2 replies to this topic

[Harry Smith]

Had the Verso (2004 1.8 MMT) cleaned in and out today. Unfortunately, afterwards, when driving home I noticed the door open warning light was on. I immediately pulled over and opened and closed all the doors and boot, thinking one had not been shut properly. Still, the warning light remained on, even with the car switched off.

I can lock the doors from the inside using the flick switch on the driver's door. None of the doors or the boot lid can then be opened from the outside. To me that suggsts the doors are shutting and locking OK but that there is a sensor at fault somewhere.

As the car seems to think a door is open though, it won't let me use the central locking key to lock the car. Nothing happens when I press the lock button. The central locking still works to unlock though using the unlock button on the key.

I can lock the driver's door by flicking the lock on the inside and then closing it whilst holding the handle. BUT, the driver's door will not lock with me inserting the manual key in the lock even though I am following the instructions in the operator's manual to do this.

Something obviously happened whilst the car was being cleaned. I cannot imagine what.

Does anyone know if it's possible for me to test for definite that it's a faulty sensor rather than one of the door's shutting/locking mechanisms? I have to do a big journey in two days's time and there's no time to take the car to a garage before then. I'm worried that if a door lock is at fault, the door might fly open on the motorway.

Any ideas/input gratefully received,
Harriet.

[Zwart_Verso]

As far as I know it is the interior light switches in the doors which is used to give the door open information. (This would mean that the interior lights are on all the time as well if the interior light switch on the light is in the door position). Looks like one of theses might be faulty, or the wire has come off and is touching earth. Try opening the doors one at a time and pushing the switch in the door post in by hand see if you can determine if one is faulty.
The switches are (usually) quite simple, they just connect a wire to earth when the door is open.
If it is the tailgate sensor (which is in the lock and not a push switch like in the doors) then the boot light will be on as well. As far as I know you have to remove trim to get to this one.

Hope this helps,

Andy

[Harry Smith]

Many thanks for that, Andy. Your help was invaluable and saved us a lot of time.

The door open indicator light gets its information from individual little switches encased in rubber where the doors close. They are pressed when the doors are closed and the door open light goes off. The interior lights also go off if they are switched to the "Door" position.

The rear passenger side door was no longer closing tightly enough to depress its switch. I think the door must have been swung open too much or something whilst the car was being hoovered.

You could close that door and lock it, but the light would only go off if you also leaned on the door. We have come up with a temporary solution of sticking a plaster onto the door. That is enough for it to make contact to depress the switch as it was literally only a couple of mm off. We can now auto lock the car.

The fact that the driver's door cannot be locked manually seems to be a separate issue.

I have to take the car in for an MMT recall soon so I'll ask them to tighten the door hinge at the same time and look at the driver's side lock.

Many thanks again for your help,
Harriet