1990 ZR1 Interior Light Flicker

[KFoster]

I've had the car a couple of months. 51k miles. It needs new weather strip and will get it soon. I did not know it was going to rain and had it in the driveway while I was at a resturant. Passenger side got pretty wet. Dried it out, no problem and I do not know that this has something to do with my problem.

The problem is that the dash shows door ajar and all the interior lights come on. They were coming on and staying. Now they flicker on and off. Rough road or bridge triggers it. When I park, it seems opening and closing the pass door and then locking it with a key twice will get the lights off. Not sure if it is just the delay there or what, but I'm afraid to leave it with the lights on. It stayed on when this first happened and ran my battery down and killed a cell and I had to buy another one. It acts like something is loose, I'm just not sure what. Any ideas?

[apbreg]

There is a light activation switch on both doors that tells the car that the door is closed. The switch has a tip that extends out about 3/8" from full in to full out. Take a flat tipped screwdriver or a jack knife and get the edge of the screwdriver or jack knife behind the edge of the tip and pull it out to full extension. Close the door and it will push the tip back in the exact right amount and the door ajar light will stop flashing. Do one door at a time, it's probably not both switches. Since the weather stripping on the PS door is a problem, it could well be the PS side door switch.

[KFoster]

I haven't tried pulling them out as they already come out about 1/2". I have opened the doors on both sides and pushed them in all the way by hand and the lights do not go out. I am wondering if there is something on the other side of the switch that could be loose or wet. I thought I was getting away from electrical probs when I sold my 930S. I do appreciate your responding and I will make sure they fully extend when I get home and see what happens.

[Z06scentair]

Plunger on the door switch is bad. It sounds like moisture has gotten to the connections.

Replace/clean the plunger connections, and verify the connecting door surface is flat engaging the plunger to full depth.

[KFoster]

I thought it might come to that. How do you get it out (pry it)? Does it just pop out or do you have to go in with door panel off?

[apbreg]

You can always remove the switches one at a time and wire (jumper) around the switch to see if the door ajar light goes out. Corvette Central has the switches for $30, but you should make sure the problem is the switch and not a broken wire first.

[apbreg]

Here's the DIY video from You Tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B13yj3Qh0Y . It can be done without removing the door panel.

[Z06scentair]

I thought it might come to that. How do you get it out (pry it)? Does it just pop out or do you have to go in with door panel off?

To be honest I can't remember.....hang tight someone with recent knowledge will chime in.

Did you look through the sticky's above?

Dynomite has some pretty nice how to/write ups.

[KFoster]

Two small bolts hold it in, but the backing plate is loose and the connector will not come through the hole. I'll have to take the door panel off this weekend and check it out. Thanks to all who posted.

[gbrtng]

slap a couple layers of duct tape on the sill strike plate - it is the black plastic part that
the switch contacts and collapses with time. See if the flicker goes away - cheaper and easiest way to see if the switch is bad. You want to see if the switch is at the ragged edge of making no-contact with the door closed.

duct tape and WD-40 - fix everything fast.

[8cam]

Water got into the door switch. My car lives outside and after the recent deluge, I had the exact same problem on my 90. For me, everything dried out after a while and the problem went away. I do need to pull the switches and check/clean them, but the problem is more that water is getting into the door. Mine are not loose and the plungers work perfectly, but they still flickered until the water was gone. You and I both have a seal issue.

[Kevin]

I thought it might come to that. How do you get it out (pry it)? Does it just pop out or do you have to go in with door panel off?

I used a small flat head screw driver and wd40. I'd pry it out spray it with wd40, work it, pry it out, spray, work till it worked as normal

[KFoster]

8Cam, I think you may be right as the switches move in and out freely. Thanks.

[KFoster]

Fixed the problem with a new switch after it killing a new battery. The lights were staying on when the car was running and going off after a few mins of the car being turned off. Couldn't drive at night with the interior lights one. I guess there was still a battery drain with the lights off as it killed the battery. I replaced the battery and the switch. It was weird that the lights were on with the doors closed on off when open. When I started to replace the switch, it started working as it should. When I unbolted the switch, I could shake it and the lights would go on and off. So, something internal. I used another members suggestion of a longer bolt with the head cut off to hold the backing plate in place to change switch with the door panel in place. It worked well. Getting the connector out was a little hard due to the lock tabs. I trimmed the corners of it slightly so it went back in easily, even though I should never have to change it again.

Thanks to all who offered suggestions. Hope the conclusion of this helps someone else.