robertpel9

Hi,
my 91 vert has started doing something very odd. On the way home from work today (it was pouring and i never drive it in the rain) the inside lights started flickering on and off along with the door ajar light. I pulled over and opened and shut ever door (including the covertible one) sut firmly. It continued to do this anyway. When i got home i pulled the seitch out in the drivers side door. If i push it in the light goes off and no flickering so i am thinking simple, bad switch but it isn't that easy. I reinstalled the switch or button if you will and found that if i lightly shut the door to the point where it is latched but not shut all the way i can drive around provided i pull in on the door just a little and no light comes on and no lights flicker. The minute i pull the door completely shut it goes banannas. This makes no sense. If i push the button in by hand i have no problem either it works as it should. Someone please tell me there is an easy fix to this. I am baffled. Why would it work with the door 9/10th of the way closed but not when it is shut all the way. I can't drive the car like this cause it is a disco inside with all this flickering. If i pull the courtesy fuse it kills the a/c fan as well. Please tell me whatever you may know. I don't want to be vetteless this weekend. Maybe the rain had something to do with this and all will be well by morning :) i doubt it though:(. Please reply asap, i wanna fix it tonight if someone here knows what my problem is. Are there other switches to tell the door its shut. I love my car but this makes me wanna :U Thanks in advance.
Bob

Sharky Guam

I think that your switch is just corroded. I sprayed electrical contact cleaner on it and solved the problem. You might have to replace the switch.

robertpel9

why does the 8/10th of the way shut thing work and is there anyway to disable this until i get time to have the switch replaced??? I'm baffled why pusihing it in and out with my hand everything is all good but if i shut the door completely i have a nightclub in my car?? Any more info??

Thanks so much

ZBRA

Last year, we had a serious 3-day long flood. My car sits outside. After the monsoon had passed, my '94 was doing the same thing. I replaced the driver side door switch and it has never done it since. If you look, the switch is mounted outside of the door seal, so it does get wet.

You need to replace it. It's not expensive. It's not hard.

dlmeyers

You probably have a bad switch and the odd position is just the spot where it works. Another problem associated with this symptom is worn door hinge bushings or plates. Open the door, grasp the aft end of the door and lift. If your car has worn hinges, the door will lift. Check the right side door, they are usually in better condition. If the hinges are badly worn, the door ajar light can flicker, brining on the courtesy lights.

Hope you find the problem.

dlmeyers 90 coupe zf6 3 speed shocks

robertpel9

If you think of the switch as a button having about 1/2 inch of travel. If i push the butto in anywhere from 1/4" all the way to being fully depressed with my hand it works fine. Thats why i am not understanding what the problem is. Manually the butto make the light go off and the problem is solved. If i shut the door almost all the way and hold the door in i can drive around problem free. But, if i shut the door all the way and drive the lights go crazy. If it was a bad button wouldn't i have problems with it when i manually pushed it in all the way?? Please give more info or details. I am hoping it got wet, i took it out and dried it and that overnight it will completly dry out. On a side not by coincidence this all started when i used my washer fluid mist button. Alsmost at the same time. Almost makes me think its a short but like i said the button works fine when manually depressed. Looking forward to more replies, i'm still stumped.

Thanks Again :cheers:

robertpel9

by the way i was able to unscrew the switch and pull it out part way but how do you remove it completely if i end up having to. I still think there is more to it then the switch though considering what i wrote above. It was pouring out and at times it was like driving though a lake. I know a lot of water got in there.

robertpel9

I LOVE THIS Forum. I did a search on similar problems here on the site and found out there is an inner pin on the switch. All i had to do was take a very small screwdriver and pop this out the shut the door normally to allow it to reposition itself. Problem solved. No need for a new switch or anything. This is THE place for Corvette owners. Just saved myself some loot, i love it!!!!!!! ;)

Rich_01659

:cheers:

BlackbirdZ07

Mine occasionally does the same thing... just have to pull that inner pin out a little bit with a small screwdriver. Interestingly enough, the last time mine did it was when it was wet. Maybe the water lubricates the inner pin so it can be pushed into the outer one.

robertpel9

i think that is exactly what happens. The water greases it up and it slides in. I have a vert and it was raining so hard i needed two towels (one on each side to keep the rain from coming in the car and my weatherstripping is near mint! I hope this isn't something i need the do al the time but it was a quick fix just pulling the inner pin out.