So when I got my baby,('99 Sport) the tailgate ajar light on the dash was always on. It seemed that PO had somehow managed to lose one of the bolts from the tailgate latch mechanism. When I got around to grabbing one at a junkyard, I screwed it in and my trunk open light on the dash turned off for quite some time. However over the weekend I was driving along a bumpy gravel road and the light came back on, when I went to check the bolt again I found it was very loose. Upon closer inspection today in the bright sunlight it appears that the threads on the latch mechanism are quite stripped.
I don't really want to buy a new latch mechanism just to get this silly light to turn off, but I would like to fix it. Anyone have any ideas? Can I re-thread the hole? Anyone had similar issues?

 

Short ro adjust the switch. It is inside the gate on the latch mechanism.

 

For future reference. If you unplug the switch on the hatch mechanism the light goes out on the dash (and the interior lights will not turn on when you open the hatch.) I'm trying to figure out a solution, my hatch lost that very same screw.

 

I have the same issue on my 98 XJ. For the life of me I have not been able to get it to go off. I went to my last resort and unplugged the bulb. I wouldn't mind getting this taken care of. But for the time being I am leaving the bulb out. I did take the latch assembly completely apart and tried to readjust the latch and still wouldn't go out.

 

There's a hatch open light on the dash ??
Is it an option or is mine just broken lol

 

I don't think it's an option, it's a safety thing.

 

Maybe only 97+ have them?

 

I do have a '97, but it definitely doesn't have that light. You can take a flashlight and look on the cluster at every possible bulb indication, my cluster doesn't have a symbol of a hatch anywhere on it. Just food for thought.

 

You 97+ guys have all the bells and whistles, my 95 wouldn't even warn me if I was driving off a cliff.

 

Supposedly 97' doesn't have it, 98'+ does. I know on my stock 97' gauge I didn't buy the gauge I swapped for it(98', full gauge clusters) did

 

Where is this plug? Mine when open, does not turn on any light

 

The plug is on the latch mechanism on the inside of the tailgate. You have to remove the inside tailgate trim to get to it.