My 99 Ranger 3.0L's door ajar light will not go off. I've tried the wd40 trick and nothing happens. When all doors are closed the light stays illuminated but when the passenger door opens the light continues but the door ajar alarm goes off. BUT when I open the driver door no door ajar alarm. Is it the driver side door? My truck is a 2 door FYI. Is there any other way besides buying another 2 or 3 bottles of WD40?

 

my door ajar light on the dash will stay on after the door is shut and the dome light would stay on to. do you have the link for the wd40 trick?

 

No, I found it on here somewhere but some says it works but after I used 3 cans I gave up. Your suppose to spray where the switch is at the lower henge and open and shut the door a few times and repeat because the switch will stick but, not for me. I'm tired of not having a dome light.. and the damn light being on.

 

Have you tried pushing the switch in and out with your finger? does the light go off when you do that?

 

No, I have done some research about it and the "switch" I have been looking for isn't a button. What definitively am I looking for ? I have seen many of the button switches in MANY other cars but the ranger doesn't have that. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a picture ?

 

There is a button, should be on the A pillar. held on by a stop nut. take the drivers kick panel out, i'm pretty sure its back there. unplug the connecter and test the wires
most likely its a ground problem if the switch is fine. The only problem with that is the switch grounds under the drivers seat. Heres the best way to check it. You got a test light? find one.
Check both pins in the connecter, both with the light grounded, both without. only one should light up per test (I.E. one pin works when the switch is grounded, the other pin works when it isn't grounded, thus when the switch gets pressed, completes the circuit and shuts off the door ajar light)
The best picture i can come up with is from the parts store, this is what the module looks like.

 

Glad you posted that i've been without a dome light since march haha

 

take the light-bulb out. get one of them sticky-battery dome lights...

 

if doing what the other guy said doesn't work, this sounds like the best bet..

 

I had this same problem in my truck. i did and it turned out the original door that i thought was stuck was not actually the stuck one, i just took the light bulb out until i finally figured out that it was the other door. So my advice is to clean out all of the door's latching mechanisms. I don't think you have the pin sensor in the a-pillar like the older models have because i don't have it either.

 

WD-40 is just mineral oil and will gum up the latch over time You will have to reapply it to keep it working.

Clean the latch with brake cleaner, dry, then use a silicone spray.

 

I just read an article about spraying down the henge? Or should I try the latch one more time before I just rip the dang door off and buy another..

 

actually I remembered that I doused the latches in parts de-greaser several times as well as spraying the WD40 and cleaning all the gunk out of the latches. I don't know if the de-greaser contributed to my success or not.

 

Pb Blaster worked for me. And then I opened and closed all my doors several times to work it in.

 

WD40 worked on my Lightning, the truck sits up a lot and the drivers door will stick from time to time and keep the light on.

 

I have found that best to use is a powder graphite or the spray graphite. It don't attract dirt like an oil or wd40. Then if there is still a problem, replace it, it could be a bad component ?

 

I had the same issue and i did the wd40 trick on the door latches and nothing. I then went back a day later and just completely soaked both latches in wd40 (both driver and passenger doors) I used a full 6oz. can between the 2 doors. then i slammed the doors and have not had a problem since and its been a little over 2 weeks now.

 

sometimes just opening and closing normally won't work with the wd-40 trick. you really need to slam them good to get the switch unstuck.
you should not have to use entire cans of wd-40...

 

x2. i put a few sprays on each latch and put my whole body into closing the door a few times and it worked after 2 slams haha

 

Don't even bother diddling around with spray cleaners/oils. The switches are under $10 each and the door panels take 5 minutes to take off. Just replace both switches and forget about it.

 

I just recently bought my truck and it has had the door ajar light on since I got it. I tried the WD40 trick without success, so I did some more research on how they worked and various fixes. I removed the door panels and the switches and tested them with my multimeter, and both switches functioned properly. Found out that they are N/O (normally open) switches, so when the door is open, the circuit is grounded out (closed). Each door switch runs to a GEM located behind the radio. When the GEM senses the closed circuit, it tells the door ajar light and the dome light to come on. So, after leaving both door switches disconnected, the door ajar and the dome light should have been off, but nope. So, obviously one side or the other is grounding out somewhere along the way from the door switch to the GEM, right? Or the GEM itself going bad? Going to try to get to the bottom of it tomorrow, will keep everyone informed of my progress.

 

2004 and newer models don't have a GEM in the traditional sense.

The power flow of this circuit is as follows: Power flows from the dash through the door ajar lamp to the SJB via two wires. One leg (Light Green with Black Stripe) goes to the Low Current Board connector 2280C terminal 2. The other leg (Yellow with Light Green stripe) goes to connector 2280D terminal 4.

The Left Door ajar switch runs to connector 2280C terminal 6 (Yellow with Black Stripe). The Right Door ajar switch runs to connector 2280D terminal 3 (Gray with Red Stripe).

Terminals 2 & 6 on connector 2280C and Terminals 4 & 3 on connector 2280D appear to be interconnected on the Low Current Board.

SJB Diagram Click Link

 

Thank you very much Rev, I had been doing more research and learned that the SJB had replaced the GEMs, but wasn't sure which connectors or pins were being used by the door ajar circuit. I pulled the connectors off and there was some green corrosion buildup in a few spots on both. I'm about to go to Lowes or Walmart and pick up some electrical contact cleaner and give everything a good squirt and see what happens.

 

You’re welcome. If those terminals are starting to get green and fuzzy I’d get one of those small fine wire brushes that looks like a toothbrush and give them a light brushing first (ensure you disconnect the battery first), then hit it with some contact cleaner. Afterwards I’d smear them good with some dielectric grease.

 

Ok, I'll do that. Thanks again.