Door switch electrical gremlin

[stefan]

My dome light flickers on when i hit bumps ect.. and even more annoying, i have a relay that energizes when a door opens so thats clicking constantly. i dont even know where to look. it dosent do it when im stopped. any ideas?

[jglutz]

Computer fixed? Welcomeback!

A quick start....the door switch... along the sill below the latch...the switch closes the circuit to ground when the plunger is out (dome light on)
With that said...remove the switch and tape of the electrical connector...drive around for a day or so to see if the problem disappears.
Before you remove the switch...wiggle the plunger while the door is open...the dome light should stay on.

Years ago...I had a simalar problem...no relay...I took the switch out...took it apart and cleand out the internals...If i remember corrrectly...I had to unbend some tab to dismantle the switch...caution...it's spring loaded.

[25Horseplay]

Maybe the switch is wore down or chipped not allowing it to completely shut off all the time.

[stefan]

the computer is a write-off. the video card went and since its a laptop they wanted 800 to fix it :S
so for now im just going on my dads computer now and then.

I've had the switches out... ive taken them apart and cleaned and greased them. (for awhile they were sticky and the light didnt come on when i opened the door.

something i just thought of.. my doors arent aligned worth $^#@, and i cant get them right.... how far dose the door push the switch in? maybe theres my problem

i like the idea of removing the door switch and taping it off. ill try that.

i have several things tapped off the door switch circuit, but ive traced all the wiring and i cant find any problems.

[Gforcefd]

You could always cut the door switch and twist the wires together, then it thinks the door is permanetly closed, of course this should be a last solution.

[stefan]

no. i need working door switches, ive got too many goodies running off them!

[jglutz]

ive got too many goodies running off them!

I would suspect the switch is rated for the load of the lamp only....remeber the flyback diode discussion? Breaking a lamp circuit is one thing...breaking a relay coil circuit is more destructive to the switch contacts.

[stefan]

the switch still turns the lamp on/off fine tho when i open the door.

off the top of my head, my alarm is tapped off the door switches, also the alarm has an output that turns on the dome light when i unlock the doors with the remote exct, thats also tapped into the circuit. and i used two 5 pin relays to setup 'retained acc power', my radio stays on when i turn off the key untill i open a door, like some new GMs

[worfdog]

if you can't adjust the door to make it close tighter, i would use a piece of duct tape, take the cardboard from a cereal box or something simliar, fold a small piece and use the duct tape to fasten it to the place on the door where the door switch hits. just make that area a little thicker at that place so that the switch will compress more till you can get it fixed right. after you figure out how thick it needs to be you could glue something as thick as the cardboard and it would be a little more permanent.

[sasquatch]

off the top of my head, my alarm is tapped off the door switches, also the alarm has an output that turns on the dome light when i unlock the doors with the remote exct, thats also tapped into the circuit. and i used two 5 pin relays to setup 'retained acc power', my radio stays on when i turn off the key untill i open a door, like some new GMs

that is alot of wiring, you must have aced electronics class

[WmWatt]

Drop of WD-40 on the door switch.

[stefan]

i got it. when i was driving i found that if i pulled the drivers door in it wouldn't flicker... and if i push out on it it stays on.. yup my drivers door is brutally our of alignment... but ive had the fender off a dozen times to try adjust those hinges... and i can never get it any better.

anyways i put a couple tiny washers between the switch and the body and used longer screws and its seem to have done the trick... ill see soon as i drive it

[worfdog]

the door striker on the pillow post can be loosened and adjusted in to make the door close tighter. there should be two large phillips head screws holding the striker on .

[jglutz]

Tking a door off...I've learned the hard way...scribe a line around the hinges....drill a small hole in the hing plates and use the butt of the drill to allign the holes durring re-install...or, spray the hinge before removal with Dykem.

[stefan]

i know the striker can be adjusted too... ive played with that too.

and the door has been like this since ive got it. it was a different shade of red too. it think its off an 88/89