Gem mod ? A short ? Or exorcisim ?

[Puddertidders]

I have a 2002 Explorer Eddie Bauer that when I am driving down the road it will lock and unlock on its own and the interior lights come on and off and the msg center goes crazy saying "door ajar". When parked the interior lights come on on their own when nobody is in it in turn draining the battery. We are also unable to lock it w/o the alarm going off 5mins later .When we bought it it had to be jumped off to start it. It kept dying so we took it back to the dealer and the mechanic said it was the gem. We took it back to be replaced and the mechanic that looked at it was no longer there and the dealer "lost the work order". The new mechanic looked at it for 4hrs and said it was a short somewhere but at $45/hr labor we said enough and left bc he said he could look at it for another 4hrs and still may never find it. Do you think it sounds like a gem ? A short or do we need an exorcisim ?

I hope im not repeating this question but im on a phone so I can only search so many things without my adhd kicking in in overdrive. Thanks to anyone who may be able to help in advance.....

 

[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 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

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

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!

 

[Puddertidders]

Thank you so much for your help guys : ) I am very happy to report that the wd40 was the route I went and it has worked ! I was a bit intimidated to try the wiring route as im a woman and well things like that confuse me lol Now , im not totally useless when it comes to mechanical issues but my motto is "if it has to do with plumbing or wiring , I wont touch it" . I do home renos and those two areas I lack severly ! Cant wait to go to the dealer and give him my $4.95 , empty can of wd40 and tell him what he can do with it >insert evil laugh< Again, thanks guys : )

 

[BigRondo]

Nice job getting it fixed & thanks for the update!