2007 Dynasty; Bay door open message. Suggestions?

[TOBYLB4]

I have a bay door open message on the dash. None of the doors are open. I'm thinking a switch at the door is the issue. How do I test each switch to find the problem? Or am I thinking wrong? TIA

[Frank McElroy]

Be sure to check the sensor on the rear engine door hinge.  This one works by gravity with an internal metal ball.  When contact is made by any sensor, resistance goes to zero.

[Dr4Film]

Use a jumper wire between the lead attached to each bay door pin switch and  a good ground.

[TOBYLB4]

13 hours ago, Dr4Film said:

 

Thanks guys this will give me a place to start.

[Tom Cherry]

4 minutes ago, TOBYLB4 said:

Thanks guys this will give me a place to start.

OK…been there….done that.  I have NARY a Bay Door switch or an Engine Hatch switch. BUT, the main “front to rear” harness on my 2009 Camelot….per Monaco tech support when I had a BAY DOOR light and alarm was the same. There is only “one” wire…again…per Monaco…as in there is a bay alarm wire that runs from the instrument cluster to the rear.  There are “places” as in junctions or plugs along the way.  The BAY ALARM is a GROUND signal.  In other words….when a door is open….the switch is “closed”….when the door is closed….the switch is OPEN or has NO Circuit.  Every “switch” or sensor is connected to GROUND.  So, any one switch, that “indicates” that a door is open….that switch is actually “closed” and then the signal is grounded….and the light and alarm will sound.

MINE has nary a switch!  WHY THE ALARM? Monaco assemblers pulled too heavily.  There is a massive bundle of harnesses or wires in one spot in the engine bay. I installed a fire suppression system….and GENTLY moved those bundles aside.  There is a CHAFED wire…and it is the “wire” that was going to the rear engine lid.  It GROUNDED out when I moved the bundle.  It went away, and that was in 2010, when I was able to reposition that bundle.  I never saw or found the errant wire,

Just remember you are testing or “jumpering” each switch….and CLOSING or shorting across each….do every bay and as Frank suggests….the “Mercury” switch in the Engine area.  NO JOY….grounded wire…and may the FORCE be with you on that.  No rhyme or reason when the wire got grounded…or where….

[Dr4Film]

@TOBYLB4 Gary, after rethinking what I had suggested above, jumping between the lead wire and a good ground will turn the light ON not OFF. I wasn't thinking correctly. The Pin Switch completes a ground circuit when the bay door has been opened and turns the light on.

You will have to look at every Pin Switch to find the defective one which is giving you a bad fault light.

[TOBYLB4]

8 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

OK…been there….done that.  I have NARY a Bay Door switch or an Engine Hatch switch. BUT, the main “front to rear” harness on my 2009 Camelot….per Monaco tech support when I had a BAY DOOR light and alarm was the same. There is only “one” wire…again…per Monaco…as in there is a bay alarm wire that runs from the instrument cluster to the rear.  There are “places” as in junctions or plugs along the way.  The BAY ALARM is a GROUND signal.  In other words….when a door is open….the switch is “closed”….when the door is closed….the switch is OPEN or has NO Circuit.  Every “switch” or sensor is connected to GROUND.  So, any one switch, that “indicates” that a door is open….that switch is actually “closed” and then the signal is grounded….and the light and alarm will sound.

MINE has nary a switch!  WHY THE ALARM? Monaco assemblers pulled too heavily.  There is a massive bundle of harnesses or wires in one spot in the engine bay. I installed a fire suppression system….and GENTLY moved those bundles aside.  There is a CHAFED wire…and it is the “wire” that was going to the rear engine lid.  It GROUNDED out when I moved the bundle.  It went away, and that was in 2010, when I was able to reposition that bundle.  I never saw or found the errant wire,

Just remember you are testing or “jumpering” each switch….and CLOSING or shorting across each….do every bay and as Frank suggests….the “Mercury” switch in the Engine area.  NO JOY….grounded wire…and may the FORCE be with you on that.  No rhyme or reason when the wire got grounded…or where….

Thanks Tom, I grounded all leads to the doors and the engine hatch. No luck I still have the open door message. Will check the engine bay for wiring harness issues. My generator has what I think is a proximity switch, it has 2 wires going to it. I'm sure it's ok because the message reads gen set door open.

[Tom Cherry]

23 minutes ago, TOBYLB4 said:

Thanks Tom, I grounded all leads to the doors and the engine hatch. No luck I still have the open door message. Will check the engine bay for wiring harness issues. My generator has what I think is a proximity switch, it has 2 wires going to it. I'm sure it's ok because the message reads gen set door open.

ERRRR.

The switches are normally OPEN.  Open the door….the switch then closes….grounding OUT or to the Alarm wire…as I tried, poorly, to say to correct Richard’s comment….which he posted a correction on.  When a door is closed…..the switch has an OPEN or is NOT closed circuit.  Open the DOOR….it makes a GROUND (one side of the switch is ground….the other side is the infamous ALARM wire.)

So….TRY THIS….disconnect every switch…at the connector.  Or start at one end…and pull off a lead or connector to each switch.  Then reconnect.  You can’t use, I THINK, a DVOM.  A bad switch will ground the main wire. With ALL the switches disconnected…there is NO GROUND circuit…..unless there is a chafe or a nick.

Think about it…it is the reverse of most circuits….

[TOBYLB4]

15 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

ERRRR.

The switches are normally OPEN.  Open the door….the switch then closes….grounding OUT or to the Alarm wire…as I tried, poorly, to say to correct Richard’s comment….which he posted a correction on.  When a door is closed…..the switch has an OPEN or is NOT closed circuit.  Open the DOOR….it makes a GROUND (one side of the switch is ground….the other side is the infamous ALARM wire.)

So….TRY THIS….disconnect every switch…at the connector.  Or start at one end…and pull off a lead or connector to each switch.  Then reconnect.  You can’t use, I THINK, a DVOM.  A bad switch will ground the main wire. With ALL the switches disconnected…there is NO GROUND circuit…..unless there is a chafe or a nick.

Think about it…it is the reverse of most circuits….

If my thinking is correct I can disconnect each bay one at a time. and when the message goes away that would be the defective switch?

[Dr4Film]

Yes, that's what I would recommend, plus look closely at each one to see if it looks and operates as it should.

Basically, the pin plunger is on a spring so when you open the door, the pin springs out allowing the wire lead to make contact with the base of the switch with completes the ground connection turning on the light.

There also may be as @Tom Cherry suggested, a chaffed wire which is touching a ground that is causing the light to remain on.

[TOBYLB4]

31 minutes ago, Dr4Film said:

Yes, that's what I would recommend, plus look closely at each one to see if it looks and operates as it should.

Basically, the pin plunger is on a spring so when you open the door, the pin springs out allowing the wire lead to make contact with the base of the switch with completes the ground connection turning on the light.

There also may be as @Tom Cherry suggested, a chaffed wire which is touching a ground that is causing the light to remain on.

Thanks again you guys are a wealth of knowledge!

[Tom Cherry]

34 minutes ago, TOBYLB4 said:

If my thinking is correct I can disconnect each bay one at a time. and when the message goes away that would be the defective switch?

ABSOLUTELY.  Since Monaco "did different things at different times to different coaches", there is NOT one simple method for accomplishing this.  Some, IIRC, have actually had to CUT one of the wires....and then added a butt splice to reconnect.

Whatever it takes.  Eliminate...as in DISCONNECT the switch...or one side and see what happens.  ONE side of the switch will be GROUND....and then the OTHER side of the switch will be the ALARM WIRE.  

NOW... there maybe an ISSUE.  SO....think through this.  ...   I don't KNOW what the contacts look like or if they are exposed on the switch or if the wires are molded into the switch.  IF you can put alligator clips on the CONTACS (assuming that there is a PUSH ON Solderless terminal....then you can actually use a pair of Alligator meter leads and remove the wires...and then hold the meter and close the bay....the leads will fit as the seal is not that tight...  THEN you are actually operating each switch....with NO INPUT...or testing the switch itself.

NOW....the other way...and this has been done by us SHADE TREE FOLKS for years.  Use TWO needles or straight pins.  You push a needle into each wire...so it penetrates the copper and the insulation.  You put alligator clips on each needle or wire....then when OPEN...the circuit should be CLOSED and your DVOM should show continuity.  THEN.....close the door with the leads hanging out....and the circuit should OPEN or not have ANY continuity.

That's how it works.  You can put a dot of silicone over the holes or two wraps of electrical tape.  They are INSIDE the bay....so unless there is a FLOOD....there is no damage.  I have not personally tried the following.

Kable Kontrol Heat Shrink Tape - 1" Inch Wide - 16.5 Ft Rolls - Black - 4:1 Adhesive Lined Shrinkable Tape for Electrical Cables, Wires, Pipes – Adhesive Activates Upon Heating Melts and Seals

The above is from Amazon.  SO, you wrap the area with 2 wraps...where you pierced the hole....apply heat.  GOOD AS NEW.

Be creative...and do what is simplest for you.

[TOBYLB4]

2 hours ago, Tom Cherry said:

ABSOLUTELY.  Since Monaco "did different things at different times to different coaches", there is NOT one simple method for accomplishing this.  Some, IIRC, have actually had to CUT one of the wires....and then added a butt splice to reconnect.

Whatever it takes.  Eliminate...as in DISCONNECT the switch...or one side and see what happens.  ONE side of the switch will be GROUND....and then the OTHER side of the switch will be the ALARM WIRE.  

NOW... there maybe an ISSUE.  SO....think through this.  ...   I don't KNOW what the contacts look like or if they are exposed on the switch or if the wires are molded into the switch.  IF you can put alligator clips on the CONTACS (assuming that there is a PUSH ON Solderless terminal....then you can actually use a pair of Alligator meter leads and remove the wires...and then hold the meter and close the bay....the leads will fit as the seal is not that tight...  THEN you are actually operating each switch....with NO INPUT...or testing the switch itself.

NOW....the other way...and this has been done by us SHADE TREE FOLKS for years.  Use TWO needles or straight pins.  You push a needle into each wire...so it penetrates the copper and the insulation.  You put alligator clips on each needle or wire....then when OPEN...the circuit should be CLOSED and your DVOM should show continuity.  THEN.....close the door with the leads hanging out....and the circuit should OPEN or not have ANY continuity.

That's how it works.  You can put a dot of silicone over the holes or two wraps of electrical tape.  They are INSIDE the bay....so unless there is a FLOOD....there is no damage.  I have not personally tried the following.

Kable Kontrol Heat Shrink Tape - 1" Inch Wide - 16.5 Ft Rolls - Black - 4:1 Adhesive Lined Shrinkable Tape for Electrical Cables, Wires, Pipes – Adhesive Activates Upon Heating Melts and Seals

The above is from Amazon.  SO, you wrap the area with 2 wraps...where you pierced the hole....apply heat.  GOOD AS NEW.

Be creative...and do what is simplest for you.

Thanks Tom, I found the issue the front run box switch was out of adjustment. So simple wishes all issues were this easy and cheap!