Sliding side door sensors? Vans
Discussion
Over many years of driving various vans, I have driven quite a few that falsely indicate that the sliding side door is open. One in particular (a Renault Master) went to the garage a few times to have this looked at, but to no avail, it would always claim the side door was open when it clearly wasn’t a couple of days after being ‘fixed’.
Now I have a van that is showing the same symptoms. My mechanic lubricated the runners, which seemed to fix it for a couple of days - but maybe that was coincidence, because the issue has never been the door actually shutting, but the sensor leaving the interior light on and displaying a warning.
If the sensor has registered the door as closed when I park, and I don’t open that door, the next time I drive the van, the ‘door open’ alert may come on.
The ‘door open’ alert tends to come on more in damp or cold conditions.
The van always falsely claims that it is the near side sliding door that is open.
Has anyone had a similar problem that they have managed to fix?Any suggestions on how to fault-find this issue as it is beginning to get boring?
Now I have a van that is showing the same symptoms. My mechanic lubricated the runners, which seemed to fix it for a couple of days - but maybe that was coincidence, because the issue has never been the door actually shutting, but the sensor leaving the interior light on and displaying a warning.
If the sensor has registered the door as closed when I park, and I don’t open that door, the next time I drive the van, the ‘door open’ alert may come on.
The ‘door open’ alert tends to come on more in damp or cold conditions.
The van always falsely claims that it is the near side sliding door that is open.
Has anyone had a similar problem that they have managed to fix?Any suggestions on how to fault-find this issue as it is beginning to get boring?
I have exactly the same issue, vito with electric doors. Mine is the drivers side door, dosent register it's closed so dosent lock the doors. Opens and shuts on the button no problem. Annoying beep everytime you move off from standstill. Caught me out a few times with dead battery. Replaced all the contacts, madesure no debris in the runners, never managed to fix it. Probably a control unit somewhere in door but to get door card off needs door to come off which is way above my skill level.
As it opens generally into the road I just don't use it, after 5 years kinda used to it.
Sometimes locking / unlocking several times fixes it, sometimes 24hrs later it decides its locked. Winds me up. Absolutely no help to you sorry !!
As it opens generally into the road I just don't use it, after 5 years kinda used to it.
Sometimes locking / unlocking several times fixes it, sometimes 24hrs later it decides its locked. Winds me up. Absolutely no help to you sorry !!
I'm sure you've tried this already but rubbing the sensors inside the shut with an eraser to clean them off usually works.
I had a Movano or similar recently that threw the light up everytime it went round a bend. One of our mechanics moved
the pin forward a bit using a washer to make the contact better and it never had a problem again.
I had a Movano or similar recently that threw the light up everytime it went round a bend. One of our mechanics moved
the pin forward a bit using a washer to make the contact better and it never had a problem again.
I should have stated that it is a Mercedes Vito, but with 'exercise' doors (not electric).
I cleaned the contact plate on the pilar with wire wool (carefully) - this didn't work.
Then I swapped over the contact plate on the pillar as I have left and right sliding doors. I did notice that the 'working' plate had much more pronounced wear on it. However, the fault still shows on the same door after I swapped them.
This leads me to believe it is the contact pins on the door itself. I will make up a gasket to make them a bit tighter to the plate and then see what happens.
From further forum research I have heard rumours of a 'microswitch in the latch' !? But that is a trim off job and a replacement part search – at which point the beep and turning the interior lights off becomes a lot less annoying.
I cleaned the contact plate on the pilar with wire wool (carefully) - this didn't work.
Then I swapped over the contact plate on the pillar as I have left and right sliding doors. I did notice that the 'working' plate had much more pronounced wear on it. However, the fault still shows on the same door after I swapped them.
This leads me to believe it is the contact pins on the door itself. I will make up a gasket to make them a bit tighter to the plate and then see what happens.
From further forum research I have heard rumours of a 'microswitch in the latch' !? But that is a trim off job and a replacement part search – at which point the beep and turning the interior lights off becomes a lot less annoying.
I had a very similar fault with a Vito and there are indeed little micro switches on some of the door latches.
If I remember correctly it was one of the rear doors that gave me trouble, the micro switch wouldn't recognise that the door was properly closed when it actually was.
A bit of messing about with it used to get it to work okay for a while but I never did fully cure it.
If I remember correctly it was one of the rear doors that gave me trouble, the micro switch wouldn't recognise that the door was properly closed when it actually was.
A bit of messing about with it used to get it to work okay for a while but I never did fully cure it.
addsvrs said:
I have exactly the same issue, vito with electric doors. Mine is the drivers side door, dosent register it's closed so dosent lock the doors. Opens and shuts on the button no problem. Annoying beep everytime you move off from standstill. Caught me out a few times with dead battery. Replaced all the contacts, madesure no debris in the runners, never managed to fix it. Probably a control unit somewhere in door but to get door card off needs door to come off which is way above my skill level.
As it opens generally into the road I just don't use it, after 5 years kinda used to it.
Sometimes locking / unlocking several times fixes it, sometimes 24hrs later it decides its locked. Winds me up. Absolutely no help to you sorry !!
The usual issue with the Vitos was i believe the the contacts on the door and frame.Think courtesy light switches but with up to three or four pins as i know these were modified at least once.As it opens generally into the road I just don't use it, after 5 years kinda used to it.
Sometimes locking / unlocking several times fixes it, sometimes 24hrs later it decides its locked. Winds me up. Absolutely no help to you sorry !!
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