MakoShark72

According to the AIM...

...the "door ajar" switch is mounted at the rear of the door opening.

...the "door jamb" switch is at the front of the door opening, and is part of the alarm horn circuit, along with the hood switch

The FRONT "door jamb" switches on my 72 turn on the (3) interior courtesy lights and the door open buzzer. I am assuming they will activate the alarm, IF I ever get it working and the system is armed.

What do the "door ajar" switches do??? Mine are not currently hooked up, but what is their function??

I'm confused

Rob

Peterbuilt

Not 100% sure but the front switch does 3 things, #1 it provides a ground for the alarm, #2 it provides a ground so the courtesy lights go on and #3 it provides a ground that makes a buzzer go on to let you know that you left the key in the ignition.
The rear switch, just lights a bulb in the center console to let you know that the door is not closed 100%.
Here's a schematic http://www.nrjvette.com/johdotukset/?c=d;o=d

Alan 71

Hi Rob,
The door ajar switches send a signal to the 'door ajar' light in the center gauge bezel; upper right, above the 'headlight warning' light.
Regards,
Alan

MakoShark72

Thanks!

oldsarge

correct. BTW, I went to that site posted, and it came up blank for me.

MakoShark72

OldSarge,

Its a list of down-loadable and printable wiring diagrams by year. I already had mine, but virtually every year is there.

Very nice to have if you can figure a way to get to it.. The link worked fine for me...

Try this link for your 73..

http://www.nrjvette.com/johdotukset/...tte%201973.pdf

Rob

Alan 71

Hi Rob,
I forgot to mention that 'originally' there was a little rubber/plastic 'pad' about 5/8"x5/8"x3/16" that was stuck to a flat spot on the door opposite the switch location. The vendors sell them.
You local home store probably has some that are remarkably close in appearance in their cabinet hardware section.
Without the pad you often have to adjust the switch so far out of the jam to shut off the light that the switch falls out.
Regards,
Alan

MakoShark72

Got the pads... Thanks Alan.

427390

while we're on the subject, my passenger door jamb switch is intermittent bad in that the inner cylinder (not the part that contacts the door) can slide into the area where the hex nut is (the main body) - when this happens, the switch stays in the "on" position (e.g. inside lights stay on) even when the door is closed....so I tried to put a socket on the hex and remove the switch to replace it and there is fiberglass too tight to the hex to get the socket on there - anyone experience this? what's the fix?

...Roger...

Have you tried pulling the shaft out and then with a pair of pliers putting 4 flats on the thin sleeve and then closing the door to readjust the plunger ?

68/70Vette

Bubba had attacked my 1970 alarm harness. I ordered a new repro harness from M&H. (Actually I ordered it from one of the Vette vendors and when it came I noticed who made it.) The harness stretches from the extreme back of the car to, where the on/off switch is in the back panel above the tail lights, to the hood open/closed sensing switch is on the engine firewall. It also is wired into the door open/closed switches in the front of the door and also to some relays, etc in the jack compartment. You have to lift up the storage compartment carpet to install it. My 70 doesn't have a spare tire carrier or exhaust pipes so it was easy to install it in the rear.

I ordered all new repro door switches from Paragon. Their door ajar switches worked fine. The door open/closed switches had metric threads so I had to reuse my original switches. The repro switches are SS and look really nice. The stock are tin plated steel and so with age they look a little dull.

70Yellowbird

Alan,

Many of the Corvette vendors sell the rubber pads, but all that I have seen are not correct ... and are shaped like a 'right trapezoid' in section. The correct ones (at least on my '70) have straight sides ... and are rectangular in section.

Do you (or anyone else) know of a vendor that offers the correct ones?

427390

Roger - I have pulled the thin sleeve out with my fingers and was thinking about possibly using some epoxy to "set" it - I am not sure how putting flats on it will work, but am interested in this approach as an alternative - can you elaborate? How was the thin sleeve originally secured in the switch? (I would really rather just change the thing, but I would have to grind fiberglass to get at the hex head) - Thanks

Alan 71

Hi 427/390,
I'm not sure which switch you're asking about? The one in the hinge pillar (courtesy lights) or lock pillar (door ajar)?
Regards,
Alan

427390

Sorry Alan - the hinge pillar switch that controls the courtesy lights

Alan 71

Hi 427/390,
I'm surprised you can't reach the hex head body of the switch.
Here are a couple of pictures of the switch that show how the fiberglass was cut on the hinge pillar cover in 71. It's about a 3/4" circular cutout.
What does yours look like?
Regards,
Alan

427390

while the jambs in my car look clean, they are no where near as tight as yours - your picture is spot on, but on the right side of the "hex" on the switch on my car, the glass is so close that the thickness of the socket will not allow it to get close enough to the nut to unscrew it....

Alan 71

Hi 427/390,
That piece of fiberglass is pop-riveted and bonded in place. I guess it could have been miss-placed when installed which would cause the interference you're finding.
Can you enlarge the hole enough to get access without screwing things up too much?
Regards,
Alan

427390

yes, I can enlarge the hole carefully using a razor and since my car is black it's not that difficult (especially given that it's the jamb) to do a touch up - just thought there could be a way to address it another way.

thank you for your interest and thoughts - I will post when I get upstate to mess around with it

68/70Vette

When you remove these little beauties, pince the shaft with your fingers of your left hand (if right handed) and use a socket wrench to loosen the nut. This keeps the shaft from rotating as you unloosed the switch. If you don't, the shaft will rotate with the nut and the wires on the other side will start twisting. They're very small and probably can take a few rotations, but allow them to twist too much will creat problem of messing up the connector pins.