The door open light on my 2004 Prius (179k mi) recently started coming on when all doors were closed, which of course made the interior overhead light come on. I was able to occasionally trick the door open light off by pressing the Auto Door Lock button, but it would come back on randomly while driving. Also, The alarm went off a few times randomly, so I had to leave the alarm off when the car was parked. OK, it’s a failed sensor, right? So then my car sat for 3 days because I had no reason to start it…but when I went to start it next, the battery was completely dead. AAA came out and jumped it, Of course, when I took it to the mechanic, the dashboard open door light was not misbehaving, but they did find a bad sensor on one of the doors. He said this bad sensor shouldn’t drain the battery though. Do any of you knowledgeable folk agree, or have any insights on whether the dead battery was a result of this malfunctioning sensor? I thought of the interior light draining the battery if it had been on for a long time with the engine off, but usually when I had turned the alarm off after parking the light had stayed off.
The door pin if it sticking on allowing lights inside on etc . Then yes could drain batt. Replace the door pin he said was bad charge battery . Drive and see if door stays closed electrically that is.
This is usually your rear hatch latch... Dirt builds up in it over the years... Full removal by unbolting and unplugging it and cleaning & lubricating thoroughly is the best way to do it. But you can try your luck at vacuum, or compressed air and then q-tips...
