Door thinks it’s open?

[Lucihale]

Hi all,

Fun problem here, and it doesn’t seem to be solved by the easiest answers:
First, I have a 1999 M3 Coupe.

The problem:

My passenger side door is always reading as ajar.

The things I’ve done/tried:

1) Checked the door switch.
-tried manually pushing the button. (No result)
-tried the same switch on driver’s door. (Worked correctly)
-checked switch function with multimeter. (Resistance goes from open to closed)
-tried jumping the plug at the switch. (No result)
This strongly implies to me that it’s not the switch.

2) Checked the plug at BCM.
-wiggled the plug. (No result, feels firmly installed)
-unplugged and plugged in. (Window reacted as if door was open/closing)

3) Replaced BCM
-basic part replacement (no change in door switch behavior)

So now I’m stuck. I think it’s pretty obvious that there’s a problem with a wire. I’ve downloaded the wiring diagram for the e36 m3, and I think I can find which wire it is at the plug. However, I don’t know the physical route of that wire, so replacing it is going to be difficult unless someone here knows it’s path?

So, as some of you might have reasoned by my process, my window is now down, and with a new BCM installed the windows need to be retrained on what is fully up, and what is down.
That’s an easy button holding process, but one that only works when the door is SHUT, which my door never is. So, my window is stuck down.
Thunderstorms tomorrow.

Thanks for any and all help. I’ve been looking for solutions and my searches have gotten me this far in troubleshooting.

If my post is in the wrong spot, I’m sorry. I’m doing this on my phone and it’s clunky.

UPDATE:
I got my window up! What I did was to jiggle the plug on the body control module until the window started moving for the ‘door ajar’ drop, while holding the window up button. For some reason that allowed the window to go up. The original problem Still exists, but at least the car is waterproof again.

[spyderg0d]

It runs from the bcm, under the airbox through the driver footwell.. Then whether it goes to one of the 2 body plugs under the left foot rest or just continues by it untilnit gets to the switch i dont remember. But it will still run right under the driver side edge of the carpet until it gets up into the cavern to the switch. There will be only 1 wire in the footwell that matches thw color of that switch. So, it should be easy to find in the footwell and test for continuity at the plug on either end.

Also.. Its probably the ground for the switch. That would be what I would check.. And it probably runs to the spade ground share thats under the driver seat carpet.

[JDStrickland]

<Cranking up the WayBack Machine....>

The Door Closed Switch was once upon a time located inside of the door latch assembly, then they changed it to the little post that the latch latches onto. There was a thing about wrapping some sort of collar around the post and securing it with a zip tie. Because this is coming courtesy of the WayBack Machine, I'll let someone else speak up as to whether I am right, or what details I may have left out. My E36s were both '94s, and the door closed switches were mounted inside of the latches, I have never seen the door switch in the post, but it was talked about here a few times.

You moved the switch and it worked, so you know the switches are good, but the collar thing that makes the door close tightly and actually hit the switch is something I have not seen anybody talk about. Usually the driver door has trouble.

- - - Updated - - -

It runs from the bcm, under the airbox through the driver footwell.. Then whether it goes to one of the 2 body plugs under the left foot rest or just continues by it untilnit gets to the switch i dont remember. But it will still run right under the driver side edge of the carpet until it gets up into the cavern to the switch. There will be only 1 wire in the footwell that matches thw color of that switch. So, it should be easy to find in the footwell and test for continuity at the plug on either end.

Also.. Its probably the ground for the switch. That would be what I would check.. And it probably runs to the spade ground share thats under the driver seat carpet.

But the complaint is the Passenger Door.

[spyderg0d]

<Cranking up the WayBack Machine....>

The Door Closed Switch was once upon a time located inside of the door latch assembly, then they changed it to the little post that the latch latches onto. There was a thing about wrapping some sort of collar around the post and securing it with a zip tie. Because this is coming courtesy of the WayBack Machine, I'll let someone else speak up as to whether I am right, or what details I may have left out. My E36s were both '94s, and the door closed switches were mounted inside of the latches, I have never seen the door switch in the post, but it was talked about here a few times.

You moved the switch and it worked, so you know the switches are good, but the collar thing that makes the door close tightly and actually hit the switch is something I have not seen anybody talk about. Usually the driver door has trouble.

- - - Updated - - -




But the complaint is the Passenger Door.

Well sunnofabish...

[JDStrickland]

Well sunnofabish...

So, tell him about the Door Closed Switch being mounted in the door post. I think he might be having this issue, but I don't remember enough about it to give more help than, "maybe you should check."

[Lucihale]

You guys are awesome. Yes, the door closed switch is integrated into the door catch. It's not on the post per se. It's actually a button behind the post. However, I know the switch works.

Spyder, are you suggesting that the passenger's side wire is probably right under the carpet in the passenger's footwell? Cause I'll get RIGHT into there and replace it. Also happy to check a joint ground if there is one on the passenger's side.

Thanks for the input, JD and Spyder. I'm gonna start looking.

[gc325is]

That switch also operates the dome light.... and the auto window drop on 2 doors. How are those doing?

[bluptgm3]

Right. So those wires travel over the tunnel at the firewall to the passenger side side-wall, along the passenger side sill on the floor to the passenger side ‘B’ pillar.


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[JDStrickland]

Okay, hang on a second, before you start chasing wires....

While the door is open, use a suitable tool to mimic the door post to set the latch, then over-travel the latch and see if this makes the dome lights go off and the window finish it's upward travel. If yes, then look inside of the latch and you will find a lever that changes the plane (plain?) of travel by 90 degrees to then operate the plunger on the switch. This lever has a small spring, as I remember, and the shaft of the lever gets dirty and does not move fully with the mechanism that strikes it. Put a small drop of oil on the pivot point then exercise the latch -- use your tool to make the door latch close, then over-travel the latch a few times. The door handle will release the latch and you can repeat as needed. Eventually, the door latch will work without doing the over-travel part, and you are done. Put the car back together. I used a screwdriver in place of the door post when I was fixing this trouble.

[bluptgm3]

I find that cleaning then smearing white lithium grease (or Shin Etsy) on the (closed, over-traveled) forward and aft sides of the catch pawl improves closure and opening feel.


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[JDStrickland]

Any change in this?

[Lucihale]

Hi! Thanks for the advice. I will try that as soon as I can!
Sorry life’s been busy!

I will update soon!

[Lucihale]

Just a quick update:
it didn’t fix itself.

My industry completely EXPLODED due to COVID, and I haven’t had the time to work on my own car.
There are projects coming soon, including fixing this.

I tried over-traveling the switch, but to no avail. I’m pretty convinced it’s wires at this point. Once, for no apparent reason, the window started working (moved itself up) for about 10 min. After that it went back to its normal insistence of open circuit. Seems finicky enough to be wired or a bad ground.

pretty soon I’m gonna pull on a bit of the carpet and see what I can see.

Will update again!

[bluptgm3]

Is the switch symmetrical? Temporally switch with the other door and test?


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