Cpt Rodie

1999 Tahoe (Old Body Style) How do you remove and replace door jamb switches without damaging them? I suspect one may be bad since the dome lights do not go out.

SabrToothSqrl

the ones in my 95 were a pita, little black round things w/springs in them, omg what a bad design... i used some petroluem jelly to lube it up since WD-40 likes to eat plastic... mine wenr't sliding right, keeping the lights off. you can also strech the spring out a bit, but too much and mine would pop apart!

Cpt Rodie

Thanks SabrToothSqrl for the insight. I read on a previous thread that if the dome lights do not go out when the door is shut the most likely problem is a faulty switch. As you said, they are little plastic things (at least on the front doors). In order to test them I need to get at the switch terminals with a continuity tester. I'm afraid if I try pulling them out I'll end up breaking it. Is there a trick to getting them out or am I stuck with removing the dash paneling to get at the back side of the switch?

SabrToothSqrl

I don't know if your 99 is the same as my 95 was, basically they just pulled out, made to be easy to assemble, pita to take apart... i pulled lightly! the little black square bar and the lights came on, but the sliding action felt sticky, so my problem was quickly identified, and then solved with some eletrical / plastic safe lube + put a small piece of tape behind the door plastic to push it in another 1/16" of an inch...

Cpt Rodie

The thing is a plastic piece of CR*P. I pulled lightly on the disk. The plunger, spring and two of the metal pins came off in my hand. The rest of the switch and wiring fell and is lost deep in the bowels of the dash. I ordered a new switch. If I can fish out the wires it should be an easy replacement.

The thing is, the dome lights stay on after all doors are closed. All I wanted to do was to test each door jamb switch, ie trouble-shoot the problem. Now I've made things worse. Oh well, live and learn. Any way, thanks for the help.

SabrToothSqrl

Well, it sure sounds like you have the same switch assembly my 95 had... a light tug and it explodes in your hand...

my 95 had a dome defeat light which was nice, use that mean time!

some cars don't have that option, go GM!

its a design that snaps in, but if you drop it / lose it / want to take it apart your screwed...

Cars are designed to be put TOGETHER. not taken apart.

Every 5 seconds they save on assembly lowers the price of the car...