Disabling a 'Door Ajar' Light on my Dash...

[TAIT]

So, some knucklehead backed into the back of my van (HARD!), and cracked the bumper, and did a bit of crumpling of metal. Ouch!
It isn't TOO noticeable until you open the rear hatch (it was stuck at first, which is how i first noticed someone hit me, because it happened in a parking lot and they left without saying sorry!). The door opens okay now, but the little 'Door Ajar' light on my dash won't go out! I've looked all over the back for a switch to tape or disable, but found nothing. The light was annoying at first, but i thought i could eventually live with it until i get the rear door fixed. BUT...the light being on 24/7 seems to have drained my battery!!!
Any way i can disable this light temporarily???

Thanks for any input.

Chris

[thedjjack]

Chris,

The light is part of the lock on the door side. (I know this because when I leave my door up I lock the lock with my key with the door open to turn it off). The door might not be catching on the second lock which would make the light go on.

I would:

1. Open the door and lock the lock using a key and see if the light goes out. (open the lock again with the handle before closing the door)

2. If it does go out then the door lock is not lock properly. Adjust the pin it catches on, it should screw in and be adjustable. Move it towards the door. Or re-bend the back area there where the pin is with a BFH (Big Hammer).

Hope that helps.

[patty]

my light has been on since the day i bought it and most likely waaaaaaaaaaay before that! shouldn't be draining your battery. i didn't have a car hit me but in shipping to canada the deli slid back in the container leavin me with a shitty door. makes sense what ^ said about the door not fully closing. i know mine does not close all the way because in the summer i get a dust bowl going on in the back seats.

[jelbon]

I had the same thing happening.
Take off the rear hatch panel.
There are 2 wires that go to the actual latch, 1 is for the door light, the other the unlock light. I just snipped them both and taped the ends so they wouldn't ground and flash on the lights.
Mine was an intermittent problem and a bit of a process to track down. Anyway, problem gone.

[coaxial]

my rear hatch was the victim of an old off-road injury and the dash light has been on since (and rear interior lights if set to auto)

I have a battery drain, as in if I don't drive the vehicle for a couple weeks the battery goes dead. Was just overseas and came home to a flat battery. I've always had a suspicion that it's related to hatch door sensor.. still not sure. I'll get in there and clip the wires, thanks for the info, I assumed it would be more complicated so haven't bothered with it.

[thedjjack]

I would check that the door latch is looking on the second latch first as you would lose lots of structure in a accident if the door opened (such as a roll over). Adjusting the latch catch as easy as cutting the wires.

[coaxial]

sure, I will look for this "pin" you speak of :)

[mararmeisto]

I would check that the door latch is looking on the second latch first as you would lose lots of structure in a accident if the door opened (such as a roll over). Adjusting the latch catch as easy as cutting the wires.

Unless the door is so damaged that it won't close at all, it is a double-latch system such that the door should not pop open, even if it's not latched completely shut. (Safety feature brought in many decades ago).

Agree with the not-snipping-the-wires recommendation. It's going to take you a bit of effort to get into the door anyway, take a little bit more time and remedy the fault instead of just circumventing it. Taped wires have a tendency of losing their tape and then shorting out to the frame, causing more problems later.

[thedjjack]

Looking at the latch method I personally feel that a single latch hatch would have an increased chance of opening if hit hard in an accident.

But, I am unwilling to roll my Delica down a hill to find out!

Cheers

[TAIT]

Thanks for all the tips...still working on the latch adjustment. The battery wasn't draining overnight, but after i didn't drive it for a few days. Anyway, here goes...

chris

[jelbon]

The switch is right in the latch, I checked for proper latching prior to snipping, I should have mentioned that. However the fault was in the switch and I wasn't ready to buy a new latch.
One way to test the switch is to open the rear hatch and trip the latch with a screw driver while it is open, push the latch with the screw driver hard, if the light goes out it is an adjustment issue, if not there is an internal problem in the switch grounding it and turning the light on or the wire to the switch is grounding at a pinch point or abrasion.
Part of the issue is having the switch located at the bottom of the door where all the sand and dust accumulates. Some sand can conduct a current, if it gets in the switch it can by pass the contacts - turning the lights on. Mine was dull at first and gradually got brighter.
So the Delica got snipped and it was way less dramatic (traumatic) than when I got snipped

[TAIT]

So the Delica got snipped and it was way less dramatic (traumatic) than when I got snipped

Ouch!

Tried the manual locking/unlocking (with my key)...light's still on. On to trial number 2...

[Adrock]

I had the gate unlock light that was attached to the locking mechanism, and the red door light would come on if it was just single latched, whether locked or not. I thought I remembered a plunger switch at the top controlling the light, but I could be crazy... very likely just assumed it was there because I thought it should be...

[Erebus]

The actual switching is right in the latch handle. I know this because sometimes when I open the hatch the interior lights don't come on. If I "snap" the handle a couple of times the lights come on. Never has an issue with the light staying on.

I did do a mod on mine with the wiring in the tailgate so I can override the switch and either have the light come on, or the light not come on, my choice. In other words fool the Delica into thinking the hatch is open when it is closed, or that it is closed when it is open. Great for camping. And would solve your battery drain worries.

I can't see the dash light being much of a drain, but it the Delica thinks the hatch is open, then the rear interior lights will also come on, unless you individually switch them off.

[loki]

The actual switching is right in the latch handle. I know this because sometimes when I open the hatch the interior lights don't come on. If I "snap" the handle a couple of times the lights come on. Never has an issue with the light staying on.

hmmm, I think this might be because of the linkage that connects the handle to the latch. I can get the light to turn on and off just by moving the latch with a screwdriver even just a tiny bit. both vans I have had, 1 L300 and 1 L400, had the same thing that the light was not coming on when the latch was all the way open, if I moved it a millimeter towards the closed position the light came on, this was solved be liberal application of spray lube and moving it around a lot. as for the OP I think that adjusting it to latch completely is the best option but hey that's just my opinion.