Does anyone know the location/operation of the door ajar switches?
I'd dearly like to install override switches to fool the Defender into thinking a door is always closed, even when I open it. 3 uses spring to mind immediately:

1. Camping mode. Don't wake up the car when you need to get something out.
2. Silence the door chime when briefly leaving the vehicle
3. Backing up with the driver's door open so you can see where the tires are

 

Following with interest ...

 

Oh man, I have wished out loud so many times for a "Camping Mode" button! The only thing I have found on this great forum that helps is the trick of pressing and holding the dome light switch for 5 seconds continuously, which sets the interior lights to not come on when you open the door.

That, and carry a portable jump starter. Sigh.... I want that "Camping Mode" button!

 

the camping mode "button" is actually leaving any door ajar.

 

I guess, but then my Defender gets full of bugs. And then there's rain and snow where I camp, too. But anyway, wouldn't a camping mode button be awesome?

 

it won't, the door remains latched but not fully locked in. The seals are slightly compressed.
You lock for the night obviously, otherwise works well.

 

You can enable your keyfob to pop the tailgate with the GAP iID tool and it doesn't "wake up" Pivi. I enabled walk way locking and approach unlock. Works perfectly. Programmed the fob so holding unlock opens windows and sunroof. Holding lock reverses that and closes them all.

That does what you want but only the tailgate. Dunno what it would take for full camper mode.

 

I chased down the Defender circuit diagrams and discovered that the door ajar sensors on all the doors (including tailgate (and hood!)) are routed directly to the Body Control Module / GateWay Module (BCM/GWM) which is located somewhere in the dashboard. I was a little scared of diving in to try and find it, so I fired an email off to PowerfulUK to see if they had interest in providing door ajar override switches. Just got a reply back from Ellie: They are already looking into it, due to the battery drain.

 

Guys: there is a camping mode in the ccf settings! You can change it so your car stays asleep while you open close the hatch and doors multiple times and the lights don’t turn on either. I enabled it on my defender.

 

Hatch and doors? @markjlr I did it with the hatch. What’s the setting for the doors? (it’s not called camping mode you’re just telling the car to ignore the tailgate). The thing is -- this is not disabling the car knowing the tailgate is open or not -- it still technically knows -- it’s just disabling the lights. I know this because if if I remote start the car and open the tailgate, the car engine still shuts off. But it does work for a “camping mode of sorts. So what I do -- is do the below... then... leave a side door cracked, and wala... that plus the side door cracked

Before I go camping I do all of the following which seems to work... ie “camping mode”

#1 -
Multican 703 “BCM interior light trunk” Fitted.
Stops ALL vehicle lights when trunk/boot door is opened or shut.

#2 -
Multican 703 BCM interior light delay” Fitted. Immediately turns out all vehicle lights without a 30 second delay.
Iimmediately stops the lights when any of the 4 passenger doors are opened because our vehicles are set for a 30 second delay which drains the battery when camping.

#3 -
Multican-770 - Remote Release Tailgate
Standard: Disable
New: Enabled
Allows you to pop rear tailgate w/ key fob which doesnt wake up car electrics when camping - side benefit

#4 -
Hide the key in a Faraday pouch.

#5 -
Turn off the “light delay” so the headlights go out right away” in the cluster menu.

#6 -
Turn off the door locking buttons on the door handles so that you have to only use the key (4 presses of lock or unlock followed by headlight switch on key -- or something like that -- there’s a powerful UK video about it).

Then -- I’m good to go.