Chimes and lights malfunctioning

[bblu]

First, I should tell you that I know nothing about cars. I'm just hoping this problem is something that I can fix with a little help from you all.


The door chime on my mother's 1998 Mystique is malfunctioning.

What's happening is that when the driver's door is open, the interior lights don't come on and the chime no longer works. Instead, the chime will sometimes sound very briefly when driving down the road and the car lights will come on. It will sound for a split second, stop, sound for a split second, stop, etc. Sometimes it will do this for maybe a couple seconds and sometimes it will do it for over 10 minutes. It's enough to make you go crazy. There are no problems with the other doors and the chimes or lights. It's only on the driver's side.

Also, as I was going out to the car one night, at my mother's house, I noticed that the inside lights were on. They were the same lights that would come on if the door was open. I know no one had been in the car because the car was in the locked garage. I have no idea how long they had been on. They were off when my mother and I had last gotten out of the car.

Someone in another forum suggested spraying WD-40 into the door latch. So I tried that and it didn't work. But this has me confused because there's a push button/pin near the door hinge that works the lights and chimes. I don't see how the latch has anything to do with the chimes and lights. Anyway, today, the push button/pin and the spring came out. I tried to put it back in but it wouldn't stay. It seems to have no affect on the chiming and lights problem.

One last thing is that my mother had the windshield wipers on very briefly, and the car lights came on but she says she didn't hear the chimes. She says it's possible that they did sound but maybe she couldn't hear them over the wipers.

Please tell me there's an easy solution to this. At the very least, I would like to know how to stop the chimes from sounding.

[BrApple]

you need to remove and switch from the door jam and clean it

[Tony2005]

...Someone in another forum suggested spraying WD-40 into the door latch. So I tried that and it didn't work. But this has me confused because there's a push button/pin near the door hinge that works the lights and chimes. I don't see how the latch has anything to do with the chimes and lights. Anyway, today, the push button/pin and the spring came out. I tried to put it back in but it wouldn't stay. It seems to have no affect on the chiming and lights problem.

One last thing is that my mother had the windshield wipers on very briefly, and the car lights came on but she says she didn't hear the chimes. She says it's possible that they did sound but maybe she couldn't hear them over the wipers.

Please tell me there's an easy solution to this. At the very least, I would like to know how to stop the chimes from sounding.

Welcome. You spray the latch to prevent the grinding sound when you open the back doors.

As for the chime, as suggested by Brapple, clean the door jam switch first. But if you say that you can't put it back in now, chances are it is broken and you need a new one. Pick up one from junk yard, local friendly Ford dealer or www.teamfordparts.com.

If after all that, the chime still sounds and makes you crazy, the timer module is probably broken. Test it to confirm and then change if need be.

Edit. Chime/timer module test.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1051299&For um=trouble&Words=chime%20timer&Match=And&Searchpag e=0&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=1050786&Search=true #Post1051299

Autozonelink. Figure 5. Middle left rectangular box is the chimetimer module
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us...rInfoPages.htm

[bblu]

The people in the other forum directed me here - http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=193352 and told me to spray the same thing the guy in the picture is spraying. Apparently, some people call that a latch and others a switch. I still don't know what that has to do with anything.

So was I supposed to be cleaning the door jamb switch? Is there a way to get that thing back in there that I don't know about? Or do I have to take the whole car apart to do it?

I'll try doing the chime/timer module test and then post back here with my findings.

---

I really need to take an automotive repair class.

[Tony2005]

I am not going to comment on advice given by other sites other than you don't have a Ford Truck!

When on this site, listen to the advice given on this site.

The latch I was referring to is actually the "check strap". That usually causes moaning or groaning sounds.

As for your chime issues, do as we advised. IIRC, there is a screw for the door jamb switch.

Edit. Autozonelink. Door jamb switch is the oval thing above the word "door" in Figure 2.
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us...rInfoPages.htm

Instructions from 1996 Ford CD.

Switch, Courtesy Lamp
Removal and Installation
1. Disconnect battery ground cable.
2. Remove screw retaining lamp switch.
3. Pull lamp switch straight outward.
4. Note: Do not drop wiring harness into pillar.
Disconnect wiring harness from lamp switch. Remove lamp switch.
5. To install, reverse Removal procedure.