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Door Ajar Light Stays On

Updated: Apr 28, 2021


You’ve checked every door on your car, and the door ajar light still stays on, brightly lit on your car’s dash. Frustrating, right? Let’s take a look at what this particular sensor does and what can cause it to break.


The door ajar sensor is relatively straightforward in its purpose: it recognizes when a door on your vehicle is open and alerts your car’s ECU, or electronic control unit. It then lights up an icon on your car’s dash, letting you know a door is open. The door ajar icon is supposed to turn off once the open door has been closed securely.


But what happens if the door ajar light stays on?


Why Your Door Ajar Light Stays On


Depending on the type of vehicle you have, your door ajar light can come on for any number of reasons:

  1. An electrical short in the dome light

  2. An electrical short in the anti-theft system

  3. A door switch stuck in the “open” position

  4. Exposed wires

  5. An electrical short in any of the door switches

Although the most common causes are electrical, they can be mechanical as well. And for this reason, it’s a good idea that when you have one of these sensors coming on that you diagnose the issue right away—either on your own or by bringing your vehicle into your local auto-repair mechanic.


Why This Problem Should be Fixed ASAP


When your car’s ECU believes a door on the vehicle is open, it can do a number of things:

  1. Prohibit the key fob from locking the doors, making it unsafe to park in any public place Cause a safety hazard by not allowing the doors to be locked while the vehicle is in motion – especially a problem if you have curious young children in the back seat

  2. Leave interior dome lights on which can lead to a drained battery

Why Trust Hillmuth Auto Care with Your Auto Repair Needs

  1. We are a full-service Maryland auto service and repair business working on all makes and models of cars and trucks.

  2. We have convenient locations in Columbia, Clarksville, Glenwood, and Gaithersburg.

  3. We offer a 36-month, 36,000 mile Nationwide Warranty on parts and labor from the original repair date and mileage.

  4. We make our services more affordable to our customers with money-saving coupons.

  5. Customers can access our Car Owner’s Tool Center enabling them to check repair history and get maintenance reminders.

Contact us to schedule service on your vehicle at Hillmuth Auto Care today!

3 comentarios


It all started with that damn "door ajar" light — it turned on while I was driving back from the countryside, even though everything was shut tight. I got home, parked the car, and the next morning the battery was completely dead. Turned out the back door hadn’t clicked shut all the way. Ever since then, I’ve been paranoid about small things like that. So when I installed misting systems near the garage to survive the heat, I double-checked every hose and nozzle, because after that kind of stuff, you trust nothing. Surprisingly, everything fit perfectly — no leaks, no weird issues. It was 100°F outside, but under the shade it actually felt like air conditioning. So this website can…

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I had a similar issue with a credit report error where my Social Security Number one digit off led to major file errors. It took me forever to figure out why my credit was messed up, and I found out that a simple typo with one digit caused my file to get mixed up with someone else’s. The process of sorting it out was a headache, but thankfully, I was able to get it fixed with some help. I ended up reaching out to Consumer Attorneys PLLC, and they really knew how to handle the situation. It’s crazy how something as small as a wrong digit can cause so many issues. If you’re dealing with something like this, they’ve got…

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Osborn Tyler
Osborn Tyler
17 dic 2024

Students building durable and affordable timber homes can benefit from some helpful tips on paying attention to details, such as door numbers. Although small, they play a major role in creating a good first impression of a home. The materials and design of these little details, such as door numbers click here, can match the style and feel of a home, and are key to ensuring that homes are not only beautiful but also practical.

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