Switch, Hood Ajar: Operation: Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2014 Dodge Journey. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The hood ajar switch is actuated by the inner hood panel reinforcement. When the hood is closed and properly latched, the hood ajar switch is an open circuit. When the hood is open or only partially latched, the hood ajar switch is a closed circuit. The switch has a 1 kilohm diagnostic resistor connected in parallel to the switch contacts located between the two switch terminals. The hood ajar switch is hard wired in series between a return circuit and a signal circuit of the Body Control Module (BCM) (also known as the Common Body Controller/CBC).

The BCM reads the hard wired hood ajar switch input through an internal pull-up resistor, then uses this input to control other electronic functions and features of the vehicle. Some of these features may include the remote start system and the Vehicle Theft Alarm (VTA). The BCM may also send electronic hood ajar switch status messages to other electronic modules in the vehicle over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus.

The hood ajar switch as well as the hard wired inputs and outputs of the switch may be diagnosed using conventional diagnostic tools and procedures. Refer to the appropriate wiring information.