door ajar light always on ?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
The switches are on the front piller post and when the door closes it pushes the pin in to break contact. When the door is open the pin allows the wire to contact the post grounding it. If you have the door open and push the pin in the light should go out. If it does then the door is no longer pushing the pin in far enough. If it does not then you need to check the wires to see if they came off the switch and are grounding out all the time. The switch has small tabs that the wires attach to and are hard to replace. carefully unscrew the switch from the door jamb and pull it out far enough to disconnect the wires from the switch. You may only need new contacts for the switch and not the switch itself. Some suppliers do not include the contacts with the new switch so ask before ordering.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
The trick is to get the right switch for your car (once you find the bad one). It is likely the switch...but it could also be a wire shorting out. Disconnect the + side of your battery; use the hex-nut on the switch you think is the problem to remove it. Once the nut is out, the switch will come out...but not very far. Then you can look it over to see if there is a switch failure, a wire problem or [the dreaded] 'something else'. If it is the switch, unsolder the lugs (after carefully drawing clear diagram) or cut the wires off. Then you can take it inside to your computer to match it up with the correct new part. There are several suppliers of vintage Vette electrical parts. And there are dozens of these switches...you need to get an exact replacement for it to work correctly.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 19,659
Likes: 34
From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
One thing to remember when unscrewing the pin switch, you need to hold the pin and keep it from spinning. If it is allowed to spin, the wires on the back side of the switch spin also and twist up making a mess of the wires.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,092
Likes: 5
From: Fayetteville Arkansas
[QUOTE=redwingvette;1563730054]The switches are on the front piller post and when the door closes it pushes the pin in to break contact.
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
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Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,254
Likes: 5
From: Brown Summit North Carolina
As others have said the front plungers are for the courtsey lights.
The door adjar plungers are at the bottom at the rear of the door opening.
They require very little of a push to turn the light off.
Try this 1st. turn switch on and open both doors.
Have a helper push in on one of the switches while you push the other.
If the light goes out then the door is not making contact when shut.
These switches make circuit contact when the door is opened to turn the light on.
A broken wire or bad switch is more likely to not turn the light on when the door is open.
If the test mentioned above does turn the light off. Then shut 1 of the doors while still holding the other plunger in by hand ,if light stays on then that door is not hitting the plunger. May have to repeat test for the opossite side.
David
The door adjar plungers are at the bottom at the rear of the door opening.
They require very little of a push to turn the light off.
Try this 1st. turn switch on and open both doors.
Have a helper push in on one of the switches while you push the other.
If the light goes out then the door is not making contact when shut.
These switches make circuit contact when the door is opened to turn the light on.
A broken wire or bad switch is more likely to not turn the light on when the door is open.
If the test mentioned above does turn the light off. Then shut 1 of the doors while still holding the other plunger in by hand ,if light stays on then that door is not hitting the plunger. May have to repeat test for the opossite side.
David
Last edited by dmayhew; Jan 21, 2008 at 07:05 PM. Reason: typo
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,683
Likes: 202
From: Waterford Mi
[QUOTE=Sully1882;1563732376]
You are sort of correct. The door ajar and the alarm are on the same switches at the rear of the door. The front switches are for the dome light and one on the drivers door also operates the key warning buzzer.
Sorry for the miss information, I am getting old and fogetfull.
The switches are on the front piller post and when the door closes it pushes the pin in to break contact.
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
Sorry for the miss information, I am getting old and fogetfull.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 763
Likes: 0
From: Loveland Colo
[QUOTE=Sully1882;1563732376]
Dang, Sully, I think you're right.
I do not remember clearly, but I thought the light came on for me once when I forgot to latch the hood. But I could easily be wrong, too.
Guess I should STFU unless I know fer sure, huh?
The switches are on the front piller post and when the door closes it pushes the pin in to break contact.
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
I think these and the one for the hood are switches for the alarm. The door ajar switches are on the rear pillar and you get access through the cover plate in the front of the rear wheel well.
HTH,
Sully
I do not remember clearly, but I thought the light came on for me once when I forgot to latch the hood. But I could easily be wrong, too.
Guess I should STFU unless I know fer sure, huh?
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
Key buzzer is driver's side door...but also needs the switch in the key lock mechanism and the horn relay to be working correctly (the solenoid coil in the horn relay is used as the "buzzer" for the ignition key signal).
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
If you look at the wiring schematic (I'm doing this from memory as my documents aren't readily available), the key waring signal is generated via 1) a switch in the ignition lock that makes when key is fully inserted; 2) door switch which must be in the "open" position for key signal to continue; 3) horn relay which takes that signal and uses it to set up a magnetic attraction to the relay contact arm causing a pulse/buzzer effect. Ohmeter check of the proper connection wires coming from ignition switch should show "make"/"break" when key is moved in and out of postion in the lock; same concept with the door ajar switch. If those two are good switches, then the problem lies with the horn relay. You can find the relay info (photo of unhoused relay and connections plus schematic) in the GM service manual for your car. Use it to chase down what in the relay is defective....or replace it. Don't forget that your problem might be with the wiring [only] if you find a continuity problem anywhere in that system.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 364
Likes: 1
From: Dane Wisconsin
is there any adjustment on the door switches? the dash light will pop on in my car when cornering like it is just at the end and when the body shifts it is just enough to make it come on. it is comon on newer cars so i didn't know.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
yes! take a set of needle nose pliers and anything to tap with. put the needle nose pliers behind the head of the switch plunger and use something, a screwdriver handle, anything, to tap the center of the plunger out say 1/4". next, shut the door as easily as you can so that it is all the way closed (don't slam it); this resets the depth of the plunger. now the trick: open the door and get out some spare vacuum hose. find a piece that just fits over the plunger and cut it to length so that it is "holding" the plunger out sorta like a compression spring might. that should fix it
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
Interesting. Actually, if you buy the correct switch, there is little [if any] adjustment to be done. Minor adjustment by setting depth of fitting into the door jam. If you are having to make significant adjustments, you bought the wrong switch (auto stores generics don't get it).
