The "tire carrier" dash warning light stays on constantly in my 1994 Pathfinder. We've had some very cold weather and some snow, and we recently tried to close the tire carrier when there was snow and ice in the lock mechanism.
Given the above, what are some common reasons why the light could be staying on? I inspected the lock mechanism area and didn't see any broken rubber parts around the door-close sensor, but it could be missing a part that I didn't know was there in the first place.