Annoying interior light

[DeanMk]

Sometimes the "Door Ajar" light, on the dash, doesn't go out and causes the interior light to stay on.
This wouldn't be so bad, if I didn't work nights. :furious:
I've removed the bulb, for the time being, but would actually like to fix this problem.
I was trying to find the switch, but apparently, Ford doesn't use the traditional "button" on the door/in the door frame anymore.
I've searched, but see no kind of sensor at all.
Is it inside the latch?
I'm thinking something just needs a little lube.


Dean

 

[Diabolical Ranger]

spray wd 40 around the door latch assembly, be sure to open and close the door a few times, your switch is sticking , there is a thread on this, check the search feature

 

[ob269]

The wd didn't work for mine, ask Clinton(member Hooligan) what the **** he sprayed in my latches was..

 

[Redneck_ranger]

The wd didn't work for mine, ask Clinton(member Hooligan) what the **** he sprayed in my latches was..

I was there. lol

Do you have a supercab or just a regular cab? You can get a latch out of a junk yard for fairly cheap ($10 I paid for two bottom rear ones on the back doors.) and that will fix your problem, rather than just nuking it with grease

 

[Diabolical Ranger]

it worked great on mine.. has been a year now and all it took was wd-40

 

[timbits588]

Do you have a supercab or just a regular cab? You can get a latch out of a junk yard for fairly cheap ($10 I paid for two bottom rear ones on the back doors.) and that will fix your problem, rather than just nuking it with grease

Pete is the sensor on the front door or the half door? i've had this problem and I usually spray the assembly on the front doors. should i be doing something different?

 

[Redneck_ranger]

Pete is the sensor on the front door or the half door? i've had this problem and I usually spray the assembly on the front doors. should i be doing something different?

My back door latch wouldn't close, and when I went around corners and leaned up against the door, it would get pushed open and the lights and ding would go off. Annoying as hell lol So I replaced the bottom back door latch and it stopped. So I'm assuming there's a sensor on both doors because it goes off even when you open the front, but not the back if that helps you

 

[Diabolical Ranger]

Spray all latches really well with the wd-40 a lot cheaper to try than replacing the latches

 

[Redneck_ranger]

Spray all latches really well with the wd-40 a lot cheaper to try than replacing the latches

Not necessarily. Junk yard ones work fine if they're not broken, just shut the door and make sure it closes. WD-40 doesn't always work, like Rob's issue. Clinton sprayed the **** out of the doors to the point that it was pouring out of the bottom of the door and his issue isn't fixed yet. Timbits, when does your light usually stay on or ding for the door ajar?

 

[RoadRanger]

i used PB blaster on my latch when the light stuck on, worked fine. that's where i would start, it's much less involved than replacing latches.

 

[timbits588]

Pete, mine usually opens when i'm driving down the road and go over a bump or take a turn. it's super annoying

 

[DeanMk]

So the light switch is in the latch. Got it. Thanks.
My doors stay closed just fine, only the interior light doesn't always turn off.

Would an aerosol White Litho Grease be ok to use?



Dean

 

[RoadRanger]

^ that would probibly do the trick.

 

[DeanMk]

Right on. Thanks guys!

 

[Appletonbill]

i used PB blaster on my latch when the light stuck on, worked fine. that's where i would start, it's much less involved than replacing latches.

PB is the best.

 

[Redneck_ranger]

Pete, mine usually opens when i'm driving down the road and go over a bump or take a turn. it's super annoying

One of your latches then. Try it with some PB Blaster or craig's idea of WD-40. If that doesn't work...... Inspect them, use a screwdriver to close them and pop the handle to see if they open. That'll locate which latch is bad. Bottom rear driver's for me, I have a rear bottom passenger one if you need it.

 

[DeanMk]

UPDATE:

Light came on again, while out running arrands today. Went to the parts store and found this...

Sprayed some in the latch and the light's been off since.
While I was there, the clerk told me about an alternative that no one here has mentioned (yet)...

...Mass Air Cleaner.
Basically, its electrical cleaner but also works as a light lubricant. It's designed for cleaning the grid of a MAF sensor.
His reasoning was that IF the graphite spray doesn't solve the problem, it could be that the electrical sensor just needs cleaning, but you also need to lube the latch at the same time.
The Mass Air Cleaner will do just that.
...however, the can's twice as big and costs about twice as much as the graphite spray, so I decided to try the graphite first.
So far, so good.


Dean

 

[Fx4wannabe01]

UPDATE:

Light came on again, while out running arrands today. Went to the parts store and found this...

Sprayed some in the latch and the light's been off since.
While I was there, the clerk told me about an alternative that no one here has mentioned (yet)...

...Mass Air Cleaner.
Basically, its electrical cleaner but also works as a light lubricant. It's designed for cleaning the grid of a MAF sensor.
His reasoning was that IF the graphite spray doesn't solve the problem, it could be that the electrical sensor just needs cleaning, but you also need to lube the latch at the same time.
The Mass Air Cleaner will do just that.
...however, the can's twice as big and costs about twice as much as the graphite spray, so I decided to try the graphite first.
So far, so good.


Dean

I use the CRC MAF cleaner every oil change....I don't see how it'll help the sticking latch switch. It evaporates quite fastlike...




All the other suggestions in the thread have worked for me on our older truck truck Rangers that had the same issues you're describing. Now that you've got the good stuff, do your doors and go attack your tailgate. Remove that inner tailgate panel and spray the latch and the springs outside the tailgate. You're gonna be surprised you don't have to slam the tailgate anymore! It closes like a brand new rig!!

 

[DeanMk]

...thanks for the reminder!

The latch on the passenger side of the tailgate doesn't even engage because its out of adjustment.
I've still gotta fix that!


Dean