dash lites, dome light, 4x4 high light

[gprice58]

My Ford Explorer has some issues with lights.
1 -- the 4x4 high dash light blinks intermittently for no reason. Recently, I tried to engage the 4x4 high in snow and the light did not come on and stay on on the dash -- does that mean my 4x4 is not working?

2 -- when I rotate the indoor lites button to on so that the running lites stay on the 'door open' lite comes on and starts dingining even tho there is no door open.

3 -- when I put the head lights on the dash board lights go out -- I have to rotate the inside lite on to get dash board lights on but not all the way (see note 2 above), and even then the left most buttons on the radio do not illuminate.

4 -- my dome light won't come on when I open the door at night. If I rotate the internal lights button all the way then I can't lock the doors using the lock unlock buttons on the doors or on the keyless entry. And, if I leave the lites turned on all the way, the dome light doesn't automatically go out.

Any ideas or suggestions? Thank you.

 

[BigRondo]

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 alarm would beep twice when I armed it. Recently all 4 windows stopped working. Most recently the driver door lock actuator 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 3 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. I had to repair the pink/black wire to fix the driver door lock actuator.

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 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.

Could also be related to the door ajar switch.

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

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

Be sure to check out the 3rd Gen Sub Forums:

Modified 2002 - 2005 Explorers

Stock 2002 - 2005 Explorers

Happy Exploring. :biggthump

 

[1Aauto]

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