Door switch wierdness

My 2011 Access Cab has developed a door switch problem. When you open the door, the courtesy light does not come on (and yes, the switch is in the door position). If you turn the switch to ON, the light works. The more significant problem is that when I open the door with the headlights on, there is no warning chime.

I figure that the two issues are related and have replaced the door switch but that didn’t help.

 

Had something similar happen in a Jeep I owned. The wires were getting pinched in the door. I’d maybe pull the door boot back covering the wires and investigate to see if there are any that are pinched. Good luck.

 

Sounds like you may have either a bad ground connection or the BCM is toast.

 

Does the door ajar light come on on the dash when it is open?

 

The door opened switch doesn't go through the door wiring and this rubber boot.

 

Is this the switch you replaced?


If so make sure it has a good clean ground surface. If all is good and the wire isn't broken I would have to go with the Body Control Module on the back of the interior fuse panel.

Back side of fuse box with the BCM Exposed:

 

Yea, in fact it's not on the door at all it's under the latch striker on the B-Pillar.

 

Does it do it on both doors?

 

The ground seems ok and neither switch causes the dome light to turn on. However every once-in-awhile, the dome light turns on when the door opens but then doesn’t turn off when the door is closed until I manually push the door switch a few times v

 

Yeah. Probably a bad component in the bcm

 

Green Tacoma’s are the best Tacoma’s.

 

Is replacing a BCM something I can do myself, or does the replacement unit require reprogramming? Also, is it worth getting a rebuilt BCM?

 

I’d want to check the wire integrity at the 1E connector for BCM, then the Ground signal from the BCM.
You could do that with a test light.

I wouldn’t condemn the BCM until I checked. @Dm93 might have pin out for the BCM plug?
I don’t have that info available currently.

 

I'll look when I get time.
I agree not to condemn the Body ECU until circuit integrity is comfirmed, it's not common for them to fail unless they get wet from a water leak or something gets shorted.

Toyota calls it the Body ECU, it is part of the interior fuse box.
I don't believe it needs to be programmed.
I'd look for a good used one before a new or reman.

 

Pin #9 of 1E connector (blue wire) is Grounded by the BECU.
I’d check the wire and use a test light to confirm the BECU doesn’t provide a ground.
I guess if you wanted to be 100% sure you could do the same at the actual B5 BECU. Pin #7
But 1E is easy to get to. I’d start there.

Alway, Always, Always check everything before replacing the ECU.
Yeah, they can go bad.
But most of the time, it isn’t.

 

OP also hasn't answered if the door ajar light comes on and goes off with the door (or any door) open and closed or not, that would tell us if it's seeing the door switch signal or not.

 

Yeah, you have to remember. I do things the hard way.
By the time I’m done, I’ll either know how to fix the whole system. Or how to make it “unfixable”.

 

It is inconsistent. Mostly opening the door has no effect on the courtesy light (in the “door” position), the instrument indicator, or the lights on idiot chime. Once in awhile, it works for a few minutes, usually just the passenger door switch.

 

So nothing works consistently from any door?
What about the rear doors?

 

We are talking about the door light on the instrument cluster.
Does it come on?