99 ford explorer lift gate issues with power

[Ejstill]

I'm having a few issues with what I believe is the wiring in the lift gate.
Door ajar light is randomly on, generally goes off like crazy when going over bumps.
I have tested the other doors, it is the rear hatch/liftgate. I have used wd40 like some other posts have mentioned.
I am also having other electrical issues; the rear windshield wiper doesn't work. And when I lock the doors, by using the locking system, the lift gate does not lock.
I am curious on what you all think could be the problem exactly? I'm not experienced with fixing vehicles, but I would like to try and learn to fix this issue before taking to get it fixed.
Thanks

 

[J_C]

If it's like the passenger doors, the switch for door ajar is on the latching mechanism. Does the liftgate seem to close flush and without any play? I'm wondering if it is not closing good and the latch doesn't fully catch.

Windshield wiper I would sooner suspect the motor went out or the wiring through the liftgate hinge is frayed apart. I'd start by taking the interior panel off so I could see the mechanism and get better access to try spraying some grease into it then working the latch from the outside.

With the gate panel off you should be able to tell with a multimeter if it's sending voltage to lock it, or can you hear the mechanism trying to lock? Might need a helper back there since you would hear the other locks closer to you, or use the keyfob to lock them.

With the panel off you should also be able to use a multimeter to tell if the latching/door-ajar switch is making good contact when the liftgate is latched, and push back and forth on the lifegate. Seems like there might be some adjustable bump-stops that adjust tension when it's latched so it doesn't rattle around? If so then you might try adjusting them outwards a few turns.

 

[allmyEXes]

If the plastic pieces are missing off of your striker post the door ajar light could go on and off or stay on. I replaced the plastic on mine with little pieces of PEX tubing, a plumbing product...