Door ajar light wont go off

Tiny
2CP-ARCHIVES
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 FORD RANGER
  • 5 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 26,000 MILES
My door ajar light will not turn off, even while I am driving, the light stays on and there is that constant beeping (like when you have your truck running but open the door). I cannot get it to turn off, and I cannot find where the sensor is. I am sure the door is closed, on both the driver and passenger sides, and my tailgate is closed also. Can you tell me how to fix this, and where the sensor is? It may just be dirty or something and I just need to clean it up, but I have to locate it first. I would appreciate it a lot. Thanks.

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 AT 8:48 PM

41 Replies

Tiny
MJR346
  • MECHANIC
  • 132 POSTS
They are known for getting gunk in them. Some people spray wd-40 and swears it loosens up the switch to operate properly but normally I have to replace them
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Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 AT 4:15 PM
Tiny
KEVINB2733
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 2003 FORD RANGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 230,000 MILES
I cannot get the "Door Ajar" light to go off. Where are these sensors located?
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
If there are no obvious pin switches in the door jambs, they are in the latch assembly. Try spraying a lube into the latch, sometimes it will free up a sticky one and make the light go away
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
YCUL
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 FORD RANGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • MANUAL
  • 100,000 MILES
Hi! Where are the air bag sensors located.
The door Ajar light stays on. There is a door and a half. Can tell how to fix these troubled areas? The manuel I bought does not tell me how to remedy these problems. Also how do you get the door panel off on the half door. I see no serews that would allow me to take it off. Thank you. Bill
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,123 POSTS
I will update this in a minute regarding the panel.

For the door ajar problem. Get a thin lubricant and some brake clean. Clean the door latches with the cleaner and then soak them with the penetrant...wd-40 would work. Open and close the doors several to 20 times each and see if that resolves it first. If not there is a latch that may need replaced.

On the air bag:


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_zairbag2_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_zairbag_1.jpg

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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,123 POSTS


https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_zpanel_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_z78_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_z79_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_z80_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_z81_1.jpg



https://www.2carpros.com/forum/automotive_pictures/30961_z82_1.jpg

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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
IRISHSAPPIE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 FORD RANGER
Electrical problem
2000 Ford Ranger 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic

When I close my door the door ajar light and the interior light stays on and I can not figure out how to repair it can u please help me.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMES W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,394 POSTS
This is a real common problem with Fords. The door ajar switch is inside the doors mounted on the latch itself. Get yourself a can of spray lubricant of some sort and liberally spray down the latches from the outside of the doors and open and close them a few times. This usually will take care of it. I would avoid any procucts like WD-40 or any kind of "rust" breaker. These are corrosive, and just make the problem worse. Hope this helps.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
STORMCLOUD
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 FORD RANGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 94,000 MILES
I recently purchased a 2000 ranger, everything works fine. However when I close my door (driver side only) the door ajar light stays on and I have to roll down my window and pull on the door slightly to get the door ajar notification on my dash to turn off, i've looked for the door sensor but have been unable to find it.I'm guessing that it is loose or may be stuck. Where can I find the sensor? Or could the door be hanging?
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
93OLDS
  • MEMBER
  • 11 POSTS
The door sensor is in the latch part of the door and commonly gets stuck all you gotta do is spray wd40 or some sort of lube on the latch mecanism that holds door closed and open close a few times and it will fix it if not you got more of an issue but thay stick alot on the ranger and lot of people use this easy fix and have no prob
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RGARRETT
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 FORD RANGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 120,000 MILES
I have replaced the rear door latch assembly and switch on the drivers side. The passenger side was lubricated and freed with lubricant. The switch in passenger side was checked by ohm meter and switched with one from drivers side. After all this both doors are now latching and securinring well but the door ajar light remains lit up. Also I believe because of door ajar the dome light will not go off when doors are closed until about 45minutes later. Do not know what to try next any help please
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SERVICE WRITER
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Take some wd40 or similiar lube.
Spray the latch assy good and open and shut the doors 20 times or so. Should take care of it.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ROBIN SPRING
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 FORD RANGER
Electrical problem
2001 Ford Ranger Four Wheel Drive Automatic 81000 miles

The door ajar light has been staying on even though there is no door ajar and therefor the light stays on even after the car is turned off and the door again closed.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MASTERTECHTIM
  • MECHANIC
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There is a 9 dollar pin switch located on the latch inside the door panel. They stick all the time. Try spraying wd40 into door latches and open and shut the door. Its usually the door that you least use that gets stuck.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DIESEL2017
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
  • 2001 FORD RANGER
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
So just recently my door ajar light has started coming on even though the doors are completely shut and it will stay on even while driving and a couple days later I see that my dome light isnt always shutting off. The door ajar light doesnt even have to be on for the dome light to do that. I let it sit on one time just to see if it would turn off and it did after like 6 minutes. But just today it did the same thing and I waited to see if it would turn off and its not. I had to pull the bulbs just so I wouldnt kill the battery. Any idea's if these problems are linked together? And what would be causing it? Could it be a bad relay under the hood?
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BLUELIGHTNIN6
  • MECHANIC
  • 16,542 POSTS
Probably faulty / sticky door ajar switch. Lubricate the door latches with WD 40. If this seems to fix it then one of the switches (or both?) Needs replaced
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MICHELLE2237
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1998 FORD RANGER
  • 3.0L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 190,000 MILES
Wipers will work only sometimes, power windows are not working at all now but they were working at times, door ajar light on panel no longer comes on. All fuses tested ok. Relays? How do you test those? Also heard a noise behind the dash that sounded like a light switch being flicked on and off, during that time the door ajar light would flicker on (windows would work), then flicker off (windows would not work).
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Go to repair /electrical and look up relay and it will tell you how to test one. Test the relays in pic they are under hood with a like relay then get it scanned as it may be a gem module problem.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MIGUEL7RANGER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 FORD RANGER
This is the second period of time I had a problem with the door ajar light coming on when every door is closed properly. I usually have to slam the door closed to make sure it doesn't go on. Ford fixed it under warranty a year or 2 ago. Is it the door switch that's causing this problem? And why? Where is it located exactly? I can't find it.

I think it's also causing problems with the park lights and inside dome light. The park lights are suppose to blink when I engage the after market alarm. They don't and the indoor dome light sometimes doesn't come on when opening the door.
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HEY_WIRE
  • MEMBER
  • 25 POSTS
Check all you doors. There should be a thing that looks like I guess you could say a nail that turns off the lights and the door ajar off when the door is shut make sure they are all good if one has broken off it could never indicate when the door is shut. Or also maybe one is getting stuck and not pushing in all the and indicating that it is still open. And one third option is on some doors they have a circular cut in the medal of the door I dont really know why but check and make sure that that didnt get busted or dented cause when you shut your door it would just poke through or not go in all the way and there for since not shut.
Also I guess there is a posibility of there being a bad fuse I wouldnt think so but its posible

best of luck
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Tuesday, April 16th, 2019 AT 12:49 PM (Merged)

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