Electrical problem. Please help!

[synyster]

Hi, I'm a new member to the forum but I've been following some stuff as a quest for a while. I've been having an electrical problem with my 2002 Ford Explorer Limited for a couple weeks now and I can't seem to figure it out.

1. When I turn on the rear defrost, the dome lights (courtesy lights) and the door ajar warning comes on in the info as if the doors open. When I start driving and get around 25-30 mph I'll hit the rear defrost button and the lights no longer come on just the door ajar warning on the info center does.

2. When I turn the truck off and get out if I dont manually turn off the lights with the dimmer, the puddle lamps and the dome light stays on.

I've checked the fuse in the power distribution box and the 2 wiring harnesses that are in the liftgate. And still I can't get this problem to go away.

If anyone can give me some advice on where to check or if someone else had the same problem what you did to fix it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section. Spray the latches on the sides of the door with WD-40. The door ajar switch might be stuck.

 

[synyster]

Thanks. Right as I was working on this I got your reply so I ran in and got WD-40. Sprayed all the latches including the rear hatch, and to no avail. The problem still occurs. I'm thinking its an electrical short somewhere so I'm just going to take it in. Thanks anyway though.

 

[triit]

Thanks. Right as I was working on this I got your reply so I ran in and got WD-40. Sprayed all the latches including the rear hatch, and to no avail. The problem still occurs. I'm thinking its an electrical short somewhere so I'm just going to take it in. Thanks anyway though.

What was the outcome? I'm having the same problem on my 2005 explorer. I tried the WD-40 thing also and it didn't work. HELP!!!

 

[synyster]

I haven't taken it in yet. Im thinking its the rear defrost switch, a bad ground to the rear defrost, or corroded wiring. I'm still searching for the answer until I get my tax return to fix the problem. Can you hear a clicking coming from underneath the driver side dash when you turn on the rear defrost?

 

[triit]

I just noticed that the rear defrost was involved this morning. I had thought it was just the door problem until then. I will listen for that. Is it one click or a continued clicking as long as the rear defrost is on?

 

[synyster]

its not continuious. it just clicks once everytime you press it. it should just do it when you turn it on. it might do it when you turn it off as well.

 

[stuartr]

It is the ground wire in the door panel. I found a thread on here somewhere that led me to it. I had all the same stuff with my 02 mounty and it was the wire in the door broke in 2. Open the drivers door, take the wiring boot loose on the door side and push it back in to the hole where the wires come out of the car body. This will allow you more room to work and find the wire. Now cut away any tape or wrap to expose the wires. Look for a black thin wire that is broke. Mine was broke and only had about 1 inch sticking out of the door. I used a crimp on wire connector and spliced in a pc of wire maybe 4in long to fix the break. It is really tight in there and hard to work but you cna do it. Some said to take off door panel that would probably help but I didn't have a panel tool and it was cold and I was afraid I would break the plastic. So I done it that way. This seems to be a really common thing. Researching this is actually how I found this forum I think. Use the search and you may be able to find the thread I am refering back to. It was better than I can tell you how to fix it.

STU

 

[BrianDye]

The clicking is probably normal, I cant recall if my explorers did/do it, but I know both tauruses I had did it when I turned it on OR off, just one click instantly with the button

 

[stuartr]

Update:
Here is the thread I found before.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157065&highlight=door+ajar+gem
Look at post #18 that is where I found the problem with mine. I bet yours is the same thing. Mine had all the same stuff going on. SO good luck.

STU

 

[synyster]

thanks stuartr it was the wire in the boot. here is what i did to fix it triit.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2394577#post2394577

 

[DrumKrazy]

I too have this "Door Ajar" problem. I've done the WD-40 thing to no avail. I've taken the driver's and passenger door panels off to inspect the wires inside the boot...no broken wires. I'm at a loss here. Has anyone else had this problem and not been able to fix it based on the two mentioned methods above?

 

[synyster]

I too have this "Door Ajar" problem. I've done the WD-40 thing to no avail. I've taken the driver's and passenger door panels off to inspect the wires inside the boot...no broken wires. I'm at a loss here. Has anyone else had this problem and not been able to fix it based on the two mentioned methods above?

it was the boot between the driver door and the car right? did you go through the bundle of wires. It's a 12 awg BLACK wire. Give it a few tugs to see if it comes out.

 

[elcapitanmas]

drum, you may have a bad door ajar sensor, I just had to replace mine. Lock all you doors with the windows open, set the alarm, manually unlock each door (one at a time) and open, if the alarm doesn't go off, you found the door with the problem. If its a door sensor, its easy as pie to replace, part is about 30 bucks

 

[DrumKrazy]

Elcapitan: Thanks for the reply. I've previously done what you posted, however, when setting the alarm and opeining the doors from the inside with the window down, no door will set off the alarm. I even did it with the hatch...no luck. I'm just gonna replace the switch inside the door. Thanks again.

 

[BigRondo]

Elcapitan: Thanks for the reply. I've previously done what you posted, however, when setting the alarm and opeining the doors from the inside with the window down, no door will set off the alarm. I even did it with the hatch...no luck. I'm just gonna replace the switch inside the door. Thanks again.

DrumKrazy, did you check the ground wire in the boot between body and door yet? here is a good thread on that: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=270081 Good luck.

 

[DrumKrazy]

BigRondo: Yes, I've checked all the wires in the door boots, none are chaffed let alone broken. Hopefully when I replace the actual switch inside the door it will fix the problem. Hey, I did get my "Check Engine" light to go off by replacing the DPFE switch then disconnecting the negative battery cable to allow the code to clear. Four days and it hasn't come back on. Now if I could only get that pesky fuel filter off.

 

[2playhockey]

Rear defrost/door ajar/dome light issue

My 12AWG BLK wire was fixed by previous owner but came loose again. I fixed it, but it did not fix the problem. Is there another GND wire in the bundle I should check? Also can this problem be in the passenger door?