2004 Ford Explorer. Door ajar sensor.

Hi
I have a 2004 Ford Explorer. The door ajar light and chime comes on when I reach a speed of between 45-50 mph. If I drive below 40 mph, the light does not come on. What’s annoying is that the door ajar light/chime continuously flickers on and off while driving at accelerated speeds. The faster the acceleration, the more often the light/chime flickers on/off. When I come to a stop, if I slam the door shut a few times, the light will turn off. I've replaced the driver’s side door ajar sensor, but this did not resolve the issue. It sounds like sometype of short. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section. Check the wiring between the door, and the frame of the vehicle in the rubber boot.

spray wd-40 on all door contacts and hood and hatches

Welcome aboard!!


I had similar electrical issues with my 02 xlt. The dome lights would stay on until the battery saver feature turned them off, the accessory delay wasn't working, the driver side puddle light didn't work, the keypad on the door would set off the alarm when I pressed it, the door ajar light would flash and beep at highway speeds, the radio would shut off as soon as I turned the key off, the delayed accessories didn't work, etc. Most recently all 4 windows stopped working.

A lot of electrical issues can be traced back to broken/damaged wire(s) in the boot between the body and the driver's door. I found 2 broken wires and repaired them. The thin black ground wire was broken and after repairing it all was back to normal. When the windows stopped working, I repaired the thick black ground wire and the windows now work like a champ.

Could also be related to the door ajar switch.

Here is the thread for removing the door panel: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=303524

Here is a great thread for checking/replacing the door ajar switch, thanks to borland for the awesome write-up: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249253

thepotroast said:

That is a great write up.

On a side note, before going through a complete replacement of the switch, you can spray WD40 into the door latch opening on each door, as these become stuck sometimes....and this can alleviate the issue.

This worked for me, after going for more than a year of the "door ajar" light coming on occasionally...mainly after a car wash, high humidity, or rain....making me unable to lock/arm the vehicle from the door keypad and keeping the dome lights on. Worth a try....it worked for me

Click to expand...

Here is a great thread for checking for broken/damaged wires, thanks to synyster for this awesome write-up: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=270081

Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

Hope this helps out!!

Please keep us posted as feedback helps others reading this post, looking for a fix to the same or similar issue!

Also check to be sure your rear hatch window is closed. Mine pops open when I inadvertently hit the wrong button on the key fob. Did that the first day I owned the car, making the Door Ajar light flash but not long enough to know what it was. After figuring out what the light was, I walked around and checked each door, finally lifting the glass window and finding it unlocked. After closing securely, light went out.

And yes, it would only blink on when speeds got higher (or hitting a good bump). I suppose due to the air coming in the vehicle and pushing the window open enough to make the light blink.

This may not be your solution but worth a check.

Thanks Guys, for your assistance. I will once again try the WD40 on all of the door latches, although I strongly suspect that something is array with the front driver’s side door. If the problem persists, I will investigate the wiring in the boot between the door and the body for a broken wire. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted wrt how it goes. Thanks once again

Another quick question though, is there an esay way to just disable the really annoying door ajar chime?

fcj004 said:

Thanks Guys, for your assistance. I will once again try the WD40 on all of the door latches, although I strongly suspect that something is array with the front driver’s side door. If the problem persists, I will investigate the wiring in the boot between the door and the body for a broken wire. Wish me luck and I will keep you posted wrt how it goes. Thanks once again

Another quick question though, is there an esay way to just disable the really annoying door ajar chime?

Click to expand...

Good luck!

Don't know about disabling the chime. If it was me, I would want to fix it.

I once again tried the WD40 on all of the door latches. I also verified that the rear hatch was securely closed. After closing the driver’s side door a couple of times, the door ajar light turned off. But it came on once again when my driving speed reached ~45 mph. I next will investigate the wiring in the boot between the door and the body. I will keep you posted regarding how it goes. Thanks once again

I can't say this enough: Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

Good luck and thanks for keeping us posted.

rear blend door sensor

I have an 02 xlt. i finally tracked my problem down to the blend door sensor on the back -after doing the wd-40 bit and checking the wiring on all doors. I said heck with replacing the sensor as i know if the door is open or not. I just shorted the connecting wires to the sensor, so the vehicle thinks its always closed. $ - 0, time - 2 mins. BTW - I lied to the PATS sys too - no way i was gonna drop 80 bucks per chipped key! ha! all 4 of my keys cost 75 cents each from ace hardware. good luck on it!

All that I can say is that you guys are “Awesome”. “Totally Awesome”!!! I remove the boot between the door and the body and checked for a damage or broken wire, and there it was. A broken black ground wire, just like you said. It was totally one of those “How Did He Know That?’ moment. I jumpered the black wire and my problem was solved. I would also like to point out that the illustrations wrt how to remove the door panel and how to check for broken wire were indeed also awesome. Many thanks!!

The forum strikes again! :

Glad you got it fixed!

Thanks for the update! It sounded like the problem was inside of the rubber boot.