QX4 Hatch switch for interior light

[Mike W.]

I'm washing the beast the other night for the first time in at least 6 months. It needed it. Badly. Anyway, I'm workin' on it, it's a big brute, I step up on the trailer hitch and the rear bumper and the friggin' horn/alarm starts going off. Now I suspect Ronald Reagan was in office the last time one of those damned things actually stopped a real car thief, but Nissan decided to appease the knuckle draggers who like loud things and put one in. Looking at the FSM it doesn't appear there is a tilt switch, so I'm guessing it's the hatch light switch, especially since it tends to go on and off randomly while driving if I don't shut off the interior light. But where is the switch? I don't see it anywhere the hatch mates with the body. Is it a prox switch or a regular mechanical one? Added info: I have ground down the hatch bumper stops a little bit since before doing so I had to slam the s*** out of it to get it to latch. But the light was shut off when I bought it suggesting it exhibited that behavior prior to my taking a bit off the bump stops.

But where is the switch and what kind is it?

Secondarily, is there an easy way to completely disarm the alarm? I think it's a smart key, which makes theft very difficult even without a noisemaker which will get you yelled at by most, including myself if it goes off.

[mdmellott]

You've got something going wrong with the rear hatch latch. The "switch" that turns on the dome lights when you open the rear hatch is integrated into the latch handle assembly. There is also a "trigger" in this latch assembly that sets off the alarm if the car is locked and someone tries to open the hatch by pulling on the latch handle. I put the word "switch" and "trigger" in quotes because I have yet experienced the displeasure of having to dismantle mine to fix the issues you have described, so I'm not sure what the electrical contacts here actually are. I haven't had the alarm issue ever but have often found my doom lights to flicker on and off while I am driving. The reason for my issue with the lights was always because I did not have the rear hatch door closed tight. It would be closed enough to engage the latch and keep it from opening on its own but not shut tight enough to keep the door from rattling with at least a half inch of play, which for some reason would turn the lights on and off as it rattled. I'm not aware if there is a fuse or relay that you can pull to silence this issue and not potentially cause other issues by doing so. Here are a couple of threads that might help with a fix.
door-ajar-light-flashes-on-and-off-when ... 70314.html
alarm-going-off-at-night-door-ajar-tail ... l#p6746827

[Mike W.]

That'll be a big help, thanks! Curiously the hatch shuts good and tight, no rattles, I don't recall the door ajar light coming on, but the alarm did the other night and the light will go on and off while driving. Didn't think to mention it, but it was hit at some time prior to my ownership and the hatch isn't in perfect alignment vertically. So it might be multiple issues, but at least I've got a starting point now. I'll probably just disconnect it as I don't really need the light on with the hatch open. It doesn't see many night miles and if it does it's usually at a well lit motel as it's the vacation truck, not a daily driver.