Sodium

Hi all!

I replaced my driver door position switch (the door open/close sensor switch) earlier today. It was the easiest repair I've ever done – it literally took me longer to take the pictures documenting the replacement than to actually do the replacement itself (getting the lighting right isn't easy!). Hopefully this will help someone avoid paying a shop for what is a 3 minute DIY!

PARTS: Courtesy Lamp Switch, part #84231-50190

TOOLS NEEDED: T-30 Torx bit. Most screwdriver sets should come with one.

STEP 1: Remove the bolt, then pull the switch away from the B-pillar. The switch may slightly adhere to the B-pillar, so you may have to pull on it or twist it a bit to break the adhesion.
STEP 2: Pull the switch out of the B-pillar. There is enough slack to get the whole connector out as well. Push down on the tab the separate the switch from the connector, then connect the new switch. Also, try to not let go of the connector until the new switch is securely attached.

STEP 3: Put the switch back in the B-pillar and tighten down the bolt, and you're done!

One word of caution: be sure not to overtighten and strip the bolt. In step one, you'll notice the courtesy lights will start flickering as soon as you begin loosening the torx bolt, which means that the bolt is either the power or ground side of the switch (as you can see in the picture below, the switch only has one pin, so with a loose, stripped bolt you'll have an open circuit).

One pin to rule them all

XxGoKoUxX

Did not see a write-up in the 3GS FAQ so I'll add it in.

Thank you!

Wholegrain

FYI, I just ordered two door jamb sensors for my 2007 GS350 using a different part number. I ordered #84231-53010 (which is reported to replace #84231-33071).

Not sure why there'd be two different part numbers (edited: #84231-53010 vs #84231-50190 original poster) for what seems like a very simple switch.

Sodium

That means the newer part has some minor design modification. Most of the time the newer part corrects some issue with the older part or is more durable than the old part

Also, welcome to CL!