Dome light Door ajar always on Ranger - Interior Tech - Tech Section

Not logged in - Login | Register

Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2018 03:59 pm

Quote

1^st Post

JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

Joined: Mon Sep 18th, 2017

Location: Grove City Ohio, USA

Posts: 5455

Name: Jim

Occupation: Design and Innovation

Interests: RBV's, Computers

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 8829

Member's Gallery

I want to slap ford for this one can someone explain the logic.

Symptom: Dome light always on, door ajar light on. You have checked both front door switches and they are working fine.

I have confirmed this in the wiring diagrams of 1998 through 2000 rangers, many more may be affected.

For some reason on the 4 door models (the extended cab where the little rear doors open backwards) Ford felt it would be a good idea to put door switches on the back doors also.

One wire is ground, one goes to the gem but not exactly. On both doors the non ground wire ties in with the right front door switch! You can unplug the wire from the front switch and do a continuity test between the colored wire (not the black wire) and ground and get a beep or a light.... one of the rear switches is bad.

The rear door switches are wired in parallel if either of them are smoked then you will get continuity. These switches are "normally open" design so they actually close when the door is open. The ground is just a signal to the GEM to do its thing and turn the dome light on or trigger the door ajar light and the battery saver thing that eventually turns it off if it seems you have forgotten to.

I haven't found out where the wire is spliced in yet to the right door wire but I will unless someone already knows. I'm not going to attempt to fix the rear switches I'll just clip the wires because... (here's the logic question)...

WHY WOULD YOU HAVE A DOOR OPEN SWITCH ON A DOOR THAT CAN ONLY OPEN IF THE MAIN DOOR IS OPEN?

Maybe it's just me?

____________________
00 XLT 2WD RCSB 5.0 swap Gherkin
00 XLT 4WD XCSB 4.0 G2
00 XLT 4WD RCSB 3.GO! Jalapeño
00 XLT 4WD RCSB Steppie 3.blown. Mistake
99 XL 4WD RCSB 3.0 PJ (Plain Jane)
00 XLT 2WD RC Steppie 2.5 Dee Dee

ALL Amazon Green Metallic

Quote

Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2018 04:08 pm

Quote

2^nd Post

Chris

Wrench spinner

Joined: Thu Oct 5th, 2017

Location: Leigh On Sea, United Kingdom

Posts: 1798

Name: Chris

Occupation: Retired

Interests: Science, technology, horses

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 2484

Member's Gallery

Because it's a DOOR and somewhere in the build & use regs there is probably something that says all doors must have a warning if they are open.

Ford should have redefined the rear opening parts as hatches then they probably wouldn't have needed the switches ....

____________________

MG power

Quote

Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2018 04:12 pm

Quote

3^rd Post

Mike69

Mustang Nut

Joined: Sun Oct 22nd, 2017

Location: Toms River New Jersey, USA

Posts: 1454

Name: Mike

Occupation: Merchandising

Interests: Vintage Mustangs, RBV's, car shows, & woodworking

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 2609

Member's Gallery

Jim, on my last 2000 Ranger that was also a 4 door I had a problem of the dome light & door ajar light staying on. I found the lower door latch on one of the rear doors was rusted & stuck in the open position & not allowing the rear door to close fully at the bottom. I had to soak the latch with PB Blaster/WD-40 to free it up so it would latch & the light would go out. For a while until I figured out what the problem was I had pulled the dome light bulb out.

____________________
08 Escape 4x4(spare)
00 Ranger Extd Cab 4x4 4.0 OHV, Auto(My DD)
99 Explorer Sport 4x4 4.0 SOHC, Auto( Wife's DD)
69 Mustang Coupe 5.0, 5 spd(Project & my future toy)
14 Kawasaki Vulcan (Wife's Toy)
Splitting time between southern NJ & Southern Virginia.

Quote

Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2018 04:44 pm

Quote

4^th Post

JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

Joined: Mon Sep 18th, 2017

Location: Grove City Ohio, USA

Posts: 5455

Name: Jim

Occupation: Design and Innovation

Interests: RBV's, Computers

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 8829

Member's Gallery

Well the PO got PO'ed and pulled the entire dome light out. I have none but I do have a volt meter :)

Just clipped the wires. You can pull the grommet loose from the truck and expose all 5 wires. Only need to clip one :)

Wrong one and the speakers stop working.

Quote

Posted: Sat Aug 18th, 2018 11:33 pm

Quote

5^th Post

Tsquare
Member

Joined: Fri Nov 10th, 2017

Location: Suwanee Georgia, USA

Posts: 1299

Name:

Occupation: Controlled Insanity

Interests:

Status:

Online

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 2409

Member's Gallery

When I had this happen to me it ended up being the headlight switch assembly. The switch at the top of the dimmer rheostat had shorted causing the dome light to stay on. It was about $25 for a new switch. I went the cheap route and put a pushbutton on/off switch that I had on the lens.

____________________
Tony
NE ATL
'04 XLT regular cab 3.slo stepside
Came out of retirement to drive a school bus - I have lost my mind

Quote

Posted: Sun Aug 19th, 2018 02:56 am

Quote

6^th Post

black06xlt
salvage auto dismantler

Joined: Sat Nov 25th, 2017

Location: Flushing Ohio, USA

Posts: 1677

Name:

Occupation:

Interests: my wife my kids ford rangers

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 3632

Member's Gallery

When I had that 96 expo I had that problem. I spayed wd-40 in all the latches and it solved the problem. A door switch sticking will cause that especially on a 4 door with a frozen latch

____________________
2006 ranger xlt ext cab 4x4 4.0 auto
1992 ranger xlt reg cab 2wd 2.3 5 spd (SOLD)
1996 explorer Eddie Bauer 5.0 AWD sold
1995 ranger splash reg cab 2wd 2.3 5 spd
2001 Explorer Sport Trac 4.0 4x4 auto
1998 Ranger XLT ext cab 4x4 4.0 auto
2000 Ranger XLT ext cab 4x4 4.0 5 speed

Quote

Posted: Sun Aug 19th, 2018 03:01 am

Quote

7^th Post

JAMMAN

Owns A Torsen

Joined: Mon Sep 18th, 2017

Location: Grove City Ohio, USA

Posts: 5455

Name: Jim

Occupation: Design and Innovation

Interests: RBV's, Computers

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 8829

Member's Gallery

It was the switch in the passenger side rear door. I cut the wire. Now the wires where the dome light used to be are working correctly. I just need a dome light.

Quote

Posted: Mon Aug 20th, 2018 02:16 am

Quote

8^th Post

CBB9M
23 year Ranger veteran

Joined: Sun Oct 22nd, 2017

Location: Out Mountainbiking In > Washington, USA

Posts: 371

Name: Bill

Occupation:

Interests:

Status:

Offline

Reputation:

Reputation Points: 601

Member's Gallery

JAMMAN wrote:
.....

WHY WOULD YOU HAVE A DOOR OPEN SWITCH ON A DOOR THAT CAN ONLY OPEN IF THE MAIN DOOR IS OPEN?

Maybe it's just me?

Simple. If both latches on the rear door aren't engaged, the integrity of the front door latch is compromised. Might not be a good thing in an accident.

____________________
-Bill

04 Ranger FX4 Level II, several mods

Quote

Current time is 02:29 am	Top
Ford-Rangers.com Ranger Forum > Tech Section > Interior Tech > Dome light Door ajar always on Ranger
Users viewing this topic