Chrysler Repair: 95 Chrysler Lebaron - Problem, lebaron gtc, latch mechanisms

Question
Dear Roland Finston,

make/year/model : Chrysler/1995/Convertible LeBaron GTC

I have encountered a headache of a problem because whenever I pass over a pot hole or make a sharp turn there is a series of things that occur. What happens is my door ajar alarm goes off, my locks suddenly start locking, and then my head lamp starts to flicker and in the action of all of these at once I hear a clicking noise within my dash. I have tried switching out fuses and what not but I cannot seem to find the problem. The car runs fine and I doesn't really seem to find any problem except for this. I'm wondering now if it could be a relay problem or something.

However, in the past I had a problem with my power locks and convertible top and it would make a clicking noise underneath my stearing wheel but I just replaced the fuse and haven't heard it since.

Please help,
Zack

Answer
Hi Zack,
I have several ideas about what these gremlins are caused by. First, I would suggest that you check to make sure that the door latch mechanisms on both sides are not maladjusted, allowing the doors to be less than firmly tight against the weather stripping. You can loosen the latch plates on the door posts and move them inboard so that when you close the door it is tight. Then check too that the push buttons on the door post that the door is supposed to strike are solidly in place. It may be helpful to build up a little bit of metal on the inside surface of the door where it strikes the push button to assure that it really pushed in the button so as to give the autodoorlock system the "word" that the door really is closed. You might for example simply epoxy a penny on the inner door skin at the striking point. I suspect that the clicking of the door locks when you turn sharply or go over a pothole is that the body flexes and the door pushbutton switches are behaving as if you opened and shut the door.
Two other areas involved with all these problems are the cowl panels which are just in front of the door openings. On the inside of the car on these panels you will find on the driver side a relay block which includes relays for the headlamps (top row, middle two of the four sockets) and also one for autodoorlock system (rear most of the second row). It is possible that any of these relays are loose in their socket or there is  corrosion on the plug pins or socket receptacles. With the convertible body there is a tendency for water to leak down from the windshield into this area where it can corrode the sockets. Similarly on the passenger side there is the body computer which is even more prone to water damage because it has two plugs on the top side into which water can seep. So take a look there as well, demount the computer, remove the plugs and look for crud, water, corrosion of the pin/socket interfaces. You can clean up any such debris with spray-on circuit board/ contact cleaner available from an electronic supply store.
I think between those approaches you will get rid of all these problems. Let me know if any of them are helpful or if you find something I didn't suggest.
Roland