2002-2005 Ford Explorer Door Ajar Light: Common Door Wiring Faults

[@ryanmatrix11]

When he started going deeper into this issue and started saying all the problems i was having then fixed it before my eyes when ive been trying to fix it for weeks by myself i was amazed KZbin needs to give this man a raise

[@grandmasmalibu]

2024 reporting in. They gave this man a raise.

[@brad2548]

Sir. You are Stellar. Any mechanic that communicates saving the customer money and being honest about the correct malfunction is one in a million. You're simply an upstanding human being.

[@jasonjason8526]

This man is a life saver I spent about $38 at auto zone for the 50 pack wire butts and the crusher tool and did this job myself thanks to you. ....I had about 6/7 wires split in 2 I fixed them all ... Door ajar, dome light always stayed on, lights would flicker while driving, locks would randomly lock and unlock on its own, door ajar would beep constantly while driving occasionally, Alarm would randomly go off for no reason especially around 2-3am, drivers side locks wouldn't work, my message center would say oil change required even after getting a oil change, I thought it was a oil sensor but nope just the door ajar wire preventing me from resetting it I'm very grateful for your tutorial very simple instructions. No more problems they where all wire related THANK U!.....

[@ront2135]

THANK YOU! My alarm on my '02 Exploder had been acting up for about a month. Found this video and after dousing my inside door with WD-40, it stopped. Been a week now, and no random alarms or lights. Keep up the great work!

[@Bee11gee16coiloefo]

My '03 Explorer has had a "door ajar" alarm problem for more than a few months. Started off being a once in awhile thing, but once it became an every day, battery draining dilemma, I checked KZbin for a fix. Watched this video a few times and figured I should try this job myself before going to the local garage mechanics. To my complete amazement, a few shots of penetrating oil to the driver's side door latch area solved this nagging problem completely. Many thanks for a VERY professional and informative video.

[@robbradley1891]

This video was beyond helpful! My 2005 Explorer over the last year had the “door ajar” issue and door locks would not work from the drivers door. I found this video and then followed it step by step, discovering two black wires had broke. I spliced them back together and it’s working fine now. No more annoying dome light staying on. What amazed me the most is how easy this was to fix. I cannot imagine what the dealer would have charged me for this. Thanks for the great video!

[@K3BBB]

Just had the exact same problem and fixed it with this video. KZbin to the rescue again.

[@markiversonblaze]

I have a 2003 Ford Explorer, and a 2004 Ford Explorer. Both had the same issues at 150 - 170K miles. Broken black ground wire in the A Pillar wiring loom. This video REALLY helped find and fix the issues quickly. Great job!

[@Peep18m]

First off loved the vid. Second I checked mine and I had 7 broken wires in that harness. Fixed all my issues. You’re the best 👍🏼👍🏼

[@arthurcarstens]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! used your video to tear into my Explorer, found 5 wires in the A-pillar that were broken, fixed them all, wife is so excited, now the power windows and locks work for the first time in 4 years. video really helped.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

+carstensxdm45 Wow! 5 wires eh? That's awesome glad to hear.

[@arthurcarstens]

Hey man, just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the video and help. Just came back from vacation, covered almost 1700 miles in a little over a week. Anyway, the windows, door locks worked like a charm, more importantly, it did not "ding" one time, Last year, had to endure the incessant "dinging" every 7 seconds for 14 hours straight, so this year was such a difference, keep the videos coming, you are doing a great job!!!!!!!!!

[@MC-hs4mf]

@@FordTechMakuloco my alarm going off tonight. I have a Nova scan tool with live data but dont think it will do what your scan tool does. Sometimes my driver window wont let down and generally will work later so check driver side first?

[@Stickboy75]

You sir a superb asset to so many people. I hope you know how much people value you. Thank you!

[@PiscesSun24]

Thank you dude!!!! I’m a single mom and was about to take the battery out! And then the lights went out after your help! Thank you

[@HadEnough745]

Sad that you trusted Ford and this is what you get for buying American. Stick with Toyota, Honda, Kia - Anything but Ford

[@HadEnough745]

Sad that you trusted Ford and this is what you get for buying American. Stick with Toyota, Honda, Kia - Anything but Ford

[@udumkopf8217]

@@HadEnough745 They're ALL junk. Every brand has problems

[@vintagehotshot5861]

@@HadEnough745 Kia is trash and Honda is not as good as back in the day the only good and trusted is Toyota they make pretty reliable vehicles

[@K3BBB]

Thank you for the advice. The problem I has on my 2005 Explorer was exactly the problem you went through with the broken black wire in the door post. My battery kept dying because all the lights were on in the outside mirrors and inside lights. Keep the videos coming and Thank you again. Saved me a lot of aggravation and money.

[@americankaratesystem919]

THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO!!!! It took me a few hours, but I FINALLY got this problem fixed! I looked at several different videos on this subject, this one is the best! The switch checked out fine, I didn't expect that, and the broken ground wire was EXACTLY as pictured here! You saved me lots of time and $$$$! (It seems that someone had previously attempted to remove the inner door panel, there were pry marks all over the left side, and one speaker bolt is missing.) Now the doors lock automatically, the interior light goes out, the DOOR AJAR light does not light, the battery light does not come on, I can use my dash lights at night! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!!

[@FordTechMakuloco]

+American Karate System Nice!!

[@hawaiianf1504]

Brian this was a great video. We don't usually get to see this kind of detailed repair. simple easy and not expensive to do. Thanks!

[@zacharyscott8379]

your the man, had 8 broken wires, couldn't even turn off my change oil light until I fixed this issue, now things I didn't even know about work

[@terryglass5390]

Wow. After watching a video on door ajar fault, I went to my harness and wiggled test and bingo , I have a broken wire so I will be doing this repair myself. Thank you.

[@dennispelton734]

After watching the video does He gives me several ideas of how to search out the problem

[@themurphrees3795]

I had the same issue, and checked the wiring just like you did, I didn’t find a broken or loose wire, I then checked the negative battery cable and realized it was loose, very loose, I tightened the clamp and boom problem fixed, of course I would of never thought negative wire until your video, but you did point me in the right direction. Thank you

[@themurphrees3795]

Well I thought that fixed the problem, it came back, I guess I need to bite the bullet, and remove the door panel.

[@darfred1369]

had this issue this week with my 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer. I sprayed WD40 on every door latch including the back rear. found the back rear door latch was the one stuck, causing the door ajar light to stay on. Other symptoms i had with this stuck latch were, the dinger constantly dinging, door locks locking/unlocking and the interior light staying on all while driving. I also noticed my negative terminal on my battery had some corrosion on it. I would say, before going balls deep into trouble shooting, spray ALL door latches as shown in this video. Thanks for the video! Another problem solved watching the LocoFordTech i'm just glad it was an easy fix.

[@Angeldenis1987]

Awesome! This was already annoying the shit out of me! This dinging would not shut up while driving, alarm going off in the middle of the night, waking up and running around the house trying to find the remote! Man you have brought the peace back to my home. Thanks.

[@pedroronaldopereiraAdm]

This was a great video that helped me to understand my Ranger's "Door Ajar" fault, lighting from the passenger door. Now I'll easily repair. Thanks, Brian, from Brazil.

[@raevn11]

Competent, clear, and you kept your viewers in mind while recording. Exactly the video i needed. Thank you.

[@SpaceJaicen]

Thank you for this video ! I was a lucky one, WD-40 sprayed down the holes 🕳 seemed to work for my door ajar alarm sensor. Been 3 weeks and it’s been all good ! I’ve got my sanity back ! 2003 Ford Explorer here

[@boredmillionaire9914]

Thank you so so much for this video. I couldn't find the broken wire in my boot, then I watched your video and saw how you said to really fish around for it AND I FOUND THE BROKEN WIRE! Now my power windows work again.

[@michaelsalyer4370]

Just bought my wife a 04 Explorer and the door ajar is always on... THANK YOU FOR THIS

[@yitzchakteller943]

My 04 explorer had the same issue that was driving me crazy for a few months and I just fixed it. Whoever made this video THANKS!!!

[@yitzchakteller943]

The ground was broken in the boot between the door and the car

[@BegoneJonah]

Much thanks! 2004 Ford Explorer. Not only was my door ajar light on constantly, but the power door locks and the rear view mirror motors wouldn’t work. So I did as you suggested and found the very same severed black wire that you illustrated. Fixing that solved all the problems. Took me about an hour to an hour and a half. Well done!

[@ericleaverton8906]

Thanks for the tip! This fixed the door ajar issue in my 2005 Escape. Now the door locks function again and no alarm going off in the middle of the night!

[@guygawrych3711]

I have a 2003 Eddie Bauer Explorer and had the same "Door Ajar" warning. Found this video, tried it out and worked like a charm!!

[@rubennieves6782]

Good video, My first language is not english , but I understand all explanations without problem!! I have two ford explorer, and this channel will be my first visit to work on them!!

[@dannyl2598]

Thank you! I was able to resolve this on going and worsening problem by doing exactly what you said. The spray did the trick for me. You are my go to Tech for Ford trouble. Thank you for taking the time to produce these videos. You are awesome.

[@TheRealMarkChastain]

Great video. Saved me time and aggravation because I knew to go straight to the wire harness when the paper-clip did not work. Two broken ground wires on the driver door.I also wanted to let everyone watching know the following, - It could be multiple doors. If you get the wires fixed but still have a problem, go to the next door. - Each switch is a straight run to the control module. This makes it easy to troubleshoot multiple issues. Look for 12v at each switch (the wire that is NOT black. I think they are all Yellow with a stripe). The black wire should be a ground.

[@carladolphson7327]

Sweet, nice presentation

[@tatj83]

Excellent step by step video. Followed the steps and tracked two broken black wires running thru the rubber boot. Took a couple of hours because it's really hard to connect the broken wires for a novice and getting the rubber boot back up from inside the door being careful not to break any other wires can be time consuming, even using lubricant. Liked and subscribed.

[@ryan9020]

Video is 8 years old and so far, from what I've seen its the best video out there on this topic (which is still quite relevant and still a major issue). The question is though, how has Ford been allowed to let this (what I believe to be a MAJOR safety issue)continue to manufacture vehicles with the same old BS problems?

[@rongarcia6743]

I had multiple indicators of a problem. At about 50 mph the alarm would start pinging, I would tap the brakes and the door lock would cycle to unlock and back to lock. the door ajar light would flash and the 4X4 light would flash. Fixing the black wire in the door took care of all of these symptoms. OH, the last symptom I did not mention was my wife fussing about the lights and alarms. Thankfully all the symptoms are gone (for the most part) Thank you so much.

[@mwr518]

You are a great mechanic and will never run out of work since your expertise is in Fords. They truly are junk.

[@jsergio1971]

Thank you man!!! My 2004 explorer has the same black cable broken. Watching your video I was able to fix the dolor locks, power mirrors and the speaker. And the door ajar light works as it should Once again thank you and best regards from Monterrey México

[@BlakeJurgensen]

Lifesaver!!! Exact same broken black wire situation with my 2004 Explorer. Spliced and fixed! Awesome! Thank a ton!

[@bentnickel7487]

I have a 98 Taurus SHO that had electrical door issues that were fixed after I watched this video. Thank you so much.

[@ToddSails]

Finally took off my door panel on my 03 Explorer after watching this video. BOOM- Black wire, and a purple one too were severed in the rubber boot/wire loom. Thanks!!!

[@kentfriesen7018]

Makuloco just want you to know I enjoy watching your videos and learning. You are a good teacher, thanks for sharing your knowledge

[@MegaJojo1962]

I had door ajar problem with 2002 explorer door locks would not work interior light would come on and off while driving which was bad when driving at night locks would cycle randomly lights on alarm would ding was about to drive me crazy. Tried the we-40.trick....did nothing. I decided to do some more research before bringing to mechanic and found this video. Pulled the door pillar boot back like you showed and what do you think I found? The black ground wire was broken in two just like in the video,spliced it back and now everything works perfect. Thanks for making this awesome video!

[@philfromdallas]

Thank you very much. I had similar problems with my 2004 Explorer and this video was spot on. I found the same ground wire broken inside tube between the door and the frame. It took about two hours to make the repair from start to finish.

[@ProtectionDirect]

THANK YOU for making this. I've read about the fixes but seeing it is much better. I've had two 2nd gen and one 3rd gen Explorer and ALL of them had the door ajar problem.

[@kc7433]

Excellent video, thank you. My 04 was exactly as depicted, wires looked OK but the black broken just inside the door. I had figured out it was the low current ground somewhere but your video was a great help finding where the break was and getting the door apart and fixing it. Thank you.

[@steveevans6270]

I rebuilt the switch .cleaning it took it apart.replaced the spring with a ballpoint pen spring. Heated the housing with a lighter. Came apart easy.glued it back together. New switch was 37bucks.and 3 day wait for a new one. Working fine

[@firemandkdkdk]

Good to know ! Try getting the switches for a 1997 Expedition in the Philippines.... thank god for Amazon......

[@johnkomosa4089]

You can open and close that door all you want and spray a gallon of penitrent into the door latch area but until you fix Fords f up on that harness, its not going to work. Nice green Lee crimper, for those that do not have a green lee, I recommend soldering is the best fix. Good job young Man , thanks for the video. Keep up the good work.

[@TheTimberlen]

Had this issues for a while and it was driving me nuts. This video was a huge help. Thank man

[@The1timmer2]

Excellent video, thanks! My 2005 Lincoln LS had the same issue but in my case not only would the interior lights come on while the vehicle was parked but alarm was constantly going off. I quickly rouse up through ranks to become, "the favorite neighbor" because it usually went off around 3 or 4 in the morning. Tried the penetrate/WD40 first but it turned out to have the same problem, broken ground.

[@jerryrobison3786]

I wanted to thank you for this video. I just got done fixing my 05 Mountaineer with the exact broken wire as shown in the video. Thanks Again!

[@dirtbagdf]

I did the WD40 thing on my '03 Explorer some years ago. Now it makes more sense after watching this video. Thanks Brian

[@W0RLDSSMALLESTVI0LIN]

this guy is absolutely awesome

[@kack7130]

agree very detail

[@paulholcombe8994]

Ajar light stays on. Dome light goes off when 5 mph is reached put a new switch in on the drivers door and it didn't help. The ajar light shows all 4 doors open. I'm going with the wiring break issue 03 f250 [e-mail]

[@gabrielleleboeuf4410]

Oh my goodness you have saved my life I just tried that trick and it works I have been going crazy for days about my domelight

[@victormponguliana5007]

Tried rust penetrant, and it worked!!😀... I have Explorer xlt 2003. Thank you very much. From East Africa.

[@bryce2012bm]

2005 Ford Taurus here, thank you so much for the video this is life saving 👌

[@sandmantk4901]

Best explained vid for this dome light issue on the internet. Thank you very much.

[@EdScola]

Thank You! I used the rust penetrate and it work. I sprayed all the doors and the truck latches. So I'm not sure which door had the problem. Open the closed the doors multiple times as you said to do and the light is out, everything is normal. Thanks again!

[@chriscusick6551]

What an excellent instructor!! Clear concise explanations only an intelligent could do this.

[@mardy2630]

Well, that was fast. Sprayed a little "CLP" where you indicated and it started working right way. Thanks!

[@andrewjackson3363]

Been dinking with my 04 explorer for years on the door ajar switch , lock and unlock on drivers door for a year and 3 months on no windows up or down....fixed 2 of three and broke real good the lock switch..LOL..but I know it's broken for sure. GREAT Vid THANKS

[@Chris-eh3du]

LOVE seeing 02'-05' Explorer videos! (...mainly...because.....they have a lot of problems) We want more! We want more! :)

[@johnmartinez8023]

Thank you for such a thorough video. I literally just watched it this morning and followed it step by step and found the same problem with my 2005 explorer. Problem found and fixed(just as you showed)! Thanks again!

[@jaydawg2023]

If you have this problem and dont want to drain your battery, use the force-off option for the interior lights by rolling down the button left of your steering wheel till it clicks. Then interior lights will be forced off and never come on regardless of door open or closed.

[@SamathaNLouisiana]

That doesn't help when you're traveling though because it dims the dash lights when it's rolled fully down. Having to switch them on and off is irritating and quite easy to forget about when you exit the vehicle.

[@joshdalton9301]

Dude.... the rust penetrate worked beautifully! If you have an 04 expy and your lights don’t cut off when door closed (give them about 3-6 sec) try this! Again.. you’ve saved me so many headaches!

[@thesevys1832]

Thanks for the video. I fixed my explorer just as you suggested. Not only did I fix the door ajar light, but I also fixed a severed window and mirror wire.

[@SmartHerSparty]

Thx dude. Used the rust penetrant on the hatch window of my 03 escape AND IT WORKED!!

[@Timandjulieharris]

PERFECT! I had exactly the problem described, even down to the black wire breaking where it did. Textbook perfect howto video! Fixed in 30 minutes....

[@willsachs]

Thanks man, your video helped me out with a 2003 Thunderbird and the courtesy lamps and short drop glass problem. All because of a door ajar switch!

[@henryjustiniano4075]

The best no bull explanation....straight to the point

[@mcdavidhome100]

Thank you soooo much for this video bro. You've just saved me hundreds of dollars in repair work!!!

[@FordTechMakuloco]

+DMACKD mcdavid Awesome!

[@mpfoote]

I just wanted to say, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! I was lucky and the WD-40 method worked for me. I would have never known that trick if not for this video.

[@keith3139]

This video helped alot. Found out my door ajar problem was a bad front passenger door sensor. Thank you for this.

[@bowlgreat]

great video- i had actually been using electronic cleaner spray which was working well- when it started happening again i tried rust penetrant as you said,the ajar light started staying on constantly-i sprayed with electronic spray again and it fixed it - maybe another alternative before taking the door apart-

[@kazymerchyk]

paused your video at the 4 minute mark went and sprayed the sh*t out of it thank you so much man! this all started about 3 months ago when a neighbor informed me my alarm goes off at 3 am sometimes. then it progressed to the door ajar message essentially flashing while driving. fun stuff!!

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Nice!

[@kaleadean3953]

Did you not notice your alarm going off at 3:00 am as well?

[@spikerogan2416]

Thanks for your video. I suspect my 2002 XLT is developing this very same issue. I didn't have the fob today, so I was trying to lock the doors with the switch. But every time I hit it to lock, a second later the door would unlock. So I used the key to manually lock the door. I noticed all the other doors were locked with no issue. Then a few hours later when I had to move my Explorer it gave me trouble starting up. I'm not sure they are connected. But being a ham radio operator, I know bad grounds can cause wacky things along the system--in almost a domino effect. I bought the Explorer used a few years ago with 64K miles. A few months in I had the door switch issue. But spraying it a bunch of times with Power Blaster resolved it. Before that, I had an issue with the lights going on randomly inside. And the alarm going off (When the ignition was off, no one inside, and the doors locked). When that would happen the lights under the mirrors would go on. But that all stopped when I replaced the battery with a new one. The lights under the mirrors have never come on other than at that time. Now I suspect it could be the very same ground wire. I use the Explorer for court purposes, where I am constantly opening and closing the door. And the previous owners were a municipality who used it for the codes officer. So the door probably has a lot more time opening and closing than a typical civilian owned Explorer. And true to form with this generation, everything seems to be a little too short. Just like the stupid plastic trim on the rear hatch--that is cracked on every 2002 & 2003.

[@timsigler80]

Yes. The wiring on the front driver's side pillar has created two window issues on my F-150. Broken and rewired both times. Thank you.

[@lonthrall5613]

Really appreciate the professional quality videos and excellent repair information!

[@spknout]

Thanks soooooooooo much. It was just as you said. I checked the wire and sure enough, it was the black ground wire. All is fixed and well. Thanks again.

[@eldoradony]

As usual, you are right on the money. I do the same as you; spray then look for the broken harness. I have never found the latch to be bad on a Ford, only broken wires in the door jamb.

[@MCRSERVICE253]

W-D40 worked!! Thank you baby Jesus!!

[@ogk9com]

Thank you so much. 2003 Excursion passenger rear switch has been giving me problems. Tonight interior light would not go out. Was going to pull the fuse but that will lead to other issues, cluster. 6 min into your video i wslked outside with some WD40 specialist white lith. closed the door and the light went out. Thank you again.

[@kaitlynmohart3063]

i wish all do it urself videos were like this one. great video, well detailed, went slow enough so even a dummy like me can understand. Im getting ready to go fix my f250 right now. Dynamic diesel tried charging me 1200 bucks to fix. lol will see what happens...

[@evanflynn9987]

Thank you. Iv'e been searching for a long time for a competent solution to this problem.

[@ArtHeld]

What a great video! I'm working on a Taurus, and this is exactly what I needed.

[@CHERYLHEDDELL]

great job explaining the process You would make a geat teacher

[@jonaskey]

Thank you for this video. I was able to fix my moms explorer thanks to you!

[@stowell23]

This was too stupid for words! Great video, EXACTLY what I found, same wire and everything. Worked well, thanks for the demo and instruction...

[@mrmattdoc]

Always excellent One of the best mechanics on youtube

[@bradfordlynch2105]

I have an issue that I assumed was similar to the fix you posted in this video. I was wrong....I have a 2007 Ford Explorer. My dome lights would turn on intermittently while driving. Anytime I hit a bump or a pothole they would turn on. My door ajar dash light would not come on. I did some research and found this to be a rather common issue. The solution was to replace the ignition cylinder. I ordered a Motorcraft replacement ignition tumbler and I replaced it according to the instructions (with some help form a youtube video). It went smoothly, but it didn't fix my issue. I have a little bit of play in the cylinder but not as much as the stock cylinder had. I was told this was a common issue when people have large heavy key rings. It wears the ignition out and causes this problem. Just to try to rule things out, I also replaced the backside of the ignition switch with a Duralast part. None of these fixed the issue. I have seen many posts online with people complaining about the same issue I am having but other than replacing the lock cylinder I have not seen any other solutions. Did the rotorcraft cylinder I purchased not fix the issue? I also noticed that the duralast ignition cylinder has a retainer clip on the "in-board" side (furthest from the head of the key and closest to the tip of the key) that the motorcraft ignition cylinder didn't have. Maybe this is the key to fixing it? Your input would be GREATLY appreciated as this is not only an annoying issue but relatively dangerous at night when the interior lights come on and distract you while driving. Thanks- Brad

[@georgeriverasr.6298]

Great job, great detail. That's why I love your videos. George Rivera from Surgarland Texas.

[@ricky6575]

great work. watch video.checked for broke black wire on drivers door, and yes it was cut in haft. I fixed wire and no more door ajar. THANK YOU

[@jamesmaddox40]

I love your work. Wish I could have trained with you when I was younger. I am almost ready to attempt the F150 timing chain repair. Waiting to get the high volume oil pump you recommended.

[@joshuamaze2843]

Thank you! Did this process on the drivers door and got nowhere. Did the passager side with the paper clip in the connector and boom! Door ajar warning went away. Saved me a big headache.

[@cliffperrino3015]

You are THE best,follow you all the time,saving people money allthe time,THANK YOU isnt enough.

[@richards1191]

Thank you. Lucky for me at least for now just using the WD40 and PBlaster did the trick! I plan to do this as part of the yearly maintenance checks to hope of keeping it from happening again!

[@LutherBuilds]

Thanks so much for your video! My 02 Explorer had a broken black and blue wire in the harness. Can't believe how easy it was to fix. Hardest part was removing the connectors from the switches. Still didn't fix my door ajar, so I suspect a faulty door lock switch. I'll tackle that another time.

[@scampalong]

Thanks for this: I TRIED this - didn't work because it wasn't the issue on my 2001 Subaru: Yours & similar videos DID lead me to the culprit - the door ajar switch.. If you know how to replace it - great. All I did was put a screw next to it & it stabilized the toggle piece enough to create contact.. thanks ~

[@grantazdell5305]

Great video. I was having this same problem with the door lock and the door ajar light. It was the ground wire! Thanks.

[@pisacksen]

Thanks for the video. Pieced the clues together to fix a right rear ajar sensor on a 03 Expedition.

[@sn1p3r75rngr]

Subscribed..I have an 04 explorer, this guy WILL come in handy. Thanks big guy.

[@gen157]

Thanks. My sister recently bought an 02 Explorer. Door ajar on the dash, can't use the dash lights driving to work or at night because it turns the interior lights on. It was driving me nuts trying to figure it out. This information will help a lot.