[mbaha]

Not sure if this is correlation or causation. The other we noticed that door ajar light will not go off not matter how many times we close all the doors. Normally this would also turn on the dome light but our wonderfull dealer (Honda Santa Ana) removed the dome light when they installed this POS DVD player, thanks guys!

A day or two after noticing that door ajar indicator light is always on the E's battery was toast. Not sure there is some small draw even though the dome light is not on.


To diagnose the door ajar light issue I have
1)With the ignition on, I have pushed on the doors and closed them aggressively
2) Removed and cleaned the switch sticking out of the clam shell (suicide) door
3) Grounded out the connector which goes to switch on the clam shell (suicide) door
4) Attempted and failed to find the connector mentioned here

How does the button on the clam shell (suicide) work? I might have been testing it wrong, is the wire grounded when the door is open or closed?

We need this car up and running, I'll be replacing the battery tonight and I can't get the door ajar light fixed ASAP then I'll have to pay out the wazzu for the dealer to fix it.
thanks

 

[mbaha]

Well I may have found it, all THREE screws from the bottom passenger side clam shell door are missing!! Time to go to the dealer!

 

[ramblerdan]

You could have a door slightly out of alignment, or a bad switch. Before slamming doors, I'd press the door switches individually to see if the indicator goes out.

3) Grounded out the connector which goes to switch on the clam shell door

Don't have the wiring manual here, but IIRC the switches work by providing ground, not (+), to the lights. So you might be doing the opposite of what you intend here. OTOH it should be easy to test: Put the cargo-area light's switch in the middle position. If it doesn't go on (assuming the bulb is good), then you're OK on that end.

 

[mbaha]

You could have a door slightly out of alignment, or a bad switch. Before slamming doors, I'd press the door switches individually to see if the indicator goes out.


Don't have the wiring manual here, but IIRC the switches work by providing ground, not (+), to the lights. So you might be doing the opposite of what you intend here. OTOH it should be easy to test: Put the cargo-area light's switch in the middle position. If it doesn't go on (assuming the bulb is good), then you're OK on that end.

I pushed both switches before slamming the doors, I also think I tested the switches backwards, in this case the light should have gone off when I disconnected the switches, which it didn't.

Also the rear hatch as a separate indicator which is not on, suggesting the problem is in the doors.

Other than the two switches sticking out of the rear clam shell door is there any other door ajar switches?

Ordered three new screws for the latch ($4) and got a new battery at costco ($60). The screws should be here tomorrow

 

[mbaha]

the bottom latch was the issue, they must have a door ajar sensor in the bottom latches as well

 

[RallyRedShon]

Same Gremlin in my E

I have the same issue except it's my rear door ajar indicator that's on.

The day after I finished a rear hatch handle & lock switch mod, the dreaded Door Ajar gremlin decided to rear it's ugly and elusive head. I was thinking that my mod had fouled a ground or shorted a circuit somewhere, so today I pretty much reinspected every aspect of the wiring for the mod trying to terminate this gremlin. No success.

I then decided to log on to the EOC site and search - found lots of information about this exact problem. Of course, being the knucklehead that I am, I should have logged on BEFORE going through all that inspecting and re-inspecting of my mod. duh.

Anywho, I'm heading back out tomorrow morning to check latch adjustment and latch lubrication - I think it is my driver's side rear bottom door latch. I've had to adjust/tighten this one once in the past. Also, several of the posts related to this problem mention how the problem seemed to start almost exactly as the weather turned cold - same here - we dropped into the 20's the day after I finished the mod. But, again, knucklehead me - I assumed my mod caused it because it occurred after I finished my mod. I think if a latch is close to needing adjustment or lube, cold weather and its affect on metal properties can cause a latch to malfunction.

Hopefully this is the case because the door ajar scenario is quite the frustrating PITA - I'm determined to slay this beast in the morning.

(Fingers crossed...) :eoc:

 

[RallyRedShon]

Door Ajar Gremlin Vanquished = Happy Camper!

The culprit was the rear hatch catch, for lack of a proper part name. It's the u-shaped bar that the top part of the clam shell latches onto when you close it - it's actually on the bottom part of the clam shell. I adjusted it towards the rear of the vehicle a smidge or two and voila! Dome and warning light are appeased!

No dealer involved, no replacement parts, no mod errors - just a few minutes searching the omnipotent EOC site and a few minutes with a big phillips head...

:eoc:

 

[JourneymanAcuraMech]

the bottom latch was the issue, they must have a door ajar sensor in the bottom latches as well

And

The culprit was the rear hatch catch, for lack of a proper part name.

Both of you got lucky. Thank you for the cause and effect.