leifs93

1993 Coupe. Does anyone know how to change these dang things without the inner bracket dropping down inside the door? I just did the passenger side and had to remove the door panel which turned into a major pain. It seems like they should have made the switch smaller or the hole bigger.

Thanks,
Leif

kize

That inner bracket is what the switch mount screws go into. They only way I know of is- remove the door panel.

leifs93

Thanks for the bad news. That's kinda what I figured. I grew up in West Seattle. Miss the NW. Take care.

Leif

Red Dwarf

Wait a minute...Go to search under door ajar switch. There is a procedure for replacing the switch without removing the door panel.
Check it out cause I'm not sure it applies to 93???

check this post http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...or+ajar+switch

leifs93

I'm gonna try to bend a metal coat hangar with about a 1/4" tip on the end, remove the top screw and feed it in there to hold the bracket in position, remove the bottom screw and switch and see if I can feed the new one in, replace the bottom screw, then the top one and pray this works. Any ideas? I'll let you all know how this goes.

Leif

SJW

Remove one of the screws. Install a longer screw in its place, but only thread it a few turns into the nut plate.

Remove the other screw, and pull the switch assembly out as far as the longer screw will allow it to go. It should now be far enough out of the way that you can now run the short screw back into the hole behind the switch, and re-engage the threads on the nut plate (run the screw through the door, but not through the switch). Now the short screw will keep the nut plate from falling.

Remove the long screw, pull the switch the remainder of the way out, and disconnect the wiring harness.

Connect the new switch, push it part-way into the hole, install the long screw through the switch and door, and thread it a few turns into the nut plate. The long screw will now hold the nut plate while you remove the short screw.

Push the switch the remainder of the way into the opening, and install the short screw into the vacant hole, then snug everything up with the short screw.

Replace the long screw with the other short screw, and you're all set.

Close the door GENTLY the first time to seat the plunger's built-in depth adjuster to the proper depth.

Be well,

SJW

leifs93

Great idea! Thanks so much.

Red Dwarf

Check this thread. Scroll down aways.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...or+ajar+switch

jimg's'93

I did mine carefully ('93) and never had to remove the door panels.

92LRC

First off make sure you need to replace them. I had a problem with mine last week and it turned out it was just worn down a little. I added a couple of pieces of duct tape on the plastic piece it contacts and it worked great. No one is going to see it witht he door closed.

As far as taking the screws out without having to replace the door panel, I used a paperclip. I bent one end into a small hook and inserted that into the bottom screw hole. That allowed me to hold the screw plate in place.

I know this because first I thought I had that I had a loose wire so I took the unit out to check it.

Good luck

leifs93

I've only done the passenger side since that was the one that was fickering my lights and setting off my alarm at night. I noticed how these things self adjust and the one in the drivers door is shoved all the way in. I probably won't replace it until it starts causing problems. The plunger I removed from the passngr side was cracked where it grips the ribbing. I suspect that's why it bottomed out. BTW. This all started when my wife got pissed at me and slammed the door. Go figure.

theadmiral94

Another way of fixing the self-adjusting 'nose' on the door switches is to gently pull the 'nose' out a bit from the switch plunger and then install 2-3 very small o-rings behind it to keep the nose extended (available at your local NAPA auto parts store).

Regarding the replacement procedure, in the 94 FSM, it is in section 10-6-7 and named 'Door Ajar Indicator Switch', and matches what SJW noted above.

FYI, the switches can fail in three different ways:
1. Stick and not pop out to close the circuit when the door is opened.
2. not push in far enough to 'open' the circuit when door closed.
3. not close the circuit when door opened.

#1 above is bad as the alarm may not set and may not go off when set.
#2 above is bad as the alarm may not set and lights may flicker while driving.
#3 same as #1

And all the failure types can also screw-up the PKE operations too.

finally_got_it

my pke has started going nuts from time to time here lately, the stereo wont shut off when i open my door anymore and my alarm went off for no reason 2x the other day...based on what ive read in this thread am i right to assume that my switch is also starting to go to hell?