Durango 2WD V8-4.7L (2008)
Door/Trunk Ajar Indicator/Lamp: Description and Operation
Door Ajar Indicator
Description
DESCRIPTION
A door ajar indicator is standard equipment on all instrument clusters. This indicator is located within the odometer/trip odometer Vacuum Fluorescent
Display (VFD) unit. However, on vehicles equipped with the optional Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) the door ajar indicator in the
odometer VFD is electronically suppressed so as not to duplicate indications that are provided by the EVIC. The door ajar indicator consists of the text
DOOR , which appears in place of the odometer/trip odometer information in the odometer VFD unit.
The odometer VFD is soldered onto the cluster electronic circuit board, and is visible through a window with a smoked clear lens located on the lower
edge of the tachometer gauge dial face of the cluster overlay. The dark lens over the VFD prevents it from being clearly visible when it is not
illuminated. The door ajar indicator appears in the same blue-green color and at the same lighting level as the odometer/trip odometer information when
it is illuminated by the instrument cluster electronic circuit board.
The door ajar indicator is serviced as a unit with the VFD in the instrument cluster.
Operation
OPERATION
The door ajar indicator gives an indication to the vehicle operator that one or more of the passenger compartment doors may be open or not completely
latched. This indicator is controlled by the instrument cluster logic circuit based upon cluster programming and hard wired inputs received by the cluster
from the door ajar switches located in each door latch unit.
The door ajar indicator function of the Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) is completely controlled by the instrument cluster logic circuit, and that logic
will only allow this indicator to operate when the instrument cluster receives a battery current input on the fused ignition switch output (run-start) circuit.
Therefore, the VFD door ajar indication will always be OFF when the ignition switch is in any position except ON or START. The instrument cluster
will turn ON the door ajar indicator for the following reasons:
-
Door Ajar Switch Input - Each time the cluster detects ground on any one of the door ajar switch sense circuits (door ajar switch closed = door
is open or not completely latched) the door ajar indicator will be illuminated. The indicator remains illuminated until all of the door ajar switch
sense inputs to the cluster are an open circuit (door ajar switch open = door fully closed), until the cluster has completed an interior lamps load
shed (about five minutes), or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first.
The ElectroMechanical Instrument Cluster (EMIC) (also known as the Cab Compartment Node/CCN) continually monitors the door ajar switches to
determine the status of the doors. For further diagnosis of the door ajar indicator or the instrument cluster circuitry that controls the indicator, Refer to
appropriate testing.
The hard wired door ajar switches and circuits related to door ajar indicator operation may be diagnosed using conventional diagnostic tools and
procedures. Refer to the appropriate wiring information.
