Door ajar warning light issue

[mburshtain]

Hey Guys,
I can really use some help. After replacing the inner door seal on my driver side door I encountered a weird issue... the door ajar warning light on my dashboard does not go off. I checked whether the door plunger switches are hooked up correctly on both sides and they look fine. nothing is loose but when I close the door the ajar warning light does not turn off...
On the driver's side there are two switches, one for the interior lights and the other for the key-in-ignition buzzer and I can't see anything wrong with any of them.
Any ideas?

[NightFlyer]

Hey Guys,
I can really use some help. After replacing the inner door seal on my driver side door I encountered a weird issue... the door ajar warning light on my dashboard does not go off. I checked whether the door plunger switches are hooked up correctly on both sides and they look fine. nothing is loose but when I close the door the ajar warning light does not turn off...
On the driver's side there are two switches, one for the interior lights and the other for the key-in-ignition buzzer and I can't see anything wrong with any of them.
Any ideas?

The door striker pad (or panel depending upon how the alignment is) isn't getting close enough to the plunger switch to depress (open) it enough. Easiest way to fix it is by taking the cap/bumper off the plunger switch end and putting something longer in its place, in order to elongate the plunger switch so that it does make contact with the door when it's closed.

Best luck!

[Rich]

Your new seals are keeping the door a bit further out when shut now.


Easiest way to fix it is by taking the cap/bumper off the plunger switch end and putting something longer in its place, in order to elongate the plunger switch so that it does make contact with the door when it's closed.

This advice is correct. First be sure your door ajar plunger still HAS its original thick rubber cap on it. If it's missing get a new one or, as noted, pull the cap that's there 1mm further out on the plunger rod and then check. Alternately you could rig a thin bit of plastic or rubber to the door itself in the area that hits the switch.

First find out whether it is just one or both switches that are causing the problem.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you have the original black cap on the door switch, you can just pull it off, stick something inside (a small nut works) and put it back on. There were a bunch of switch plates on my car which someone used to mount the switch higher on some of those door switches. I'm still using mercury tilt switches in my door now without any problems.

[Jonathan]

Have a look at your local auto parts store for a pack of "vacuum caps." They often come in an assortment pack of different sizes for a couple dollars and there'll likely be one in there that's the right size for you.

[DMCMW Dave]

If the door/dome light fuse is out the door ajar light may stay on.

[refugeefromcalif]

Have a look at your local auto parts store for a pack of "vacuum caps." They often come in an assortment pack of different sizes for a couple dollars and there'll likely be one in there that's the right size for you.

+1.
I had to do this a couple months back after a car washing.

George

[mburshtain]

Hey Guys,
I can really use some help. After replacing the inner door seal on my driver side door I encountered a weird issue... the door ajar warning light on my dashboard does not go off. I checked whether the door plunger switches are hooked up correctly on both sides and they look fine. nothing is loose but when I close the door the ajar warning light does not turn off...
On the driver's side there are two switches, one for the interior lights and the other for the key-in-ignition buzzer and I can't see anything wrong with any of them.
Any ideas?

Thanks for all you notes, much appropriated!

Here is the latest update - Yesterday want back to my car in order to review your suggestions and I noticed the car's battery was completely drained... I recharged it overnight suspecting the door light may be the one causing the battery issue... but it does not seams to be the case.
1. The door plunger switches has the rubber on it, buy still will not cause the warning light to go off- even when I try doing it manually by pressing both the switches all the way.
2. I don't see any bad fuse - Dave I assume you are you referring to fuse # 12 that handles the door lams, right?
3. When I close the door slowly I can see the door lights go off as well as the buzzer stops.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
--Maor

[mburshtain]

2756627567

[NightFlyer]

Confirm that the passenger side plunger switch is depressing when the passenger side door is closed.

With the driver's door closed, manually actuate the passenger side plunger switch. If the light comes on and off with the passenger plunger switch, then you know that the passenger plunger switch isn't making good contact with the door when it's closed.

Best luck!

[Jonathan]

That bend you see in the rubber end/electrical tape/whatever on the switch is possibly telling you it isn't getting pushed in all the way. Whatever you chose to put on the end, like the vacuum caps, needs to be firm enough not to bend off to the side when depressed. There is also a flat metal plate riveted to the door itself which those plungers come into contact with. Some have had luck thickening up the plate by stuffing quarters behind it, but I personally had better luck with the vacuum caps than the quarters.

You might also want to try to get a look or feel in behind the switch under the driver's footwell and see if the backside has come loose. The rivets/screws holding the switch in place might not be secure anymore and when the plunger end gets pushed, it just pushes everything else in unison out the back. The plunger has to slide within the switch bracket/assembly to contact the wiring and won't work if it is all sliding together.

I agree it is likely the door lights draining your battery. If you don't get it figured out, pull the wiring connector of the backside of the switch and the lights won't come on anymore. This will at least give you time to figure it out and still keep your battery charged in the meantime.

Depending on your door alignment, it can be tricky to see if the lights are still on when you close the door. If your alignment is nice and tight and weather stripping is all in place, the door lights are hard to see when closed. You might be able to see if they are still on by getting the car into a garage, close the garage door and turn the lights off in it to make the room dark, and then see if you can see any light coming from the crack in the door. I'm not sure about the door ajar warning light being a reliable indicator. The warning light may work off the other plunger and not the interior lights one. I don't remember. It could be tied to the seatbelt buzzer and the "logic box." You can also experiment by pulling off the wire from one of those two driver's side switches to help figure it out.

[PB Co]

The rubber on my own are just caps. I do not know if they are original but they are much shorter than what is in that photo.

Perhaps there is too much rubber, and it's preventing the plunger from traveling far enough to trigger. Hard to tell but it also looks like they may be bent as well.

[NightFlyer]

The door ajar light is controlled by both the driver's side and passenger's side plunger switches.

[krs09]

Ive had the same type of issue. Dome lights wont turn on unless I turn them on. Door ajar light doesnt work at all but door lights work as does the buzzer. I can control the door lights by hand though. I will be watching this thread closely.

[mburshtain]

The door ajar light is controlled by both the driver's side and passenger's side plunger switches.
Thank you.
On the driver's side there are two switches, do you know which one controls the door ajar light?

[mburshtain]

Good news guys!
I removed both switches, gave them a good clean, tightened the bolts, installed them back and... issue resolved!

Thanks you so much for all your help.