Dash door open indicator staying on

[fivevs]

Once again , I'm here for some of that great advice you all have for me. My dashboard idoor open ndicator is staying on continiously and also triggers off the alarm which indicates that one of the doors is not closed all the way. When I start to drive it , the sound it makes stops for awhile but the red indicator light on my dashboard will continiously stay on. The other problem I have now is that the interior lights in my WS will not shut off at all, even when I shut down the engine and close all the doors. Anyone ever deal with this problem. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and have a wonderful day!

[Doug360]

One of the door open indicator switches is faulty. From my experience the rear door is usually the cuprit. The rear door has 2 switches located inside the door itself. One on each side, at the latch position. There is a couple of ways to attack this problem. The easiest is to try spraying WD40 into each of the latches; this may do it. You can also carefully remove the panel on the rear door and disconnect the wiring connecter to each switch. The rear door will not turn on the interior light when you open it, but your problem, will be gone. Lastly you could replace the switches.
If it is not the rear door, spray the side door contacts with WD40. You will also find a lot of info if you do a search.

[baumbr]

Please don't use WD-40 on electrical contacts. It collects all kinds of crud and eventually builds up to the point where the contacts don't work.
Instead use an electronics cleaner with lubricant like CAIG De-Ox-It. Its expensive but worth it in the long run. A short spray is all it takes, then work the latch by opening and closing the door several times.

The latches that need cleaning are the driver's door back edge, passenger door back edge, side door(s) have latches at the front and back edges - hit both, rear hatch one on each side, hit both.

Good luck.

[fivevs]

I tried to do these things and still not working. Any other ideas? I do know that the door open indicator light shows that the front doors may be open when in fact they are closed.

[jgattian]

Did you remember to do both switches on the rear lift gate? These are the one that have caused my dash light to remain on.

[Delkal]

On my 98 Windstar when the motor is running and a door is opened there is a brief ring tone. When I opened the problem door there was no tone. THIS IS THE PROBLEM DOOR AND THE ONE TO CONCENTATE ON!!!

[fivevs]

I decided to check everything and do as some one on this forum had recommended and it finally worked. In my case I cleaned out the contacts on the side door with some light sandpaper or you can use steel wool. make sure the area is clean when done, as for the back door latch switches I sprayed them with wd-40 on two occassions and now the light goes off a few seconds after you shut all the doors.