When the driver side door is open and no keys are in the ignition the door continues to Ding. Dashboard and radio lights do not work headlights do not come on but park lights do back lights do not come on but brake lights do bright lights work as well fuses have been changed what do you think is wrong

Asked by Danielle Oct 27, 2012 at 09:47 PM about the 2001 Buick Century Custom Sedan FWD

Question type: General

18 Answers

69,055

There is a little metal contact inside those ignition switches that when the key is inserted it makes contact and makes the car ding. Those contacts do come loose and make a constant ground so it will act as if you forgot your keys in the ignition all the time.

24 people found this helpful.
69,055

Interesting how a loose ground would allow electricity to pass through it.

8 people found this helpful.

Gms are notorious for stuff working thats not supposed to w broken or missing grounds,you get a bleed back (ie) constant dinging,lights malfunctioning, ect. There are Three body grounds on the back of the engine rh corner of your 3.8 or 3.1 engine on the head will be a thirteen mm bolt check that connections are clean and tight, check that wire isnt broken inside the insulation. These grounds will be black wires on the head closest to the firewall just above where Trans and engine meet.

8 people found this helpful.

John, Read answer after your post. With this many things effected, more than just a faulty lock cylinder contact.

3 people found this helpful.

The headlights left on and key reminder use the same chime module. If there is a problem in that lighting circuit ground ie no lights, it will ground lighting circuit with resistance thru chime module and activate the chime.

4 people found this helpful.
69,055

A bad ground will prevent the flow of electricity. Lights not working could be caused by a bad ground. Things working on their own would be caused by 1 they have a good ground and somehow are receiving power or 2 they constantly have power and are somehow receiving a ground. Please tell me why the chime is turned on if there is a bad ground. The chime is run through the radio pull the radio fuse chime stops. Put the key in the ignition and the computer recognises the contact was made because the powered relay now has a ground completing the circuit and will turn on the parking lights as if the key was in the ignition ready to go. Now with the key in the ignition the door is opened and the radio dings telling you to remove the key. Please tell me how a bad ground could cause the chime to ding because "ie no lights" or a bad ground for the lights would prevent a circuit from being made preventing the chime from being able to activate. Electricity doesn't magically jump from insulated wire to insulated wire only two things cause the chime to make noise and one of those two are not working properly. Causing that chime to make noise while the door is open. Bad light switch is a possibility. Bleed back? What the fuck is bleed back. When the electrical current is stopped by a bad ground or whatever reasoning the electrical current stops. It doesn't "bleed" what do you think electricity will get to the bad ground and say oh I'm not goin that way and turn around and go back to create a route that doesn't exist in a chime module that's built into the BCM? You obviously have no concept of how DC voltage works.

5 people found this helpful.

whatever...just HATED to see you waste her time tearing into a lock cylinder contact that is obviously not the issue. write us a novel about how the lock cylinder contact controls the lights. LOL don't have time to school you john.

2 people found this helpful.
69,055

You turn the key to the off position and the parking lights come on and once the key is removed the computer sets a 15-30 second timer so as your walking away you have light emanating from the vehicle so you don't trip. If you leave the key in the ignition the PARKING not daytime running lights come on and as the key is turned the DRLs come on. Btw no tearing is necessary, 3 torx screws are removed the plastic comes off the column and the wire is either sitting on top of the cylinder or its not. Its that simple, and you saying you hated to see me waste her time you said a bad ground wire. There is a slight chance its the wire for the key being left in the car. As for your dumb ass having her chase ground wires in a greasy engine compartment. When obviously the reason its dinging is because it has a good ground and power. Bad ground = no electricity flowing = parts NOT working.

3 people found this helpful.
70

okay. So, I am confused. I have the same problem: My dash is dark, my rear lights don't work, my door chimes when it is open and no key is in the ignition (and also when the key is in there, except at a different frequency), and I keep blowing fuse 34.

6 people found this helpful.
69,055

Fuse is blowing because the power is shorted to ground on one of the accessories that fuse feeds. What year make and model is your vehicle?

4 people found this helpful.
70

2001 Buick Century. Fuse 34 is the one that is blowing. When the fuse is intact, then everything works well. About a year ago we thought that the problem occurred when the trunk release solenoid was activated, so we disconnected that and everything was fine for about a year. Now the fuse blows within an hour or a few days after it is replaced. The trunk release solenoid is still disconnected. What else is on that fuse???

1 people found this helpful.
15

replace the tail light fuse under the hood,i had the same problem but I believe I still have to replace the headlight switch itself because I still don't have dashboard ights.

1 people found this helpful.
50

I'm having the same problem. It started because my drivers side brake light was out & I watched a youtube video on how to fix the circuit board. I figured I would clean it... but when I tried it, it had a little spark & now no tail lights & dash lights & it dings with door open. I bought a new board & now I have brake lights but still have that issue.

5 people found this helpful.
30

my question is because I turn car off, take key out, and lights in rear stay on for much longer than the delay that is originally supposed to occur. ive tried making sure panel lights and switches are in off position so they don't take about 15 plus minutes to go off. I let a friend drive once and she said she didn't do anything but turn key on, then return to pick me up after a couple of errands she run for about two hours. I was at an appointment so I haven't learned what she could have done to detect the remaining chiming and dinging when drivers door only is open after all turn offs. 2000 buick lesabre which was a service vehicle at my dealership where I purchased previous three vehicles. all buicks, so why this problem is baffling to me. thankfully I had just purchased a new good battery in case this is draining factor in my car.

3 people found this helpful.
40

OK I have a 1999 century Buick limited ...my fuel tank needs to be dropped so my gage doesn't read ..I used my milage to tell me how muchgas iI have...recently I put gator clips on my batt for a car toper for work...now ONLY my gear/milage lights went out....how the fuck on earth do I change the tiny bulbs...I'm embarrassed to ask but please a play by play would make me eternally grateful

4 people found this helpful.
60

"Re: Chime set off when drivers door opened when no key in ignition." - "Additional effect was the Park Light Switch would not turn on the Park Lights." CHECK FUSES - Observed the same effect in a 1995 Buick Park Avenue, the culprit was a defective fuse, drivers side fuse panel. When replaced fuse the dinging stopped when the drivers door was opened with no key in ignition and the Park Light Switch was again operational.

6 people found this helpful.
10

2017 GMC Terrain light work everything works only thing is when I take key out door still makes ding sound I have remote start and now won’t start car frustrating

1 people found this helpful.

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