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My door Adjar Light Stays on - HELP!!!!

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
My door adjar light stays on after I close all my doors and start my truck.

When I get to where I am going and shut off my truck, my running board lights stay on (as though a door is still open).

What switch has failed?

I tried squirting all door hinges and slides with WD-40 and still no luck.

Will my running board lights stay on all night, or will some "automatic timer" shut them off to preserve my batteries?

My dealer is open on Saturday, but I just don't want dead batteries on Saturday morning.

HELP..........
 
3,121
67
Michigan
My dads superduty and my moms tauras does the same exact thing. Even if its dark out, truck is running and in drive, all doors are shut, the dome lite stays on for a little while.. ANNOYING!
 

john112deere

caffeine junkie
Staff member
10,807
405
central Vermont
My dealer is open on Saturday, but I just don't want dead batteries on Saturday morning.

HELP..........

I know my Ranger is equipped with a shutoff timer so that even if I leave the door wide open, it'll shut the dome light (or anything else, except the CB I wired straight to the battery) off after, I think 40 minutes.

Look out the window in an hour, but I'd guess you'll be saved by that feature.
 

blackhat620

You Had to be There
1,687
150
Arizona
Jeff,

The "Door Ajar Switch" is bad, it is par of the Door Latch Assembley. More than likely it is the one at the drivers door.

The "Battery Saver" relay is active for 30 minutes if the door ajar switch shows an open door but the ignition is in the off position. After 30-minutes the lights will be turned off.

To be on the ultra conservative safe side you can disconnect your battery cables.
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Wow... thanks for the quick replies guys.

I think I fixed it myself.....

After disconnecting the batteries and posting my first post above... I surfed the internet and read that a heavy dose of WD-40 works.

I squirted WD-40 heavily into each door latch and then used a screwdriver to work the latch open and closed and then shut and opened each door a few times and squirted some more!!!

I did all 4 doors and the rear cargo doors (I have an Excursion) and it worked... it at least for now???

Now my truck will run rough for a few miles since I disconnected the batteries and then reconnected... oh well... saved myself a trip to the dealer on Saturday morning.

Thanks to all of you that quickly posted a reply... thanks.....

Jeff
 

blackhat620

You Had to be There
1,687
150
Arizona
Jeff,

Glad to hear you got the switch freed up. Go to your local parts house tommorrow and get a can of spray silicone lubricant. This is a much better lubricant than WD40, it will last longer and not attract dirt etc. WD40 is really a water displacer, hence the name and it has little lasting lubrication ability.
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Jeff,

Glad to hear you got the switch freed up. Go to your local parts house tommorrow and get a can of spray silicone lubricant. This is a much better lubricant than WD40, it will last longer and not attract dirt etc. WD40 is really a water displacer, hence the name and it has little lasting lubrication ability.

Thanks for the advice.

I will try the silicone lube tomorrow.

Have a great weekend.
 

blackhat620

You Had to be There
1,687
150
Arizona
Jeff,

You should be able to get it at your local Checker, Schuck, Kragen, Oreilly, Wal Mart etc.

You have a good weekend as well.
 

SuperCab

Moderator
Staff member
10,068
547
Montana
Jeff,

Glad to hear you got the switch freed up. Go to your local parts house tommorrow and get a can of spray silicone lubricant. This is a much better lubricant than WD40, it will last longer and not attract dirt etc. WD40 is really a water displacer, hence the name and it has little lasting lubrication ability.


Water Displacement - 40th Attempt

and yeah, that silicone stuff is good.
 

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
Wow... thanks for the quick replies guys.

I think I fixed it myself.....

After disconnecting the batteries and posting my first post above... I surfed the internet and read that a heavy dose of WD-40 works.

I squirted WD-40 heavily into each door latch and then used a screwdriver to work the latch open and closed and then shut and opened each door a few times and squirted some more!!!

I did all 4 doors and the rear cargo doors (I have an Excursion) and it worked... it at least for now???

Now my truck will run rough for a few miles since I disconnected the batteries and then reconnected... oh well... saved myself a trip to the dealer on Saturday morning.

Thanks to all of you that quickly posted a reply... thanks.....

Jeff
Beach, plan on replacing the door ajar switches shortly though. The switches stick because of a buildup of rust and/or corrosion. The WD or silicone is a short time fix. It may or may not last for a while. We use that technique as well with about a 25% long term fix rate. To replace them its a small hands kind of fix.
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Beach, plan on replacing the door ajar switches shortly though. The switches stick because of a buildup of rust and/or corrosion. The WD or silicone is a short time fix. It may or may not last for a while. We use that technique as well with about a 25% long term fix rate. To replace them its a small hands kind of fix.

Vince... thanks.... I agree with you and hope I get lucky (for now)...

Does the OBII connection/computer tell the mechanic which switch it is? Since I drive an Excursion it could be one of 4 doors and the rear cargo window that is open?

If the light comes on again, how would I or my mechanic know which one is defective?
 

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
Vince... thanks.... I agree with you and hope I get lucky (for now)...

Does the OBII connection/computer tell the mechanic which switch it is? Since I drive an Excursion it could be one of 4 doors and the rear cargo window that is open?

If the light comes on again, how would I or my mechanic know which one is defective?
Yeah, the tech can tap in to the obd2 port and get it. I'm not sure if he'll get into the gem module or the central security module, but it is available in pid data.
 

CAPofMD

Delaware Chapter member
Beach, plan on replacing the door ajar switches shortly though. The switches stick because of a buildup of rust and/or corrosion. The WD or silicone is a short time fix. It may or may not last for a while. We use that technique as well with about a 25% long term fix rate. To replace them its a small hands kind of fix.

Don't know what you call "a while", but when this happened to my Lincoln, the WD40 followed by a squirt of silicone lasted ONLY 4 years!
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Yeah, the tech can tap in to the obd2 port and get it. I'm not sure if he'll get into the gem module or the central security module, but it is available in pid data.

Sure... whatever you say (I have no idea what you said).

If and when it happens again, I will print out your post above and take it with me to my favorite diesel tech (I only use diesel certified techs to work on my door locks)... right... if it's connected to my diesel motor than only my favorite diesel tech at my favorite dealer works on it!!!

So far so good after a few weeks of the WD-40.

Saty tuned..... to see how long it keeps working (hopefully 4 years or more as posted above).
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
Beach, plan on replacing the door ajar switches shortly though. The switches stick because of a buildup of rust and/or corrosion. The WD or silicone is a short time fix. It may or may not last for a while. We use that technique as well with about a 25% long term fix rate. To replace them its a small hands kind of fix.

Vince we use the Focus door latch recall spray on them, works great.
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Vince we use the Focus door latch recall spray on them, works great.

OK... I'll bite... (I know this has to be a joke)... what makes the Ford Focus recall spray different than any other silcone or Ford lubricant????
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
OK... I'll bite... (I know this has to be a joke)... what makes the Ford Focus recall spray different than any other silcone or Ford lubricant????

Accually it's not a joke, there was a recall released for sticking focus door latches, they came out with this spray lube stuff that was supposed to clean and free up the latch and it accually works well, so we use it on all door latch/ door ajar switch issues. Don't really know what it is comes in a semi-plane white can with a few words that I never read.
 

Beachbumcook

Kansas Chapter member
Accually it's not a joke, there was a recall released for sticking focus door latches, they came out with this spray lube stuff that was supposed to clean and free up the latch and it accually works well, so we use it on all door latch/ door ajar switch issues. Don't really know what it is comes in a semi-plane white can with a few words that I never read.

Wow... probably referred to as WD-FF-40 spray (Water-Dispersent-Ford-Focus - 40) spray!!!!
 

blackhat620

You Had to be There
1,687
150
Arizona

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