Please tell me how our door switches work...

3.8

Registered User
The switch I'm wondering about is the one that's inside the door. Does anyone have a part number for this switch?

How does this switch work? It has only 1 wire, so I'm guessing it provides a ground to complete the circuit?

When the door is open, is this switch open or closed?

When the door is closed, is this switch open or closed?



:cool:
 
well whats the problem your having ?

my problem is my keyless entry will unlock and lock both doors fine. but either switch, dr. or pass, will only unlock. when i hit lock theres nothing from either of them.
 
well whats the problem your having ?
My problem is that the door ajar light and the seat belt light are on and the seat belt is stuck in the forward position. I'm trying to diagnose the problem (bad switch? wire fell off?) before I have Napa order one, and I'm also just trying to understand more about how the circuit works.

I tested the wire in the trunk for continuity per instructions I read in another post and my passenger door wire has continuity (to ground) with the door open and shut. This tells me that my problem is likely something to do with the switch , since if I simply had a loose connector I would have an "open" reading when checking continuity? Also, suppose the wire inside the door would fall off, would that make the seat belt stay stuck in the rearward position?

As an addition test, I could remove the wire from the switch inside the door and my setabelt should retract to the rear position if everything else in the system is operating correctly?

I really want to fix this thing Saturday, and I would have to order my parts today... but I don't want to order parts I don't need. It seems to me though that the switch is my problem?
 
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im not much for electrical help. i was kinda hoping u had my problem. u'll probably wanna talk to someone with an EVTM. they can give u more info than me. sorry
 
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Somewhere around here is an amazingly indepth thread on diagnosis of the auto seat belt system (unless my memory has warped the facts again). However I cannot seem to find it. I would try searching here in the tech forum. I believe the thread is at least a few years old by now. From what I remember it literally addressed every component of the auto seat belt system and how to diagnose them. If I come across it I'll post a link. It really should be in the FAQ's.
 
ok... I took the door panel off and removed the wire that goes to the switch and it retracted just fine, so it's my switch that's bad.

No parts stores have the switch in stock, and Ford can't have one until Monday. I may go see what I can find in a junkyard tomorrow since I (like an idiot) broke the tab off the door handle trim piece because I wouldn't come in and re-read the post on how to remove it that I read a week ago. Oh well... :rolleyes: :D

Now, for my next trick, I'm going out to find out why my driver side window doesn't roll down.



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Many times the contacts of the switch become dirty. You might try cleaning it and adjusting it and reinstalling it. Chances are you can get it functional again without any new parts.
 
The motor would make noise but nothing happened. I could push the window down by hand though. After removing the door panel the problem was quickly evident... the two plastic brackets that attach to the window glass weren't attached anymore. There was some clear silicone on the window glass; I'm not sure if this was how the factory did it or if it was a failed attemp by someone to fix the window before. I scraped the window glass clean and applied a LOT of super glue into the plastic brackets. At this point the super glue tube became semi-permanently affixed to my left index finger. So now I'm holding the window with my right hand and trying to line the glass up with the plastic brackets while this glue tube is hanging on the end of my finger. After getting the window started into these plastic brackets I rolled it up all the way which fully seated the glass and (hopefully) lined it up properly.

Note to self: ALWAYS wear latex gloves when using super glue.



:D
 
The motor would make noise but nothing happened. I could push the window down by hand though. After removing the door panel the problem was quickly evident... the two plastic brackets that attach to the window glass weren't attached anymore. There was some clear silicone on the window glass; I'm not sure if this was how the factory did it or if it was a failed attemp by someone to fix the window before. I scraped the window glass clean and applied a LOT of super glue into the plastic brackets. At this point the super glue tube became semi-permanently affixed to my left index finger. So now I'm holding the window with my right hand and trying to line the glass up with the plastic brackets while this glue tube is hanging on the end of my finger. After getting the window started into these plastic brackets I rolled it up all the way which fully seated the glass and (hopefully) lined it up properly.

Note to self: ALWAYS wear latex gloves when using super glue.



:D

in case that doesnt fix it....

usually if u can hear the motor running but theres no window movement and u can put it up and down by hand, its the window regulator.
 
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The super glue might hold for a while depending on temperature fluctuations where you live. In my experience with that problem the only long term solution is the proper 3M adhesive. Try doing a search on here for the proper name.
 
Well, the window seems to work fine for now, but as you mentioned it may just be a short term repair. I went to a local junk yard today and they had about a dozen Birds there to pick parts from, and a driver door glass would cost me $25.

I found some door switches... almost a lifetime supply! My passenger seatbelt works great now with a different switch.



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And I found out that I have some decent looking Kenwood speakers in my doors...



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Something I thought of to help me put my door panels back on - unscrew the chrome plastic thing from the door lock rod and put a drinking straw over the threads to align the rod into the hole in the door panel. I used a straw from Fazoli's, but similar results can achieved using a straw from almost any fast food restaurant. After the door panel is on, remove the straw and install the chrome knob on the threads. It was real easy doing it this way.



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And my driver side armrest was broken, so I drilled a 1/4" hole through the door panel and installed a 1/4" bolt through the armrest bracket and door panel and tightened them up. This was a lot easier to do with the door panel off. The armrest is a lot more solid now than it was.



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And while I had my instrument cluster out today to replace my speedometer, I soldered a wire across my oil pressure gauge resisitor and swapped out the sending unit so my gauge now works like a real gauge... it's cool.

Here's the difference in the size of the sending units :eek:


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Wow, I sure did hijack my thread!



:D
 
I know this thread is a bit old, but I tried to remove my door switch today and that bastard would not come out. I took out the screw that I believe is holding it in. It was just a phillips head about 1" long, but the thing would not budge. It may have been rusted in there but can someone tell me what to do to get it out?
 
door switch

BEN999 the door switch that you got the 1 inch screw out of is the correct screw now you have to get your hand in their and turn the switch clock wise and it will come out.Oh ya a tip when you put it back in use a magnet screw driver
Later & have fun
Greg
 
hmm, I tried twisting it, but it didn't budge and I didn't want to break the thing. I guess I wasn't twisting hard enough. Thanks
 
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