Door Ajar Chime, When Door Is Closed

campbellony · September 30, 2008

I've got a '95 Z71. Recently I lost the ability to open my driver's side door from the inside. I took of my door panel to check things out. After peeking down the window slot, and pulling the interior handle, it appeard everything was working correctly. So I took a screw driver, clicked the locking mechinism to closed, pulled the interior handle, and to my suprise i was able to pull it back open with the screw driver. I closed my door, used the interior handle and it worked. Today, when going to work, my door ajar chime comes on, and stays on as soon as I put my key into the ignition and after I start it. The constant chime becomes torturous after a few minutes, any help would be greatly appreciated.

dlobi · October 1, 2008

Likely the switch that your door hits/open circuits when it closes. Is that one near the top front of the door maybe? Try this trick..tape something over the switch (or on the door where the switch will make contact) like a book of matches, or piece of cardboard and then jump in, shut the door, and turn on the key. Chime go away?

Replace or remove/clean up contacts on door switch.

I hope it is that simple for you.

dlobi · October 1, 2008

wait.. just thought about it more. It is the switch staying in closed circuit. But I'll bet it involves the little plug on the door, not the switch on the side of the dash. Is this plug missing? Dropped on the ground? Pushed in too far to open the switch?

campbellony · October 2, 2008

It was that simple. The frustrating part, is after I put everything back together, my door handle refused to work again. I noticed it was hitting the trim piece that surrounds the handle. I took of the trim, and the handle works. It looks like the door handle is bent, but I've got no clue how to replace it.

dlobi · October 2, 2008

It was that simple. The frustrating part, is after I put everything back together, my door handle refused to work again. I noticed it was hitting the trim piece that surrounds the handle. I took of the trim, and the handle works. It looks like the door handle is bent, but I've got no clue how to replace it.

Might be easier to shorten the rod that goes from the handle to the latch than to replace the handle. I think the handle is rivited in place. I shortened one of the connecting rods on one of my back doors with a vise grip and an adjustable wrench.

I clamped the vise grips on the rod and then turned (twisted) it (the vise grip) with the adjustable wrench. What I basically did was to put a small "s" bend in the rod effectivly shortening it so it would pull the release at the door latch sooner.

Worked for me.

It is a pain in the butt working inside door panels isn't it?