How to Enable Interior Lights on Police Models, Disable Dark/Stealth Mode - Works!

#1 · Dec 31, 2021 (Edited)
So, I recently bought a 5.7L '07 Charger police package with a bazillion miles on it, but it's such an amazing silverback gorilla brute I can't help but keep feeding it onions. (It's really a Pursuit, but was born an SE and then given everything on top, and I have been restoring, modding, converting many, many things.) One thing that I wanted to do was disable the dark/stealth police mode, where the overhead map lights won't come on when the door is opened (it has the police dome light on a separate circuit/bus). I searched here and found others had also tried, but did not find a post that had a solution. A few posts alluded to a solution involving disabling it through the PCM, but nothing specific.

These posters tried, but couldn't and even dealers reportedly couldn't change it:

2007 Charger Police interior lighting

My NC Highway patrol car has the large round light mounted on the ceiling. It has a rocker switch that selects red/white light or off. The map/reading lights do not come on when the doors are opened. Nor does the the round light.Is this something the HP disable or something I need to connect to...
www.chargerforumz.com

Police charger Dark mode...

Hi everyone, I have a question about my Police pursuit Dodge charger 2010, The Interior Lights doesn't work because it's in dark mode means no interior lights when you open the door, does anyone know how to disable the dark mode, I heard that you can disable it if you have an OBD you can change...
www.chargerforumz.com

Police charger metamorphosis

Hi everyone, I have an 08 Charger police model that I bought wrecked and brought back from the dead. Besides fixing all the sheet metal and getting it running, I have started converting some of the police specific features, making it more user-friendly for a civilian. Here is a list of things I...
www.chargerforumz.com

Police Charger "Dark Mode"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone, I have a question about my Police pursuit Dodge charger 2010, The Interior Lights doesn't work because it's in dark mode means no interior lights when you open the door, does anyone know how to disable the dark mode, I heard that you can disable it if you have an OBD you can change...
www.chargerforumz.com
There is even a You tube video of a guy that finds a hot wire in the dash, splices in some line and a switch. That seemed like too much work.and far less elegant than it could be.

So, I just wanted to share that this YouTube video has a fairly easy, cheap ($80) solution that works, because I just did it.:


I bought a n OBLink EX USB OBD2 Adapter on Amazon, spent a little more for a better, faster one without a toggle switch, and that also was the recommended FORScan adapter - this one: OBDLink EX USB Scan Tool for FORScan , but other ELM327 ones would probably work. (as a side note, I followed the instructions, but for some reason, the FORScan app can't recognize my PCM even after I fed it the P/N after taking it out just to read the sticker, but I'll figure it out)

After I got the cable, I took a chance and bought the software noted on the video (APPCar DiagFCA) www.appcar-diagfca.com, followed the instructions, and quickly got it to work after setting my baud rate to the 115200, my COM port to COM6 USB Serial Port, and downloaded and updated my car's "database" (these are in the software's settings menu) . Zing-zam I was in. The Police Lighting is in Vehicle Configuration 2, and I simply switched it from set, to not set, pressed run, and it worked immediately just like in the video.

Today I bought some rear passenger headliner handles/lights at the salvage yard (I'm lucky that there are both civilian and police 2006-2010 Chargers there that I've been pulling parts from) that I'll swap with the no handle/no lights police model and see if they'll go on as well. I'll have to fish out the electrical that my copy of the 2006-2010 Charger police upfitter guide (the complete version, full training manual and factory setup) says is running in the roof and to the B pillar (what is also used for powering roof police lights). Half of it has been posted as pdfs here and elsewhere but not the other half. I'll see if I can do that.

Anyway, the software looks to be very powerful. Just a brief glance at it tonight, and now I think I figured out why two different locksmiths and even a dealer couldn't program a replacement key job I had brought it. I noticed certain key/immobilizer settings, and a notation that key slots were full, but I'll have to do a little more checking to be sure. I also noticed my car has a speed limiter set at 157mph. Hmm...I think I might just leave that one alone...Once you have the software and cable, you could certainly look at and change other settings (and assume all risk if you do and know what you're doing!)

The Appcar DiagFCA list of supported models includes most newer model Chargers as well.

Hope this helps someone.