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The door switches I'd find on the later model 240s that now make it to the pick and pull yards have nice features. One, the way the rubber boot snaps around a ring cut into the end keeps the boot from being damaged by the door jamb and it seems to operate much smoother when the boot is no longer supple.
The advantages of a working door switch are several: the light works, the key reminder and headlight reminder (older cars) functions.
Another feature of the late style I find handy: a 1/4 turn twist will lock it in disabling the chime while you are working on something. Closing the door on it will automatically rotate it out of the disabled position.
What I learned yesterday, is the older switches (no not the old metal ones!) have this same disable slot, but it only works if you modify a part of the switch that appears to keep it from working. A plastic tongue keeps the bayonet pin from engaging the slot. Trim it a bit, and the switch works just like the ones on the '92s. Ha. No more ding-ding-ding drive-u-nuts.
Here are the old and new styles compared.

Getting them apart is a bit fussy. Sharp tweezers allow both snaps to be undone at once.

With a ripped boot and exposure to water running along the harness, they get to needing a cleaning.

The plastic tongue appears to serve no purpose other than to keep the switch disable from working.

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Art Benstein near Baltimore
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