Hey guys long time troll here and have used your advice many times in the past. I have a problem that I cant seem to figure out and maybe you can help. My door ajar light will not go out no matter what I do. Suppose I should start with the chain of events. Last summer while driving to go fishing I lost automatic headlamps. Then door locks went out. Not sure if it was a little before or little after but door ajar light came on. Since I have had the door ajar light before I knew to spray the heck out of it. That didnt work. Took all four doors apart and got the switches out and cleaned them and lubed them up and still door ajar. So I took it to my mechanic with info I found here and told him to replace the gem module. Well my truck in an 02 so no gem but he did replace the module that was bad and dealer programmed it. Lights work locks work but still door ajar. Dealer said they had a little trouble programming it and that their computer said a short to ground on left and right front doors. I have had them apart again and sprayed them up even more. Still ajar. I have pulled all my bulbs and thought Id just live with it but it is starting to wear on me. Three kids and no light is a pain in the butt. Any ideas on what to do next? Could dealer not have gotten the program right? Is there something else to look for? I have read all the threads I could find and I cant seem to find an answer and really dont want to pay the dealer to troubleshoot for me. Any ideas? Thanks and sorry for the long post

 

I had to replace the driver's door switch in mine about a year ago. I did the whole WD-40 routine and pulled various bulbs to save the battery, etc. I finally went ahead and did it. The switch was about 12 bucks from my local Ford dealer. It took me about 30 minutes to change out.

 

Thanks drey, I did that in the drivers door last summer when I was messing with it. It didnt help. I wondering what the dealer is meaning when he said there was a short to ground in the left and right front door. A broken wire? I actually get the chime that would normally sound if you opened the door with truck running when shutting one of the front doors with truck running. Like its working backwards. Would a bad switch make the computer say theres a short? Truck is an 02 crew cab with 165k on it.

 

No problem man. It's possible there is a broken or chafed wire. Yeah a bad switch or bad ground would probably tell the computer something is shorting out. I would check all the wiring really good.

 

The short would probably be a wire with the insulation worn off that is able to come in contact with metal. It could also be a broken wire. The fact that it is both front doors is kinda odd. Maybe find a place that they both have in common. Maybe bot wires come together under the dash, and go through the firewall.

 

I have checked or at least tried to check the wires in the drivers door since it is by far the most used. Im not totally sure I trust what the dealer told me since he had already said he had a hard time programming it and had no time to look into the door ajar light other than what computer said. I dont have any idea how I would find where those wires would come together. I maybe need to get it hooked to computer again and see what it actually says. Just dont really want to give the dealer another $100 to tell me whats up. Suppose I can throw a switch at the right front door and see what happens. Does the door ajar light throw a code that any scanner will read or is that something only the ford computer will look at?

 

I don't think it throws any actual codes, so no, not every scanner will pick up on that. I would bet that there are two wires on the switch, and if you were to hook up a multiple meter you could find out if there is a short. One of the wires will not have any, or very little, resistance to ground, while the other should not show any reaction on the meter. If both do, there is a short, and you'll have to try to chase the wire to find the short. I guess it's possible the switch is bad, and if they are only $12, then you really aren't going to hurt anything by replacing it. I'll have to think about this for a bit.

 

I think I will get a switch and put it in. Should probably check those wires as long as I have it apart. Any idea what scan tool would read that stuff? Electrical issues are as bad as it gets for me. They never seem to be easy to fix. Thanks for the input and any other ideas you come up with.

 

Dont buy a scan tool for this problem, scan tool are for check engine lights.

 

You may have to go to your local dealer. When I got mine, I went to four different auto part stores and they all told me it was a dealer part. As I recall it was about 12-13 bucks.

 

The only way not to pay the dealer is to hunt it down... Unbolt the fuse block from the kick panel and check the back of it for chaffed wires.... run your hand along every harness... your problem will most likely be where a harness goes through a cut hole in the body, either a door or the firewall.

You may not like this answer but the alternative is to pay for it... Sorry. If you live near me I would do it for Beer! but thats just me.... HAAHHAAHAHA!

 

Yeah, this is going to need some trouble shooting on your part or you're going to have to pay someone.

I'd be glad to help if you're close. I'm in Dayton, OH.

 

As far as I know, there isn't any scan tools that can tell you exactly where the short is. The dealers have the big fancy scan tools that can tell you if there is a short, but not where. A lot of professional mechanics have them also, but they range from $500 to $5000. They are a real nice tool, but it sounds like you already know as much as you can learn from a scan tool. Now it's just having to take the time and find the issue. I don't know of any common pinch points, and it may be possible that it is inside the switch. While you have it apart, you gotta just follow the wires looking and feeling for damage. Your profile says your in WI, but if your anywhere near western Wy, hit me up, I'll give ya a hand.

 

Make sure you check inside the rubber boot where each door hinges. That is the most common source of rubbed and broken wires.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Im going to put a switch in the right front door tonight or tomorrow. Am I correct in thinking I should have power at the switch with the key on? If I have no power on the hot side I have a broken wire? Im still wondering if that module I had put in and programmed could be the culprit. Im thinking power to these switches has to come from there since it controls the radio and lamps. Thanks for the offer of help but im near madison wisconsin and you guys are a ways away.