Door ajar and check engine lights are on

BEERSKI1

MEMBER
2007 SATURN VUE HYBRID
2.4L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
130,000 MILES

Hi,

My vehicle listed above (Green Line) was partially flooded recently. The water never got above two-thirds of the tire height. It has been fully dried out and runs great (so far). All systems appear to be on-line, but the hood ajar switch is remaining on with a check engine. No codes are being thrown. Vehicle runs fine regardless.

Questions:

1) Can you describe how the voltage should be running through the switch connector during proper operation?
2) If I simply added a jumper across the connections, wouldn't I be able to bypass the switch? Tried it but it didn't work.
3) Is the switch, and the BCU logic, based simply on opening and closing the 12v circuit, or is there a current resistance component the keeps me from jumping the switch.
4) Is there any way you can shoot me good picks of the hybrid-specific wiring diagram, fuse boxes and any connections that I should know about? (The 2007 Vue manual doesn't cover the Green Line)
Thanks!

The hood switch connector image attached is from a Chevy diagram which I believe is the same. It looks identical to the one I am testing and referencing above.

4 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,724 POSTS

Hi,

I looked through the schematics. (See pics below) There are three wires involved with the hood switch. One, a black wire, is ground. The other two are as follow:

Light Green wire -- Signal hood closed

Pink wire with a black tracer -- Signal hood open.

What you need to do is jump the green wire to the black one. That should turn the light off. If it doesn't there may be an issue with the switch itself.

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below.

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Saturday, October 2nd, 2021 AT 9:02 PM

BEERSKI1

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi Joe,

Thanks for the quick response. I will try your recommendation. I think I needed to try to clear any code that might have been thrown when the hood ajar hatch issue started after I tried my fix (the jumper). I know, from the past, if I connect my code reader again it might clear the code. Maybe the lights go out. I also need to check the ground wire for the connector. I may have had a problem with this connection when the car was flooded. (As noted above, the flood never really affected the engine fuse boxes or modules. As far as I can tell). I will let you know what happens.

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Sunday, October 3rd, 2021 AT 9:03 AM

BEERSKI1

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi Joe,

I just tried the recommended jumper idea. Green to black at the connector. No go. What is very curious though I tried simply ran a wire from the black ground socket in the connector to a chassis ground and the hood ajar light and check engine light went out and stayed out. How can that work? How would the system believe the hood is close by just grounding the ground? How is the single being sent to the logic circuit when I am not using for pink or green wires? Strange.
I haven't taken the Vue for a drive yet to see if the lights stay out. Not sure of any adverse effects on the hybrid system. Although I know your auto-stop/start feature won't work with the hood ajar switch working. Am I shorting something(s) It shouldn't? Not sure I am doing any damage with that approach. That I am not confident with yet.
Joe, any additional ideas are appreciated.

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Sunday, October 3rd, 2021 AT 2:25 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,724 POSTS

Hi,

It sounds like the original ground was lost. When you say you ran a new ground, was it from the switch or the wiring connector?

Also, the switch ground has several different components spliced into it, so there are other things that could have caused the check engine light. (See pic 1 below) All of the components listed in that pic ground to the same location. Pic 2 may be easier to understand. The ground is on the driver's side, under the hood. See if you can locate the splice pack. All wires will be black in color. If I'm reading the schematic correctly. It should ground on the body of the vehicle and not the engine.

As far as running a new ground, that shouldn't hurt anything. All you have done is provide a new path to ground and completed a circuit. I don't feel that is anything to worry about.

Let me know how things turn out for you. Also, feel free to let me know if you have questions or if I can help in any way.

Take care,

Joe

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