eric_in_sd

Welp. This became more involved than I expected. Nothing new there, eh?

So the switch module died. After nearly destroying the panel because I had forgotten how to take it off, I got the switch module changed. Plugged it in; no dice. Poked around in the front and rear SAM; besides a prior error code, no signal returned. One clue it was the door module: The SAM reported that there was a fault with the driver door courtesy light, even though that light was functioning fine.

With no other symptoms, I opted to gamble the $29 on a "door module", which is a little mini router that the window switch, along with everything else, plugs into.



It worked. Whew. Now for the irritation: This module is riveted onto the door inner panel. I had to drill out the tops of the rivets,


pound (with a skinny nail) the pop section of each rivet (yes, they used pop rivets) into the inside of the door, and open up the centers of the rivets with a drill to accommodate skinny sheet metal screws.

The red stuff you see is grease inside the holes to ease the sheet metal screws going in to the body of the rivet - which is nice soft aluminum, but there is nothing really holding it in place in the door panel. It is merely oversized for the hole, having been squished.

A drywall anchor might have worked also.

The rubber trim piece at the top of the door interior panel is aluminum + epdm; I had to remove it and straighten out on the bench. The door panel slides into place relatively easily when you do it right. If you have to pound and curse, you are doing something wrong.

Why did the door module fail? I believe this because I installed a Chinesium door switch some time back. See, these things are computers; for ten or twelve switches, there are only three wires out. This is not a good place to economize. My Chinesium switch worked okay for a while; then the lights failed, and finally it took out the door module. Or maybe the door module took out the window switch; either is possible I guess. Don't chance it; get the Vemo. It is on FCP Euro and Rock Auto.

I accidentally &/or stupidly tore the flexible PCB wiring harness. I was able to repair it by soldering to the copper trace. Scrape the top side coating with a soldering iron; the plastic will melt away. Very gently scrape off the melted plastic with a knife till you see bright copper. Tin these leads; move fast so you don't melt the plastic under the copper. Take some fine stranded copper wire and tin about 1" with solder. Flatten with a hammer or pliers. Touch onto the tinned copper trace with the soldering iron, both sides. Put a plastic splint on it so no mechanical stress makes the joint come loose. Bind it with self fusing tape.

It won't win any beauty contests but it works, so far.

A replacement wiring harness sells on Ebay for about $80.