"head light on" chime and "key in ignition" chime no longer work

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

my "head light on" chime and "key in ignition" chime no longer make a noise when I the vehicle is off and the headlights are still on, nor do they make a noise when i leave the key in the ignition. i need to fix this before i end up leaving my lights on and killing another battery.

I can only really find information on these chimes being stuck on, but most of that information leads me to believe that this could be related to my driverside "door adjar" switch also not working?
first off i sprayed the door latch with a bunch of WD40 and slammed the door a few times.... door ajar light still wont appear on dash..

does anyone have any insight on where to start looking into this headlight chime issue?
ive found a bunch of threads started where the person has the same symptoms and then 0 replies

 

[Josh B]

Does the chime still work on anything?

 

[RonD]

Yes, most likely the driver's door open switch is the issue if door ajar light still works for passenger door

The same chime is used for both "key in ignition" and "headlights on", but if chime failed that wouldn't effect Door Ajar light as well

Door switch is at the bottom of the latch, its a 2 wire plunger type ground switch, when door is closed Ground is lifted, when door is open switch passes ground to GEM module(opposite of what most people think)
GEM activates door ajar light, and chime if needed, when it sees a door switch grounded

Because its at the bottom of the latch dirt can wash down into the switch and make it stick open or closed
Spraying WD40 into the latch can/may washout any dirt, hit and miss "fix"

It is a Twist lock attachment to the latch, so you must loosen the latch so it can be pull back inside enough to unTwist the old switch and put in the new one

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

I am wondering if the switch is easily accessible and if i could try and "unstick" the switch manually with my hands or a pokey device.
someone in a different thread mentioned a new switch is only $10, so that may be the easier option.
There is also a ton of alkali dust in my door panel.
I figure next step may be to remove the switch and check the wires for corrosion? would wd40 and alkali dust accelerate corrosion of the switch? iirc, i spray a bunch inside one of my keyholes a few months ago, i do not remember which side.

"Does the chime still work on anything? "
Josh, I do not know of anything else that will trigger the chime. from what i have read, the chiming devise only fails on older 2nd gen rangers.

 

[RonD]

No way to clean the switch without removing it, and no guaranty you can get it to work again by cleaning it................................

So do this, order one/buy one, save the receipt, return it if you can fix the old one
But have one on hand because there is a bit of disassembly required to access this switch, and it would be a shame to have to put it all back together unFixed and to do it all over again with new switch in hand

Yes, I think Dorman sells a $10 replacement switch

And if you pay by Credit Card and return it within a week or two you never actually paid for it, lol

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

I just watched this video

and I learned two things:
1. if i disconnect the plug going into the switch, the circuit will be open and the door ajar light should come on
....and *i think* my headlight/key-in-ignition chime should start functioning as well
2. then if i jump the wire harness plug with a paperclip, the door ajar light should turn off... okay, gonna go test it.

TEST

so i just did the paperclip test and noticed a few things:
A. door ajar switch harness connection was covered in a fuckton of what appears to be white lithium grease. i instinctively wiped of a bunch before i took the picture. (headlights on) then i sprayed it with electrical contact cleaner.
1. Circuit jumped with paperclip, no key in ignition, no door ajar light appearing on dash, headlight on chime making noise.
2. Circuit jumped with paperclip, key is in ignition and 'key-in-ignition' chime on, no door ajar light appearing on dash
3. Circuit jumped, key is turned to 'accessories on' setting, Door Ajar light is on, "Head light on" chime not making noise.
4. I plugged the harness back in and started wiggling the 'door ajar sensor' wire haness bracket and when i applied pressure in any direction, the headlight chime would come on. Should the 'door ajar sensor' bracket/wire-harness-plug not be wiggley and loose?

other notes:
-whenever i did jump the wire circuit with a wire, i would hear clicking from the dash. is this my GEM module?
-when i first started messing with the switch+harness, i did see the driverside door ajar light did come on, but i could not get it back on after that.
-at one point of messing with the harness, the abs light started clicking on and off... i could not recreate that
-my battery is dead and probably sitting below 12.2volts or so (multimeter is also dead )
----could this cause a lack of voltage that causes other sensors and devices to cease functioning?
-over the years, I have replaced headlight dimmer switch, multi function switch,
-recently, i was having keyhole issues and was kinda aimlessly fucking with things. I do remember i put the door latch in closed position while it was open and then slammed the door. i believe that could have knocked some shit out of wack. could this be why my 'door ajar switch' assembly/bracket/harness feels loose?

I was really trying to avoid making a cluster fucked post like this /facepalm
i left head light on and walked away from the truck for a while /doublefacepalm
ill pick up a new (used) battery tmrw /smh

 

[RonD]

No, that video is wrong, common assumption though

When door is open switch is closed, so GEM "sees" a ground from the switch and turns on Door Ajar light
Common fix if owner didn't want chime or door ajar light was to unplug the switch, no more ground signal to GEM

If you unplug the switch and short the 2 wires together door ajar light will come on, if wiring is OK
If it doesn't then test black wire for ground, 0 ohms to body ground, not door
Run a jumper Ground wire to Yellow wire and door ajar light should come on

If there is no ground(black wire) or yellow wire grounded doesn't get Door Ajar light(assuming passenger door activates light) then most likely you have a broken wire in the door jamb rubber boot, not common but happens from opening and closing the door
All the door wiring is behind driver side kick panel
So you can find yellow or black wire there and run a new wire from there thru the door jamb and to the switch connector


2000 door locks and switches diagram
switches are the bottom, shown as Door CLOSED


Think about "failbad" or failsafe" thats what engineers do, well suppose to do, lol
If GEM had the ground when doors were closed and then lost the ground when door was open to activate light and chime, then if EITHER wire failed it would be a "failbad" as the light and chime would be on all the time, well with key on, very bad, lol
If GEM only activated light and chime when it had a Ground from the switch then if either wire failed it would be a "failsafe", a slight annoyance it no longer works

 

[Josh B]

I usually unplug my door light switches anyway. If I want one on there's plenty of switches to use for any light

 

[youngbuckwithapickuptruck]

the 'door ajar switch' fits very very loosely to the door latch mechanism. i am very sure this is the issue as the 'door ajar switch' works when pressure applied in most directions. i opened up the passenger door and the switch had a little play. driverside 'door ajar switch' has lots of play.

so far i have not found any detailed videos on removing the door latch assembley. does anyone have any information on how the 'door ajar switch' connects to the door latch mechanism? is it a flimsy connector susceptible to breaking/loosening? i figure my next step is to try to attempt to secure the connection. do i need to remove the door latch to do this?

 

[RonD]

On the back edge of the door there are 3 bolts that hold the latch on the door, loosen all 3, might have to remove them
Inside the door pull the latch in and see if there is enough room to twist the door switch so it releases from the latch

The switch uses a "twist lock", like a plastic bottle cap, twist to remove, reverse twist to install