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Door ajar light and remote alarm

Tiny
REMFAN124
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 148,000 MILES
Occassionally on my 2003 Ford Taurus the door ajar light stays on after I start the car, then the doors won't automatically lock when I drive and the horn chirps twice when I try to lock the doors with the keyless remote. I have noticed it happens more often when its raining or damp.
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Friday, March 25th, 2011 AT 10:31 PM

28 Replies

Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
The switches that control the lights for open doors are made right into the door latches and they have a history of sticking and causing problems like that.

Here is a technique that often works well and eliminates the problem at no cost.

Get a can of spray lube like WD40 or something like it and has a straw on the nozzle. Spray it generously up into the latch mechanism. Now open and close the door numerous times to work it in. Repeat this process several times. Since you don't really know which door is causing the problem, you should do all of them. It's usually caused by the most frequently used door but it's not guaranteed to be that one.
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Friday, March 25th, 2011 AT 11:21 PM
Tiny
DWILLIAMS113
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 165,000 MILES
What causes door ajar warning to stay on while operating vehicle?
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
There is a switch in the door latch assembly. If it is stuck or damaged, it may think the door is still open even though it is shut.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2002TAURUS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
2002 ford taurus with 70000 miles. The door ajar light came on today while driving. All doors were closed. I opened each door one at a time, the light went out when I closed the drivers side door. In about 5 minutes it came on again. After I parked the car, I waited to see what would happen and the interior lighsts came on after about 5 minutes. Just like when you open the door. The lights would not go out, so I disconected the battery. Is the problem in the door switch or a relay?
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
NOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 320 POSTS
Try this first (do not use wd 40) it is a good product but not in this case. Go to parts store and gets some PB blaster it is in a yellow looking can. I'am going to take a chance here and asume that you live on a dirt road. :Roll: open each dooor and wash each lock mechaniseum out the best you can while doing so open and close the doors several times. The lockes are tied into a door lock moduel they get gummed up and cant function. Try that first before any thing else. Hope this helps (NOS) 8)
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2002TAURUS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I have disconected the wired plug that goes to the door switch on the drivers side door. The problem seems to be with this switch. I also seems to be very hard to get the switch out. I will check on a new one today.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
NOS
  • MECHANIC
  • 320 POSTS
Hope that fixes for you. They can be a bear to change cause of all the clips and rods that have to be disconnected. And reconnected. I belive your on the right track though.(NOS)
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
AMCFADGE
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 79,300 MILES
Hello. My door ajar light will not go off, even though all my doors are shut tight. I know the door causing the issue is on the front driver side. I've slammed it pretty firmly, and sometimes the light will go off but now it's staying on consistently. I don't want to slam it too as to avoid more severe damage to the door. It's affecting the auto lock function once my car starts moving. Normally all the doors lock once I begin driving, but now that won't work. Also, when I activate the keyless lock once I've got out the car, the horn sounds twice instead of once like it's supposed to.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Hello and thanks for the donation!

These symptoms are caused by a faulty door ajar switch. Try spraying some WD40 or equivalent into the door latch. This should loosen up the switch some to see if it helps as a temporary fix. If not then you will have to replace the switch assembly.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
GIDDYUPJH
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 89,000 MILES
Battery slowly drains tested battery they said it was good put new starter in awhile back sometimes my door ajar light comes on or Anti Theft light and recently ABS light came on sometimes if I shut car off and restart it and kinda move the ignition switch back towards me just a bit they will go off. I had remote start hooked up but we unhooked that awhile back thinking maybe that was why it was draining didnt seem to make a difference, still unhooked. Last night got in care tried starting nothing no lights no noise tried again and it started everything reset as if +bat cbl had dissconted drove home shut off tried to start it 1hr later and nothing no clicking no dash lights turned dome light on worked for a min then shut off
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BMRFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 19,053 POSTS
Bad battery terminals
remove terminals clean and inspect
check ground wire by the starter too
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
TIMBOBFERLY
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1997 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 118,000 MILES
What causes the door openlight to stay on even when the doors and trunk are shut. I had to pull the interior light relay so they would go off. Is there some switch that could be bad.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMES W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,394 POSTS
Ford products are "notorious" for this problem. The door switches are attached to the latches inside the doors. Get a can of spray lubricant of a type and "liberally" spray down the latches on the ends of the doors. Work the doors a few times and this should take care of it. I don't recommend using WD-40 or any kind of a "rust breaker", they're acidic, and make the problem worse. Hope this helps. Also, as long as you're at it, spray the hinges down too.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
POWERQMAN
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • FORD TAURUS
Computer problem
Ford Taurus 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 90000 miles

the dome light and door ajar stay on after closing and locking the door, while driving, when the engine is off. Any thoughts?
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
EZMONEY
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
Same thing happened to my 97. I used w-d 40 in the door. I opened the doors (one at a time) and sprayed the w-d 40 into the door at the door latch. It seems there are contactes in side the door that corrode. That was two years ago and no problems since. I now spray from time to time as p.M.(Preventive maintance) it works!
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
POWERQMAN
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Ezmoney's advice worked the first time. Thanks a ton!
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
P750MMX
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I´am a Dutch man and I have the same problem on my 1995 Mercury Sable Wagon. Could you explane please what a `door latch` is? Where is the opening located on the door? Where should I spray?

Thanks in advance.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DRFTWOOD29
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1997 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 144,260 MILES
The door ajar indicator and dome light stay on even when door is closed and switch is on "door" setting. This JUST started happening today. What can I do to fix this? My car also has the automatic door locking mechanism that locks the doors when the car starts moving and this feature doen't work now either.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,123 POSTS
Start off by liberally lubing the door latches with WD-40 or similiar and opening and closing the doors 20-30 times, spraying every 10 cycles.
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JOHN HEIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Spraying the door latches with wd40 solved the problem. Thank you!
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Sunday, September 30th, 2018 AT 9:25 AM (Merged)

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