overhead lighting problem

way2old, i have a 2000 windstar lx also that has no entry lights when any door is opened,the door ajar light is always on when van is running,also the radio should stay on after van is turned off until a door is opened it goes out when key is turned off now that the other problems arose. i checked at the dome light i have b+ door opened or not any thoughts are greatly welcomed,thank you

There are a few easy things to check/replace:

In the fuse box near driver's left foot, check the "delayed accessory relay" and fuse #18. In the fuse box near battery, check fuse #106.

See glove box manual for location info.

Oops, I see I butted in ... sorry. I'm much older than that other guy anyway!

way2old, i have a 2000 windstar lx also that has no entry lights when any door is opened,the door ajar light is always on when van is running,also the radio should stay on after van is turned off until a door is opened it goes out when key is turned off now that the other problems arose. i checked at the dome light i have b+ door opened or not any thoughts are greatly welcomed,thank you

Sounds like they are all related (as I think you assumed). The radio shuts off immediatley because the Vehicle "thinks" a door has been opened which is what it is supposed to do (play radio and allow power windows until it times out or a door is opened). I suspect the entry lights don't come on because it "thinks" a door is always open (or you have the interior light controller in the off position).

I think you need to solve the door ajar issue. I am in the midst of figuring it all out myself. I am currently trying to make the statement that the 4 spring loaded contacts in the sliding doors are not related to these lights but rather it is a sensor in near the top and one below the spring loaded contacts that control the door ajar signal. You need to find out which door is causing the problem which is almost impossible to tell but I will bet it is the rear hatch. Mine is currenty causing me a problem and I think there are two sensors on each side of the rear door. The moving mechanism is exposed and the electrical part is in the rear hatch door. I am going to take mine apart this weekend if I have time and I will get back to this board with my findings.

There are a few easy things to check/replace:

In the fuse box near driver's left foot, check the "delayed accessory relay" and fuse #18. In the fuse box near battery, check fuse #106.

See glove box manual for location info.

Oops, I see I butted in ... sorry. I'm much older than that other guy anyway!


no problem you're not butting in and i thank you for the info i will check that out
thank you

Jump on in 12ounce. The more the merrier. DRW1000 has a good point also. If you can find which switch is defective and turn off the door ajar indicator light, the radio should come back on as it is designed.
Also DRW1000, you can check the ground wire from switch to see if it grounds through the contacts or has its own ground.

Jump on in 12ounce. The more the merrier. DRW1000 has a good point also. If you can find which switch is defective and turn off the door ajar indicator light, the radio should come back on as it is designed.
Also DRW1000, you can check the ground wire from switch to see if it grounds through the contacts or has its own ground.


thank you for the input way2old i'll check that out altho like the signal lights have power all the time they run things with a computer and turn the ground off and on now wondered if when the door is opened if that should show ground?
i did take out my rear hatch latches with a torx 27 ( 3 screws each side) the whole latch comes out easily then lift on the plastic tab and rotate the sending unit out and clean it i'll have to do drivers and passenger front doors also i guess

also on the hatch there are two spring loaded devices that i believe are antirattle/vibration devices

i believe that on fellow here thought th sliding door door ajar switch is from the two protuding bumps one on top and one toward the bottom of the door is right not at the spring loaded contacts

thank you all i will check and get back to you

Yep, I gotta agree ... DRW's hit the nail on the head!

thank you for the input way2old i'll check that out altho like the signal lights have power all the time they run things with a computer and turn the ground off and on now wondered if when the door is opened if that should show ground?
i did take out my rear hatch latches with a torx 27 ( 3 screws each side) the whole latch comes out easily then lift on the plastic tab and rotate the sending unit out and clean it i'll have to do drivers and passenger front doors also i guess

also on the hatch there are two spring loaded devices that i believe are antirattle/vibration devices

i believe that on fellow here thought th sliding door door ajar switch is from the two protuding bumps one on top and one toward the bottom of the door is right not at the spring loaded contacts

thank you all i will check and get back to you


new

ok cleaned drivers door switch now the light don't go off when the door is closed except when i fool it with the door opened and trip the latch the everything woks fine ??????
later doozer.

Wish I had time to look at mine this weekend but I had to replace the water pump on my Wife's Venture. Get this 2 hours to change the water pump and 1/2 of that time was cleaning the old gasket off.

Of course to change her plugs I have to rotate the engine forward so I suppose the universe balances out eventually..............lol

Pull the door panel and look at the switch closely. Or make sure the door is adjusted properly and not sagging. If it is sagging, it may not allow the switch to work properly. You can test this by leaving the key on, close the door, then raise up on door to see if light goes out. Good luck and thanks for posting your updates.

2000 windstar - entry lights

wow too hurried to spell earlier or what ? sorry

ok! hmmm where to start !
here goes at the begining ther suddenly was no light when any door way opened, the door ajar switch was always on when the van was running, there was no power delay for the windows and radios these shut off with the key.
the interior lights could be turned on with each individual switch as usual
checked all fuses and relays possibly involved and some not so possibly involved.
took apart back hatch lining removed 3 latch assembly screws per side, the switch is in the very bottom of the latch, the latch comes easily out the access hole unplug the wire connector.on the back(to out side of door)at the bottom by the switch you see a split in the plastic marked tab, pry up this tab until you can rotate the switch to the rear(latch side) about a quarter turn then pull the switch straight out, clean with spray contact cleaner(i sprayed some and then took a scredriver to push in and out the spring loaded plunger until it worked freely.could the spray with silicone or such non dust attractant.
NOTE - check in the hole where the switch goes to see that there is indeed a hollow spot where the door switch sits(trip the latch with a screwdriver as if it where hitting the striker plate,to reverse, the latch must be released, pull on the handle like)probably ok, although this is a good procedure to test the switches and is easy to learn here, for the drivers and passenger front doors.
replace switch onto latch, and latch onto door, both sides of the door,close all doors and re-open to check if operational.
there are two spring loaded devices(one each side) also, toward the bottom of the hatch, i believe these are vibration dampers.

it was drivers front door switch and latch? more later another day ok i'll get to bed now
doozer

hang on writing part 2, van still working

2000 windstar lx - entry lights(part 02)

but of course mona, that's not it ! that'd be too easy lol !

driver's door - unscrew, unsnap, and lift out interior panel, peel back liner carefully to access latch,with window up,unscrew the brace for the rear of the window track,pull down and forward on the track it will pull out,lay it in the bottom of the door,unplug electrical connectors to the door ajar switch and door lock/unlock actuator,
remove the 3 latch mounting bolts-t27 torx head on mine,and 3 nuts from the back(inside)of the pull handle,unclip cable for inside pull handle from the door clip,leave cable attached to latch.
kind of carefukky twist,wiggle and manoever latch and all out of the door.
take care not to have the handle come off of the rods,realign in the same position if it does fall off.
same as rear hatch swithes remove and clean the switch etc.
NOTE - with door opened,once the switch is cleaned,plug in the electrical connector then hold it in your hand press the plunger to make like you opened the door,hold it down for door opened,release it for door closed.

replace switch in latch if it is working,then trip the latch with screwdriver like on the back hatch to see if it still operates,if it does unplug the switch again and put every thing back together.

i did this and it worked fine until i assembeled the door and closed it,then,though the light would not go off? except when the dimmer knob was turned all the way off

what the??? is right,tried with the door opened and tripped the latch,all was good,unlatched it and closed the door,light did not go off????

took it all apart and checked again all was good,put it back together again same thing lights did not go off!!!

several more times apart and together same result,not broken or pinched wire had latch tripped but loose in the door closed the door,it worked fine,tightened the latch to the door again,same result light would not go off!! should not be possible !!!????

came in for a coffee and checked this sight again i went out to it again with full intentions of just leaving the switch dangle in the door,but, thought i'll try one more time,this time though i only snugged the latch screws and closed the door what the ??? lights turned off so i opened the door and tightened the latch screws and it is still working now some 2 days later ??!!!lol lol

hope this helps you guys out----doozer

too wierd or what!!

thank you very much for all your help everyone

Thanks for posting all of your findings. You get an "A" for persistance.

thank you drw1000 hope it helps
also now that it is working when the doors are closed at the dome lamp all three points where it connects to the flat ribbon are at battery voltage.
with a door open the center stays at close to battery voltage and the outer two drop to .6 (about half) a volt
meaning that yes they turn the ground on and off because a computer runs things now
i discovered this last summer to connect trailer wiring that the tail lights are always hot and the ground is turned on and off.there for one needs a low side switching system kit i got a hoppy 12 amp one at about 100 dollars at napa worked like a charm.
type at ya later, and good luck

Okay I have done my investigation into the door ajar switches for the sliding doors and the rear hatch. I don't how much of this Doozer mentioned but I am going to sum it all up in any event.

Sliding Doors- I was correct in that the 4 spring loaded contacts have nothing to do with the door ajar light so stop sanding them!!!. They only send the signal to the speakers and door lock actuators.
The other two items above and below these contacts do not have anything to do with it either (I am batting 500 now). I think they are anti-rattle devices.

THE DOOR AJAR SWITCH IS A PUSHBUTTON SWITCH ON THE BACK OF THE DOOR OPENING.
This is a pushbutton exactly like one on a front door and I cannot believe I never noticed it before. It is a simply momentary pushbutton switch. I have a photo of it but I don't know how to post it. If someone can tell me how I will post it and some others I took today.

Rear Hatch- This is the more complicated one. The switch is on the door latch meachism inside the door. when the door is closed this latch closes around the part that is onthe main part of the vehicle. This is the ajar position. If it is pushed closed further the latch moves farther and closes a contact. There is a switch on both sides of the door. I have photos of this disassembled.

DRW
Thanks for the info! You are right, if the doors are not ajar ... and the ajar lights are on, those switches are the concern. I now know where the lift switches are. Thanks again!

Do you have non-powered sliding doors? I always thought that three (of the seven) plungers on powered doors reported back to the door operator module the position of the door. And therefore, may be indirectly involved in the overhead lamp. Of course, there still would be no problem unless the door fails to close fully.

Good point 12Ounce.

I do have non-powered doors and thus only 4 pushbutton contacts. My findings obviously only difinitively point to my type of door.

Are yours powered? If so try and locate the button I am refering to. Perhaps it is there too because regardless of whether it is by human power or motor I should theink the door is either closed or it isn't and why have 2 designs?

The door ajar buttons are just as you described them ... on my '99.

In the case of powered sliding doors, I believe that 3 of the plungers can cause the door to actually "be ajar". Of course, the resistance of all seven of the plungers must be overcome by the drive assembly in the last bit of door travel ... therefore lubrication of the plungers may actually help the powered doors to close. My untested theory.

I am thinking that the extra three plunger contacts are the limit switches. This tells the motor when it should stop. I don't know what it uses for an open limit switch