Since the release of the first Jeep Wrangler in 1986, there have been four main models and some more minor changes that happened from year to year.
One of the changes many noticed between the Jeep Wrangler models as the years went on was the addition of interior lights and their controls. However, with so many models, the way you turn off the interior lights can differ; luckily, we can help.
In the Jeep Wrangler YJ models, you should see a section of light controls; to switch off interior lights, you must move the control on the right downward. Though this is one of the ways you can turn off the interior lights of your Jeep Wrangler, the process may differ depending on your Jeep model.
Though you may think that switching off the interior lights of a Jeep Wrangler should be straightforward, with so many variations of the car, there are different ways for every model.
However, just because you don’t see an interior light control immediately does not mean there isn’t one.
Below are the ways you can switch off the interior lights of a Jeep Wrangler, sorted by the different versions.
Turning Off Interior Lights – Jeep Wrangler YJ 1986 to 1995
The Jeep Wrangler YJ is the first model of the Jeep Wrangler, and some have soft roofs while others have hard roofs.
If your version has a soft roof, the steps below will allow you to dim the display lights and the under-dash lights, and it will also allow you to switch off the dome lights if you have the hard roof version.
Find The Controls
You first need to find the controls since they are not in a place you may expect them to be. The lights control section is to the left and below the steering wheel.
There should be four different buttons or controls in this section, and you may need a flashlight to see that one of the buttons says “lights off” on it.
Move The Control To Turn Off The Lights
On the right side of the lights panel section, you should see a slider control with the word “panel” below it, and this is the control you need to turn off the interior lights.
To turn off the lights, you need to move the control downward. Moving the slider downward should dim the lights, while the lowest point should put them off.
Turning Off Interior Lights – Jeep Wrangler TJ 1996 to 2006
Finding how to turn off the Jeep Wrangler TJ’s interior lights can be tricky since there are no dedicated buttons, though some earlier models may still use the previous method.
Instead, if you look closely enough, you may notice that the interior light control is now part of the multi-functional lever.
Find The Right Control
With this model of Jeep Wrangler, the interior light controls are on the multi-functional level, the same lever you use to indicate when you turn or turn on the lights when you drive.
The instrument panel lights are controlled by rotating the center of the lever, as are the dome lights.
Rotate The Control To Turn Off The Lights
By rotating the centerpiece of the multi-functional lever, you will be able to set the brightness of the instrument panel lights.
Turning the control down all the way should put the lights on the lowest setting, and you can similarly control the dome lights by turning the control downward.
Turning Off Interior Lights – Jeep Wrangler JK 2006 to 2018
With the later year models of the Jeep Wrangler JK, there are even more lights in the car’s interior.
Some of the controls to switch off these lights may be more intuitive than others, which is why the tips below got broken up into different sections for each light.
Using The Multi-Functional Lever
Similar to the previous model of the Jeep Wrangler, you can use the multi-functional lever to dim or turn off the lights in the Jeep’s interior.
Turning the lever’s center portion down to the bottommost setting can turn off the interior lights and dim the instrument panel lights. This method allows you to control most of the interior lights below.
Turning Off The Courtesy Lights
Though this may seem intuitive given how you turn on these lights, turning off the courtesy lights is as easy as pressing the button on the bottom of the center mirror.
You can turn the courtesy lights on and off in the same way, and there are two buttons on the mirror, one for each side.
Turning Off The “Sports Bar Reading Light”
In some four-door models, you may have a sports bar reading light in your Jeep. There seem to be two variants, but both are easy to operate.
The first version can get turned on and off by pressing the control on either side of the light’s lens. The second version can turn on or off by pressing the light’s lens.
Turning Off The Rear Cargo Lamp
The rear cargo lamp can also get turned off by using the multi-functional lever but has a second control found on the lens of the lamp. To turn this lamp on or off individually, you can press the button on the lamp.
Turning Off Interior Lights – Jeep Wrangler JL 2018+
For the most recent version of the Jeep Wrangler, the JL model, the controls for the interior lights moved again.
There is now a smaller panel left of the instrument panel with all the controls necessary to operate the interior lights.
Turning Off The Lights Using The Dimmer Controls
To the right of the headlight controls, you should find two dimmer controls that you can scroll up or down to control the instrument panel light levels and the other interior light levels.
To turn off the interior lights, turn the right dial downward to the bottommost setting. You can also turn off the instrument panel lights by scrolling the left dial downwards.
Turning Off The Courtesy/Dome Lights
Apart from turning off the lights using the method discussed above, you can also turn the courtesy lights on and off by pressing on the individual lamp lenses on the dome light.
If the lamp is on, pressing the lens should put it off.
Conclusion
You can turn off the interior lights of your Jeep Wrangler in many ways, and the method changes in almost every new model.
If you want to switch off all of the interior lights, including the instrument panel lights, you should be able to do it by turning the control to the bottommost position. You can also operate each light individually by using the controls next to or on the lamp’s lens.
