2016 Kia Sorento lights turn on when vehicle is locked... any ideas?

Models Sorento
1

I’ve been having an issue with my 2016 Kia Sorento where the lights turn on by themselves when the vehicle is locked and no key is in the ignition. This has been happening for the last two weeks, and it drained the battery once. It seems like the problem doesn’t happen when the light switch is left in the ‘Off’ position, but there’s erratic behavior when the switch is in ‘Auto’. Anyone know what could be causing this?

2

It could be a faulty light switch. Sometimes the Auto setting can cause electrical issues if the switch is worn out.

3

ForteFanatic said:
It could be a faulty light switch. Sometimes the Auto setting can cause electrical issues if the switch is worn out.

Thanks, I’ll look into replacing the light switch if the issue continues.

4

I had a similar problem on my Sorento, and it turned out to be a faulty Integrated Power Module (IPM). It was sending power to the lights even when the car was off.

5

tonycruise said:
I had a similar problem on my Sorento, and it turned out to be a faulty Integrated Power Module (IPM). It was sending power to the lights even when the car was off.

Good to know. I’ll have the IPM checked out if the light switch isn’t the problem.

6

If it’s not the switch, you might want to check the wiring around the IPM or the headlights themselves. Could be a short somewhere.

7

bernardelliots said:
If it’s not the switch, you might want to check the wiring around the IPM or the headlights themselves. Could be a short somewhere.

I’ll take a look at the wiring too. Thanks for the tip.

8

You could try resetting the IPM by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. It might clear up any glitches.

9

Malik said:
You could try resetting the IPM by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes. It might clear up any glitches.

I’ll give that a try and see if it helps.

10

If it only happens in Auto mode, I’d start with replacing the light switch. The contacts inside might be worn out.

11

VALENNA said:
If it only happens in Auto mode, I’d start with replacing the light switch. The contacts inside might be worn out.

Makes sense. I’ll start with the switch and go from there.