Is It OK to Keep Driving When the Door Ajar Light Turns On?

We’ve all done it at some time or another—taking a drive then seeing that pesky door ajar light on the dashboard. Maybe you were in a hurry that morning when packing your vehicle, or maybe the culprit was one of your children exiting the backseat last night and not closing the door properly. But do you really need to stop your vehicle and close the door right away? Or can you get away with making it to your destination before closing the door properly?

[wptab name=’#1′]

Good Reasons to Stop Driving and Close the Door ASAP

A half-open door poses more of a potential safety hazard than you might think.

• Your door could open and your backseat junk could fly out onto the road.
• More importantly, the door could fly open and hit another vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist.
• Worst case scenario, you or a passenger could fall out of the vehicle into the stream of traffic (if, for some reason, you’re not wearing your seatbelts).

[/wptab]

[wptab name=’#2′]

Other Reasons the Door Ajar Light Might be On

Perhaps you stop the vehicle and check to see which door is ajar, only to realize that all of them are totally closed. If this scenario happens, there are a few potential causes that could’ve triggered the door ajar light.

• The vehicle’s anti-theft system or dome light shorted out.
• There’s a short in one of the door switches.
• The door switch is stuck in the “closed” position.
• You have exposed wires somewhere in your vehicle.

If the door ajar light seems to have been triggered by a wiring problem, it’s best to schedule an appointment with your local dealership service department as soon as possible to resolve the issue.

[/wptab]

[end_wptabset]

News Source: Your Mechanic