discover that the interior lights won’t go off, it may be due to a switch you manually turned ON and forgot to turn OFF.

If this is not the case, then it is likely that one or more of the switches have been damaged, especially leaving the functionality at the ON position.

Adjustment of the dimmer switch to its highest position

Your car lights dimming function is performed by a setting located at the left side of the wheel on the dashboard. When the setting is adjusted to the furthest position, it usually affects the interior lights of your car.

Therefore, if you find out that your car’s inside lights are ON and won’t go OFF after checking for the other control points, change the dimmer switch setting.

How to Fix Inside Car Lights Won’t Turn Off

Having understood that your vehicle’s dome lights are usually located on the roof, door, and under the dashboard, and the reasons why your car’s interior lights won’t turn off, it is also crucial to know how to fix the problem.

The following are methods of fixing the problem if your car’s interior lights won’t turn off.

Adjust the light switch

Firstly, it is easy to turn ON the lights using the switch close to the light on the roof of your car or the dashboard and forget to turn it OFF. 

Therefore, the first solution is to check whether you mistakenly forgot to switch it OFF after switching it ON manually. If this is the situation, turn it OFF.

Properly check the light switches at the doors

Another point on control of your vehicle’s interior lights is the doors and, in some cases, the trunk inclusive. Therefore, you should carry out a proper check on the switches on the doors. 

You may have to open and close each of the doors one after another to see if the light will turn off. If this doesn’t work, locate the manual switch on each door and press it to turn off the light. 

You will feel a click once you press the switch. If you don’t feel the click after this action, the light doesn’t go off, and the switch on the door is likely faulty. Try to fix the defective switch yourself or see a technician.

Properly check the headlight switch setting

Some cars have a knob responsible for controlling the brightness of the lights on the dashboard. If the setting of this light is on the highest, it may likely affect the interior light and cause it not to go off. Therefore, if you find out that the setting is at its highest level, change it to fix this challenge.

Check the wiring or see a technician

Suppose the suggestions above do not work after applying them. In that case, you may want to trace the wiring of the interior lights of your car to ascertain any disconnection or faults that cannot be easily discovered by merely carrying out the above operations.

The wiring of the interior lights of your car runs from the switch at the door across the frame into the dashboard of the vehicle. Therefore, you would need to be careful in performing this action; otherwise, it would be best to consult a professional auto technician to solve this problem.

Sometimes, people experience situations whereby their interior car lights won’t turn on. If you face this situation, you may also want to go through the same process of fixing the interior lights provided above or see your auto technician. Also, answers have been provided to some frequently asked questions in the following paragraphs.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Q: can interior lights drain the battery.

If your car’s interior lights stay on while your vehicle is parked somewhere for a long time, it can drain your vehicle’s battery, thereby leaving you stranded.

If you forget to close your car’s door properly, it can cause the lights to be left on, and if this continues for a while before you notice, it may be too late because it must have drained your car’s battery.

However, you can quickly fix this with a jump starter approach, and there may be no complications with your car’s battery at the end of the day. Nevertheless, it would be best if you check your vehicle properly after parking and shutting the doors to see if any lights are on so that you can prevent the problem rather than looking for a cure.

Q: How do I turn off the dome light in my car?

Your car’s dome light is operated via multiple switches. The primary control can be found on an adjusted knob on your vehicle’s dashboard on the left side of the steering wheel or the headlight switch.

There are also additional switches mounted to every door of your car, and in some cases, a switch is mounted on the trunk. Meanwhile, to turn off the dome light in your car, kindly follow these steps.

Option 1: Adjust your car’s dome light switch.

There’s a dome light switch in every vehicle. Some vehicles have a switch on the dashboard and another on the light itself. Your car’s dashboard brightness display switch can turn off the dome light when it is at its highest setting. Turn the dashboard brightness display switch to its lowest setting and see if the light turns off.

Optional 2: Locate each door switch by opening and closing one after the other.

Open each door to locate the switch mounted on them. Then, manually press the switch to see if the light will go off.

Option 3: Start your car and let it run for about 3 to 5 minutes

Please take a moment and start the car and allow it to run between 3 to 5 minutes. Then, please turn it off and remove the key from the ignition. After that, open each door and shut them one after the other. The dome light should go off after about 5 minutes of performing this action.

Finally, if the options above do not help you turn off your car’s dome light, remove the bulb to avoid the battery from draining quickly. After that, you can see an auto technician help trace the wiring and check for any faulty part of the connection and rectify the fault.

Q: How long does it take for interior lights to drain the battery?

It would take between 4 to 8 hours for your car’s battery to completely drain due to leaving the interior lights on for that long. 

The average battery life of a car is between 50 and 100 amp-hours, especially in new vehicles. Most cars’ interior lights are about 0.5 to 1 ampere. Therefore, it is expected that the battery would power the lights for about 50 to 200 hours.

Some modern cars with sophisticated interior lighting systems can automatically turn off their interior lights when the car’s system realizes that you may have left the lights on by mistake. For example, the 2015 BMW has LED lights that can turn off automatically after a while.

Q: Do interior lights turn off automatically?

It depends on the kind of vehicle, make and model. The interior lights of the most recent vehicles are automatic. Therefore, they turn off automatically whether auto headlight mode is activated or not.

However, if you turn the lights on in some vehicles, you may also have to turn them off manually. Therefore, you should understand how your car’s lighting system works and take the necessary action to turn off the interior lights to avoid your car’s battery draining unnecessarily.

Some car owners also ask to know how to turn off inside car lights with the trunk open, and others have also complained about specific vehicle makes and models. If you drive a ford focus and are experiencing the same challenge, you may be asking why your ford focus interior car lights won’t turn off. This article has addressed the solution you are looking for.

Final Words

If your inside car lights won’t turn off, you shouldn’t be bothered, as sufficient information has been provided above in this article to address the issue. Open and close each door of your car or carry out proper checks on the switch next to the light in the roof and the doors.

Having checked the switch on the roof and the doors for any fault or damage to ascertain why your interior car lights won’t turn off while driving, kindly consults your auto technician if you find any defect or damage that you cannot fix personally.

However, always check your car’s interior lights and other components to ensure that they are all in good working condition. Check to see that your car’s interior lights turn off before leaving your car after parking to avoid unnecessary headaches due to the draining of your vehicle’s battery. Your car’s battery won’t hold a charge when it is dead and left for so long. Always remember, “Prevention is better than cure.”

Hi there, I am R. Hasan Tito, a mechanic, and owner of this website. My friend and I created this website to share our knowledge, expertise, and experience with our fellow mechanics' community and car users. I am a specialist and certified automotive mechanic (Both Heavy Commercial and Private Cars). I worked as a Mechanic and Mechanic Supervisor for over fifteen years at Global Rebound Automotive companies - Toyota, TATA, BMW, Nissan, TVs, and Others. Now, I enjoy my new role of leading a team of automotive experts (in their respective fields) and publish new content on a regular basis on my website and social media.

One thought on “ Inside Car Lights Won’t Turn Off: Causes and Fixes ”

I have a 2014 Chrysler 300. I have four interior lights above the dashboard. The bottom left light will not turn off. I disconnected the battery in hopes that would help. It did not. Thank you.

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Dodge Journey

The Dodge Journey is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by FCA's Dodge brand since model year 2009, with a mild facelift for 2011 model-year.

RichB @richb2718

Posted: Mar 6, 2023

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Emergency Brake light stays on

After a recent accident, my emergency brake light stays on all the time. It doesn't have to be engaged for the light to illuminate. Occasionally the light will go out for a few minutes, but come right back on. Anybody experience this before and do you know of any fixes? I did a quick google search and added brake fluid, but that was not the issue. The light stayed on.

Is this a good question?

jayeff @jayeff

Posted: Mar 7, 2023

Hi @richb2718

The emergency brake (aka parking brake) warning light is also activated by a switch associated with the brake handle. Depending on the year model of your vehicle, the switch when it is operated either sends an earth signal directly to the instrument cluster or to the body control module (BCM).

Here are some images showing the wiring for both situations.

Maybe check if the switch is faulty and intermittently operating when it shouldn't - loose perhaps.

(click on image)

If the switch is faulty search online for (insert year) Dodge Journey parking brake switch to find suppliers that suit you best.

Here's a supplier just to give an idea what the switch looks like. Click on the Click if this fits your Dodge Journey link to see if it is compatible with your particular model.

Was this answer helpful?

Very helpful. I did notice this piece behind the bottom panel on the driver side. I will give it a go.

Mar 7, 2023 by RichB

Jerry Wheeler @dadibrokeit

Best thing to do is look at a wiring diagram to figure out what's going on with the light; then we can track down likely places that could be a problem; in most cases the light always has power and gets turned on by providing a ground, so a bare wire shorting on the frame anywhere can turn the light on.

However, we'll need to know the year and any submodel information that's relevant to be able to find the right wiring diagram. Please update your question and we'll be able to proceed.

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Interior lights staying on

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Anyone else experienced their interior lights staying on while driving?  

Only if I was adjusting the dash brightness and turned the knob too far up. But other than that, haven't had them stay on while driving.  

Ditto this...you must have the dimmer roller up to far. If you go past the click it will always stay on. You may also have a door not closed all of the way?  

What those two said. Also if you roll the switch too far down it turns the lights off regardless of door position  

I've found that if you leave the knob all the way rolled up it will automatically turn itself off when the vehicle is off after a while to save the battery. Because I started my car the other day and the interior lights we're not on before I started the car. But after I started it the lights turned on, and I came to find out that I left the knob rolled up.  

That is good to know...  

20 minutes and then they turn off  

Yeah you must have the dash button lighting all the way up. The farthest clicker up indeed keeps the lights on. I always have it the farthest up and one click down. This is also the brightness of the dash the farther down you go the more it dims the gauges. I noticed at the setting I have it, when the door is open the lights come on. When I shut the door they then turn off. It's a nice feature to be able to see when getitng into the car then they turn off when you are situated with the door shut.  

My biggest problem is that the red bezel light and interior light knob are right next to each other. Often results in mass light confusion.  

Thank you so much guys that was it, I had the interior brightness knob turned up not knowing it effected the overhead lights. About once a week I turn on my hazard blinkers while driving trying to make my car warmer.  

My niece's car, 2016 Dodge Dart SE, will be with me till January 2019 and so, today, I tried turning the engine on and didn't drive for a good 5-10 minutes. I noticed that the interior lights are on the whole time the engine was on and they stayed on even if I already turned off the engine. Why? And how do I turn them off since I am not very familiar with this kind of car?  

This thread was from 2013, but anyways. The dimmer knob/dial by the headlight switch will also turn on the dome lights if it is set to full bright. You'll feel it click when they turn on/off. I'd start there. If that's not the issue it could be the switch itself going bad, but I'd check the bulbs too. In my car I ordered l.e.d. replacement bulbs for the interior and they are so sensitive that the residual current in the wiring is enough to make them glow a little bit even when they're not on. Dimly, but they're always on. The normal bulbs are just regular filament types. Not likely the case, but possible if she got the car used.  

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Home » Troubleshooting » Dodge Journey battery light is on – causes and how to reset

Dodge Journey battery light is on – causes and how to reset

When the red battery light comes on in the dashboard of Dodge Journey, it indicates a malfunction in the charging system. This can happen due to a number of reasons which we will discuss in this article.

The most common reason for battery light illuminating in Dodge Journey is faulty alternator. But the battery light can also come on due to a damaged wire, corrosion on electrical connectors, corrosion on battery terminals, bad ground connection and slipping serpentine belt.

1. Faulty Alternator

Alternators can fail at any time, but generally they last over 100,000 miles. Before replacing the alternator, you must rule out other causes that may stop or degrade flow of current from the alternator, for example: bad electrical connection or damaged wire.

How to test the alternator

The easiest method to check the alternator is by measuring the voltage at the battery terminals when the engine is running.

• Start your Journey.
• Connect the black cable of the multimeter to negative terminal of the battery, and the red cable to the positive terminal.
• The voltage should be between 13.5 and 14.8 volts with the engine running.
• Switch on the accessories in your Journey, for example, headlights, AC fan at full speed, and interior lights.
• The voltage should remain around 14 volts. If it drops and remain below 13.5 volts, it indicates a problem with the current supply from the alternator.
• If the voltage drops below 12 volts with the engine running and the accessories turned on, it means the current supply from the alternator is completely cut off and all the electronics are solely powered by the battery.

Can you drive Journey with a bad alternator?

Yes, you can drive your Journey with a bad alternator, but only for a short distance. The battery charge will go down as you drive since all the on-board electronic controllers and accessories are now solely powered by the battery. When the battery charge gets too low the engine will shut down, and you will be stranded.

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2. Poor ground connection

What is a ground connection.

The negative terminal of the battery is connected to the body/chassis of Journey, called a ground connection. The engine also requires a ground connection to function, but the way the engine is mounted, it does not allow the electric current to flow between the engine and the body (due to non-conductive rubber insulated engine mounts). For this purpose, a ground strap/wire is used to connect the engine and the chassis.

What happens when the ground connection goes bad?

If the ground connection of the chassis or the engine goes bad in your Journey due to rust or corrosion, you will face all sorts of electrical issues, including battery light illuminating in the dashboard. The alternator relies on the ground connection of the engine to function properly. When the ground is bad, the current supply from the alternator will be reduced or may fluctuate. Additionally, in rare cases the contact between the engine block and the alternator can also go bad due to corrosion.

How to check if the ground connection is good?

You can check the quality of the ground connection in Journey by doing a conductivity test between the negative terminal of the battery and the engine. Take a multimeter, change its settings to ohms symbol. Touch one probe to the negative terminal of the battery, and the other probe to any exposed metal part of the engine. The reading should be at or very close to zero ohms. Do the same between the negative terminal of the battery and exposed metal part of the alternator.

Inspect and clean the ground connections

If the conductivity test fails, check the condition of the ground connections in your Journey. Inspect the connectors of the ground cables (battery to body, body to engine) for any signs of rust or corrosion. Clean the contacts with a sandpaper or wire brush. You may also have to remove the alternator and clean the ground contact area on the alternator and on the engine block.

3. Poor battery connection

It is possible the alternator in your Dodge Journey is working properly, but the current flow is interrupted due to a loose electrical connection, a damaged wire, or corrosion on the battery terminals.

Corrosion on battery terminals

Battery corrosion is a fairy common problem (except in AGM batteries), especially if the installed battery is more than 2 years old. Corrosion occurs when the battery acid reacts with the metal terminals which can lead to loss of contact and reduced current flow. If there isn’t enough current flow, the battery will not be charged properly, and may cause engine starting problems.

Check battery terminals

To know if your Journey charging system problems are from dirty battery terminals, you need to investigate them. Lift the plastic covers over the terminals and check for any signs of corrosion. If you discover white deposits or silvery-green deposits, but no further cracks or damage, you may not have to replace the battery or the alternator, just clean the battery terminals.

Clean the battery terminals

Quick cleaning: There is a neat little trick with which you can clean corrosion on the battery terminals of your Journey in under a minute. Pour hot boiling water over the corroded terminals and the corrosion will just melt away. Do one terminal at a time and don’t let water puddle on the top of the battery touch both terminals at the same time, this can short the battery.

Thorough cleaning: To thoroughly clean the battery in your Dodge Journey, you have to remove the terminal cables first, which requires no special knowledge, just a little concentration, as the order is very important. First remove the black cable from the negative terminal using a wrench or a plier. Next you can unplug the red positive terminal cable. Be careful not to touch both terminals with your metal tool, it will be one expensive mistake. Once the battery has been removed from the circuit, you can start cleaning the corroded battery with sandpaper or wire brush. After cleaning, reconnect the cables in reverse order, positive first, then negative.

4. Slipping serpentine belt

The serpentine belt, also known as accessory belt or drive belt, transfers the power from the engine to other components like the alternator and the AC compressor, that are essential for normal operation of your Dodge Journey.

If the serpentine belt is damaged or becomes loose, or if the alternator pulley develops a defect, it can cause the belt to slip. This can cause the alternator to spin slower or inconsistently and the electricity production is degraded. When the on-board diagnostic system detects low voltage from the alternator, the battery symbol light comes on in the instrument cluster of Journey.

Symptoms of bad serpentine belt

The most common sign of bad serpentine belt in Journey is squealing noise from the engine compartment. Another prominent sign is visible cracks on the ribbed part of the belt. A slipping accessory belt can also cause burning smell.

Sound of a slipping serpentine belt

If the serpentine belt is found to be defective, it must be replaced. Keep in mind that a slipping belt is not always defective, it can slip due to a number of reasons, including due to a bad tensioner pulley or any other pulley.

5. Rodent damage

If rodents like rats, mice, or squirrels have chewed up the cables for the alternator, it can cause the battery light to turn on in Journey. Look for any signs of bite marks in the engine compartment, and examine all the cables for the alternator. If any cable has been damaged, replace it with a new one.

How to reset the battery light

Fix the issue.

Resetting the battery light in Journey without solving the underlying issue may not help, as the warning light will turn back on when the system again detects the fault. The light should disappear automatically after fixing the issue. If it doesn’t turn off immediately, driving your vehicle for a few miles should help.

OBDII scanner method

The proper way to reset the battery light in Journey is by clearing the codes with an OBDII scanner. If the warning light doesn’t turn off automatically after fixing the issue, you will have to do it manually by connecting a diagnostic device and then deleting all the error codes related to the charging system.

Disconnect the battery

If you don’t have a diagnostic device, it may be possible to reset the battery light in Journey by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. Remove the cable from the negative terminal of the battery first, then from the positive terminal. With the battery disconnected, press the horn button a few times and turn on the headlights to drain out all the residual electricity from the system. After about 15 minutes, reconnect the battery in reverse order: positive cable first, then negative cable.

Use OBD2 scanner for diagnosis

Since Dodge Journey is equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD), a fault diagnosis can provide initial indications of where the malfunction is located.

To begin troubleshooting, you must first connect the diagnostic tool to your Journey. The OBDII connector is usually located under the dashboard. With the tool connected, turn on the ignition. Most diagnostic devices then ask for some information about the vehicle. It is important that you enter this 100% correctly, otherwise the result of the search may be inaccurate. In addition to the vehicle make, model, and engine type, you usually also have to type in the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Since some OBD codes are manufacturer-specific, the scanner will be able to give you more accurate information if you enter more details about your Journey.

When the battery light comes on in your Dodge Journey, you should always start with testing the voltage at the battery when the engine is running. If the voltage test fails, then move on to testing the alternator and its electrical connections.

In any case, it is advisable for laypersons to visit a workshop. A professional mechanic can swiftly diagnose the charging system issue for you.

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All Warning lights on while driving

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A unique situation occured this week (it was a wet slushy week) While driving my 2008 Ram 4x 4 home at 50- 60 mph after a busy day with it, moving daughters furniture , the dashboard lit up with every warning light, and speedo went dead, and then a few seconds later it would all come back on , engine did not die,truck kept running, it continued to do this randomly about 12 times over the course of the hour drive home. I brought it to dealer next morning, it only did it once while the service tech was writing the milieage down to bring it inot shop, but did not do it for the actual mechanic . The mechanic put on computer readout tool and yes it did show that truck "lost communication" a dozen times that day and the one more time that day. But they were unable to pinpoint the problem. No fault codes other than "lost communication". They gave it back to me and suggested we see if it clears it self up or wait till it does it again (and do what ?) they only charged me 65 bucks because they felt bad could not find. Anyway, this truck has 80,000 km (so 50,000 miles) I have made no electrical changes to it, no other problems. It is a cold and wet environment up here so maybe a bad connector that has dried it self out since then . It has not done the warning lights again today when I drove it. Any ideas or similar problem that you got fixed ????  

Just a haunch but check the ground wire from the battery to the chassis. Make sure all the wires are tight to the terminal and that the terminals are clean.  

I second that.. The ground is most important..  

Fred had that problem it would come and go intermittenly. Turned out to be the fuse box. He repalaced it. You can check the connector's under it to make sure there clean and tight. Maybe try grabbing the wire connector underneath and wiggling it to see if the problem show's up.  

Lost communication with what module? The code always tells you what module it lost communication with. If all the lost communication codes say cluster then you probably have a cluster going out on you. Tell the dealer to run a Loss of Comm. test through wiTech. If they don't know what you are talking about then go to another dealer.  

thanks guys, I would assume dealer mechanic would of checked ground from battery, but I will double check and alos wiggle the fuse box to see if I can make it happe. I had the trucl oilsprayed in November 2012 , maybe it got into somewhere it shouldn't of. Also will suggest to dealer to do the witech thing if it does it again.  

Well update it has only got worse but more random. I took apart all the battery connections and cleaned and the ground to the body fender and large connection on outside of fuse box. reset computer , tested gauges using that method of holding odometer reset while turning key to on, and all supposedly okay. But still randomly while driving all warning light and chimes come on and guages die and then a few seconds later back to normal and does this a dozen times while driving in to work. then next day will not do it at all , same road same bumps , same temp. Dealer only sees advantage to see it if it is doing it while they are looking at it. Of course it is never doing it when I drive by the dealer !!! I checked all the plugs under the seats too. I am ready to trade this in and look at buying a pre 1980 vehicle without all these computer aspects to go wrong !!  

TIPM!! had the sam situation, all warning lights on and off.....turned out I needed to have the TIPM replaced....only cost about $700 CDN Oh and I have a 2008 5.7 1500 4x4.  

I knw this is off topic but i have been looking at other posts about the foglight bypass for being able to keep you foglights on while you are running with your highbeams. But does anybody know how to do this on a 2006 ram 4.7 Can anybody help me with this??? \  

Hosey........maybe dumb question but what does TIPM stand for and tell me more about how your dealer figured out it was that ? please and thanks  

Yup, Total Integrated Power Module. I never heard of such a thing till about 2 months ago. I was driving down the road (it was the first snowfall of the season). I went 5 mins down the road and got to the hardware store and parked. Then bam....all lights on the dash, warning bells.....I sat for a minute and did the whole WTF. turned the truck off and then back on and nothing....as if nothing happened. The roads were wet and sloppy snow slush crap. A few days later was in the truck, flipped it into 4x4 and then BAM....lights, warnings, and then the truck died! nothing.....it would even turn over....I finally got it to turn over, and dropped it off at the dealership (it was the nearest shop, only reason). They plug it in and tell me the TIPM died. Im not a mechanic but the issues that i was having woth the truck were all electrical and speratic.... This might not be your issue with your truck but the thread title "warning lights" caught my eye. good luck bro.  

The TIPM's replaced most of the fusebox. Personally, I don't like it. On paper it's cheaper for manufacturing, simpler to check and replace, cleaner under the hood, and when it fails, it gives Dodge and the dealership a much bigger payday under your hood. :imo  

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Door open light on dash stays on

By journeynz February 24, 2018 in Interior

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I just notice my dash keeps saying drivers door is open when it’s closed, what’s the problem?

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could be the switch at the door  has gone bad.

• OhareFred and jkeaton

• Official Dodge Support

On 2/23/2018 at 10:54 PM, journeynz said: I just notice my dash keeps saying drivers door is open when it’s closed, what’s the problem?

Are you thinking you'd like to have a Dodge dealer take a look? Our team is available via direct message and would be happy to help with this process.

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before investing any work or $$$ disconnect your battery for about 15-20 minutes then reconnect and see if that might fix your problems so many computer glitches these days..

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