Metalface
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- December 25, 2022
- Messages
- 176
- Reaction score
- 109
- City, State
- East Coast US
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Explorer XLT
Ok, so to preface this when I got this truck it had two important quirks:
-The key does not need to be in the ignition for it to start,
-The door ajar chime has never been audible... until today
-97 XLT V6 4.0 SOHC
And, currently, factor this in if you'd like:
-the driver door latch has been busted and floating around inside the door panel for about a month, and the Door Ajar light has been on for about a month, without the chime... The door is ratchet strapped closed but until today this has not presented any issues.
My fiance drove over a little bump on the way home from work tonight, and since then it has been bonging. Or binging.
The important EXTRA factor here as mentioned above, is that the driver side door has been out of commission for about a month, the latch stopped working and we haven't had the chance to rip the door apart and replace the handle, so it's just been ratchet strapped shut (and no leaks lol. that's a plus.)
It only started ringing today, while driving, and also rings while the ignition switch is set forward/ON but the truck hasn't been started yet. When the switch is OFF the chime shuts up. Ideally we would return back to any time prior to today where the chime never sounds.
Ok, so, I opened up the plastic bit under the wheel expecting to "just have to remove the blue plastic grounding connector for the ignition switch that allows it to detect the key is still in" however.. someone has already done this. AND, someone help me clarify, the Green-and-black wire is cut and twisted together, the one that appears like it belongs on the key cylinder.
Extra detail/question: Does this wire tell the truck "the correct key is in?" Or just "the key is in?" Or what..?
I untwisted it and separated the wires, the truck still started, and the chime didn't stop.. so I think it is not a major factor in the equation but I've re-twisted and re-taped it, so the green and black will remain spliced and taped.
I'd like to make sure there isn't some easy way at this point to just shut up the "the key is in and your door is ajar" chime, like cutting a wire somewhere, because other than the chime, there is no new issues, and nothing is really a problem as it currently is.
We are going to get a new driver door latch tomorrow, my fear is that it won't solve the problem, knowing our luck. All the switches and latches work and complete the circuit so it knows no doors are ajar unless they really are, like the driver door since the door latch is just floating in the door somewhere now. So I'd like to know for sure if I can disable this chime entirely in case it does not work, as I have a hunch our truck believes the key is always in all the time lol
As far as the Door Ajar light, it is always on, due to the driver door situation, but of course, once you go into gear and get moving, the interior lights shut off.. so for now it has only been a mild inconvenience. We never had a door ajar chime before, it never made a noise.
Attached is what I found upon opening the bezel/trim/plastic. All the pieces were already electrical taped and the green and black wires were spliced. I tried putting the plastic piece for the ignition switch back into place, it just makes the chime go off ALL the time. (not what I expected, wtf.)
So the big questions, in summary:
1. What is the job of the green and black wire that was already spliced?
2. Any ideas on what might have shifted or what is the culprit of the new chime actually functioning as intended?
3. Can I disable this chime somehow? Other than the chime, not having to have the key is a plus, since we aren't even sure if the key is matched or anything as it "fits in the ignition" but does not work in the doors. Couldn't care less about that detail, it isn't a problem (in fact is kind of a bonus sometimes.)
4. I was under the impression that removing the blue plastic piece would cause the circuit to be incomplete = this chime does not make noise.... But perhaps not?
5. Any fuses to check? Maybe something happened because the driver door latch is loose inside the door panel?
Yes, I found older threads, but they do not include deliberately which wires do what, just "I found a wire and cut it and it worked! woo!" lol which does not help me here unfortunately!
Thank you!
-The key does not need to be in the ignition for it to start,
-The door ajar chime has never been audible... until today
-97 XLT V6 4.0 SOHC
And, currently, factor this in if you'd like:
-the driver door latch has been busted and floating around inside the door panel for about a month, and the Door Ajar light has been on for about a month, without the chime... The door is ratchet strapped closed but until today this has not presented any issues.
My fiance drove over a little bump on the way home from work tonight, and since then it has been bonging. Or binging.
The important EXTRA factor here as mentioned above, is that the driver side door has been out of commission for about a month, the latch stopped working and we haven't had the chance to rip the door apart and replace the handle, so it's just been ratchet strapped shut (and no leaks lol. that's a plus.)
It only started ringing today, while driving, and also rings while the ignition switch is set forward/ON but the truck hasn't been started yet. When the switch is OFF the chime shuts up. Ideally we would return back to any time prior to today where the chime never sounds.
Ok, so, I opened up the plastic bit under the wheel expecting to "just have to remove the blue plastic grounding connector for the ignition switch that allows it to detect the key is still in" however.. someone has already done this. AND, someone help me clarify, the Green-and-black wire is cut and twisted together, the one that appears like it belongs on the key cylinder.
Extra detail/question: Does this wire tell the truck "the correct key is in?" Or just "the key is in?" Or what..?
I untwisted it and separated the wires, the truck still started, and the chime didn't stop.. so I think it is not a major factor in the equation but I've re-twisted and re-taped it, so the green and black will remain spliced and taped.
I'd like to make sure there isn't some easy way at this point to just shut up the "the key is in and your door is ajar" chime, like cutting a wire somewhere, because other than the chime, there is no new issues, and nothing is really a problem as it currently is.
We are going to get a new driver door latch tomorrow, my fear is that it won't solve the problem, knowing our luck. All the switches and latches work and complete the circuit so it knows no doors are ajar unless they really are, like the driver door since the door latch is just floating in the door somewhere now. So I'd like to know for sure if I can disable this chime entirely in case it does not work, as I have a hunch our truck believes the key is always in all the time lol
As far as the Door Ajar light, it is always on, due to the driver door situation, but of course, once you go into gear and get moving, the interior lights shut off.. so for now it has only been a mild inconvenience. We never had a door ajar chime before, it never made a noise.
Attached is what I found upon opening the bezel/trim/plastic. All the pieces were already electrical taped and the green and black wires were spliced. I tried putting the plastic piece for the ignition switch back into place, it just makes the chime go off ALL the time. (not what I expected, wtf.)
So the big questions, in summary:
1. What is the job of the green and black wire that was already spliced?
2. Any ideas on what might have shifted or what is the culprit of the new chime actually functioning as intended?
3. Can I disable this chime somehow? Other than the chime, not having to have the key is a plus, since we aren't even sure if the key is matched or anything as it "fits in the ignition" but does not work in the doors. Couldn't care less about that detail, it isn't a problem (in fact is kind of a bonus sometimes.)
4. I was under the impression that removing the blue plastic piece would cause the circuit to be incomplete = this chime does not make noise.... But perhaps not?
5. Any fuses to check? Maybe something happened because the driver door latch is loose inside the door panel?
Yes, I found older threads, but they do not include deliberately which wires do what, just "I found a wire and cut it and it worked! woo!" lol which does not help me here unfortunately!
Thank you!