frogzapper

Has anyone else had a problem with their "door ajar" warning light staying on all the time? I just noticed this today. The light stays on all the time regardless of whether the car is on or off. I went around an opened and shut all of the doors and trunk a few times just to make sure that they were all closed, and the light is still on. Any ideas, or do I need to take it in to the dealer?

eccles

Do you have the optional Shock Sensor alarm upgrade? Someone (Hercules?) mentioned in an earlier thread that an incorrectly-adjusted shock sensor results in a spurious door light.

If not, then it sounds like you may have a faulty switch. You'll find the switches towards the lower front corner of the rear doors, where they're depressed by the front door closing on them. Try manipulating them by hand - you should hear a click when you depress and release them.

ZOOMx8

I had a similar problem in my '95 Mazda truck (I know it's not the same as an RX-8). The interior light would stay on, the door ajar symbol on the dash would be on and the door ajar chime would be going off as I was driving down the street. The most annoying thing ever! Like you, I cheched all my doors (easy to do when there's only 2 ) and they were all shut correctly. I ended up having to take it to Mazda service and it was a faulty signal between the door and the "sensor" that recognizes the door being shut. Since the "sensor" has been replaced I haven't experienced anything since (knocking on wood). If it continues, I would suggest taking it in to be checked and possibly serviced. Hope this helps!

DocHolliday

Depending on what kind of sensor is used to check the door status you might be able to lube it up. Alot of cars use a simple switch similiar in design to those used in fridges to turn the light on. The switch on my 01 Stratus gets stuck alot and I have to lube it(WD40) up some to get it to operate normally again. Looking to get it replaced this weekend though because I am sick of fixing it.

I am probably way off since I have no clue what Mazda uses but its worth looking into.

frogzapper

No, I don't have the shock sensor upgrade, but I did have LoJack installed yesterday afternoon. I wonder if that could have anything to do with it? I didn't notice whether or not the door ajar light was on when I drove it home last night.

I pressed the switch in the rear doors as you suggested, and when I did so, I heard it click and I saw the door ajar light dim slightly, but it still stayed on.

eccles

The interior lights dim immediately, then fade off altogether after a few seconds. If they're working correctly, as it sounds like they are, then I suspect you have some other problem that needs to be looked at under warranty.

JohnO

Very odd! I'm experiencing the very same problem. It just started today (and it's raining, if that matters). It's even on when the car is all locked up and dark... I notied during my drive home tonight that it got brighter and dimmer as I was driving.

RotaryNoob

Its the lojack. Had the same problem. They installed it on the wrong wire. Call lojack and they'll come back to fix it.

Apophis

Yo tambien... Definitely the Lojack. I'm a busy guy so it took me a month to call and get them to come back out and fix it. They really need to issue a memo. After they "fixed" mine, my car had a distinct new rattle. Imagine the fury! I had a supervisor come out and tighten the screws the first jackass left loose...

JohnO

No Lojack! And get this! This morning it's not raining and the light is out... Hmmm Maybe it's the switch leaking some current when it's wet?

Mr M

I don't think it is part of the circuit, but did you check the hood as well?

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

My '05 with 18K miles just started doing this, passenger side only. Intermittently and only during the cool morning commute, not the warm afternoon return trip. Must be a switch/door [mis-] alignment issue. I have the shock sensor option.
I'll have it checked out next dealer oil change. Darn irritating when it happens; mostly upon change in acceleration forces.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Update: of course when I went to the dealer yesterday the light wasn't on. They said it had to be faulted to pull a code on it. They did do an inspection but that of course didn't turn up anything. I hate intermittent electrical problems; always the most difficult to diagnose.

firebirdude

iTrader: (3)

When you notice something wrong in your car... an overwhelming percentage of the time... it is due to the work you just did/had done on your car.

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

True, but this is just one of those gremlin things. I'll go for a couple months with no incident and then one morning the door ajar warning and map lights will come on. I can clearly hear the passenger suicide door plunger switch making and breaking connection upon changes in acceleration. Yet the booted switch seems fine mechanically and the doors seal well. Go figger.


edit: here's a TSB for a diode replacement in the security shock sensor: http://www.finishlineperformance.com...7-04-1281a.pdf

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

Well, this happened to me again yesterday and it's hot here these days. I was able to clear it by 'massaging' the suicide door plunger switch through its rubber boot. Time to replace the switch I guess to eliminate that variable. It's so infrequent (note my last subject post two years ago) but so very aggravating when it does occur!

RX8Prodigy

iTrader: (1)

This is currently happening on my car. Had a slight door scratch/dent repaired on the passenger and when I got it back the door light is on. Can't take it back cause I feel the guys are idiots at that shop. Anyway, I checked the switch...I swapped the driver side switch (which I know is working) with the passenger switch. The passenger switch works when it is on the driver side. The door is still saying ajar on the passenger side with the good driver side switch installed there. So I know its not the switch.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of problem that can possibly identify where the switch main is connected so that I can check it (short of me shelling out the car interior and trying to trace all of the wires)?

diabolical1

I'd like to know this as well. Mine's been on for just over two years now, and I had pretty much resigned myself to just living with it, but last night I drove my car and forgot the driver's dome light on and I probably wouldn't have thought about it, but when I shut the door my security system set and as I said, it hasn't done that in over two years!

So I'm determined to track the actual problem now and fix it.

firebrand20

2009 RX-8
Thought I would chime in on this because I seemed to resolve my door ajar light problem, for the moment.

Observations:
Power off, key out of the ignition, standing outside

• Everything worked fine. Driver side door lock switch functioned normally and the door lights and dashboard light go out when I closed the door or depressed the switch.

Power on, standing outside

• Door switch and lock switch still functioned normally.

Power on, sitting in the driver's seat

• Pressing the door switch stops the "key in ignition" chime but doesn't do anything else.
• Driver side lock switch sounds like it is trying to do something but the locks remain unlocked. When manually locking the car the computer would immediately unlock again.
• Door lights remain on at their maximum brightness.

It seemed like the act of sitting on the driver's seat with the power on put the electronics into a weird state so I poked around under the driver's seat and made sure all of the wire bundles were seated and none of the wires were caught. Twenty minutes of testing later and everything is working correctly again. I really have no clue what happened but jiggling and seating all of the wires under the driver's seat seemed to stop the weird door ajar behavior. If anyone else has these same symptoms it might be worth poking around under the seat to see if that helps. Maybe these wires went to the shock sensors others had mentioned?

firebrand20

Found and fixed the root cause of my door ajar problem.

There is a silver rod running across under the front half of the seat connecting two hinges associated with the lumbar support lever. The seats sort of lift up and rock on this framework. Turns out that one of the wire bundles had gotten wedged under the right front hinge of this assembly and was being crushed into the seat frame which was shorting out the circuit.

Wrapped the wires and tied them out of the path of the hinge and all is good.

Good luck, hope this helps others with their issues.

SM RX-8

Sorry to add to another Thread, but I can't start a new one for some reason and this thread was as close as any...

I have an 04 RX-8. I never get a door ajar light, ever. It does not respond to any door, hood, etc being opened. I also do not get a beep when leaving the lights on and the key in the ignition and opening the drivers door. I also never get the ignition light (lights up the key slot) to light up, which also requires the drivers door in that circuit. All other warning lights seem to otherwise work fine. And finally I have no keyless entry ability/key fobs don't work. But the key fobs is not the issue. When I attempt to do the key recognition procedure with the car (turn key, open door on off 3 times, the door should lock unlock letting you know your in the right mode – and I’ve done it before, I know how to do it) that doesn't even happen - the door does not lock/unlock so I can't program any fobs and I have to use the manual key instead.
So I was hoping all those symptoms were due to the driver door lock switch, however I bench tested it and it is fine. And since I never get a door ajar light, I’m assuming every door switch on the car is not broken, so I assume they are not the problem but something more generally with a door switch circuit that is limiting those other functions
This has been going on for awhile now, just getting around to it now, but I’m pretty sure these are all related and happened around the same time. But I don’t know where the specific culprit would be. My best guess is the keyless control module. However the security alarm system works, the car interior light illumination system works with the key opening and closing doors and removing from ignition, and from door push button lock/unlock, just not from the doors being open or closed) and the hazard lights light up with locking/unlocking the car with the key and arming the car, suggesting it otherwise seems to be working. So I’m at a bit of a loss. If it is the keyless control module, can I replace it? Can I unplug and clean contacts without rendering my car into a large paperweight? I understand the car will not run without it and/or the car has to be synched to a new one or something to that effect. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks!

SM RX-8

FYI figured I'd update this. Apparently my wiring to my switch or the switch itself was loose on drivers door, though I had checked it. In any case it was fixed by Mazda after they dinged up my door in their parking lot by accident! Now all works perfectly. So if you have a similar problem hope this helps

Wankeld

funny how installing a hks single exit exhaust would screw up my door switches lol