Door Ajar light always on

[happyexped]

So I just bought this Expy this month from a guy who is a self-confessing "not a car guy". I really like it, and more importantly, the wife likes it. He took pretty good care of it, for it being a 1999, and not garaged. I have been asking him a few questions recently though, as I am finding things that seem amiss. For instance, the interior lights do not come on when a door is opened. Also, when you open the driver's window is stops after the first push, then goes down on the second one. Then, the lights on the factory running boards that I just installed don't come on either. I figure it out, that the relay (relay #1, in the cabin fuse block) is missing for all of these things. When I ask him about this, he said he took it out because the "Door ajar" lights stays on, and that keeps the interior lights on. Okay, terrific. FIX IT Stupid! I was nicer than that, and asked if he had tried to have it fixed. Amazingly, he had. He bought the relay, and was told that it cost $600 to have it installed. WTF? He said it's in the truck still, in the glove box. Not relay #1. Something else. Blue in color.

Basically, anyone got a clue on this? I am a car guy, and am good at the electrical part of cars.

 

[tonydiv]

The door ajar thing is usually a sensor for the rear liftgate or rear window. They are super easy to replace (once you pull off the door trim) It's just a small plunger switch that removes with a quarter turn. You can sometimes bring them back to life with some WD40.

He wasn't talking about the GEM module was he?

 

[happyexped]

GEM Module

Could be. I know it's rattling around in the console right now... I'm gonna check out the rear door. Thanks.

 

[happyexped]

GEM Module

Just did a little reading, during my lunch hour. From what I've read, it appears that the GEM module could very well be the problem. Sounds like something out of my league. I may have to take it somewhere. I'm thinking of disconnecting the battery, because one of the things I read said that doing so clears the settings in the GEM, and it takes about 10 miles for it to reprogram itself. Of course, that could be bad also...

 

[jeff1998]

The door ajar thing is the sensors on one or all the doors. Spray WD40 in all the door latches. That should get the sensors back to working.

 

[97_edition]

The door ajar thing is usually a sensor for the rear liftgate or rear window. They are super easy to replace (once you pull off the door trim) It's just a small plunger switch that removes with a quarter turn. You can sometimes bring them back to life with some WD40.

He wasn't talking about the GEM module was he?

When I bought mine, the interior lights would stay on "sometimes" after getting in or out of it. A little trial and error to find out it was the liftgate window (Opening and closing doors & liftgate/window). I used a little PB blaster on the plunger and haven't had a problem since. Just my .02

 

[happyexped]

Close this thread!

Thanks for the help. Tried the WD40 on all doors, and the glass latch. TADA! The wife even noticed. "Hey, what did you do to the truck? The door ajar light isn't on anymore."

 

[shoota0075]

hello all, i have triede wd40 method and still my door adjar light stays on also my interior lights on my front doors stay on even when the doors are shut, i have to take the fuse out over night so my battery does not run down, is there anyway i could just disconnect the door lights for the time being? BTW it a 97 xlt 4.6 4wd 283miles on it hahahaha

 

[jeff1998]

You can disconnect the rear hatch and glass easily. Those 2 are usually the problem. The rear hatch is under the big trim panel on the door. Just unplug it. The glass one is harder to get to. I just pushed the plunger in and used a punch to keep it down. That way the car always thinks the back glass is shut.