Technical Door Locking Conundrum

[typecastboy]

Evening Ladies & Gents

Got a bit of a conundrum on on of my latest projects that I sold a few weeks ago. The new owner is having trouble locking it. When they are in the car and driving it, the auto lock feature is locking the doors perfectly. When the car is switched off and they try to lock it with either the key or the remote, the indicators flash twice and it doesn't lock. The double flashing saying that there's a door open of course. All doors are closed. I'm thinking tension on a rod that is not allowing the solenoid to actually activate the locks. There's a possibility of course it might be that damn hatch wiring but there's no errors for doors open on the dash.

It's a strange one and I'm getting the car back on Saturday to try and sort it, but wondered if any of you have any ideas.

My first thought it to get the door cards off and take a look inside, possibly loosen off the Torx in the side of the door and/or the hinge nut. That can cause tension. Bit of a mystery.

 

[bugsymike]

Before stripping everything down you could try locking the door catches with doors and boot open using a screwdriver to flick the catches all the way to their second position and seeing if it registers as locked and test the outside handles etc.
Just remember to release the catches all the way before slamming the doors as otherwise will damage the locks.

 

[typecastboy]

Before stripping everything down you could try locking the door catches with doors and boot open using a screwdriver to flick the catches all the way to their second position and seeing if it registers as locked and test the outside handles etc.
Just remember to release the catches all the way before slamming the doors as otherwise will damage the locks.

Yes, good idea. That's worth a go. I got her to manually push the interior handle in when the door was open while pulling on the exterior handle and then shutting the door and they lock like that so it's not the mechanism itself as such. She's had the car for 3 weeks and she called me after a week and I said that you haven't shut a door properly. Then heard nothing from her until this week. So was intermittent. Very strange.

 

[bugsymike]

Yes, good idea. That's worth a go. I got her to manually push the interior handle in when the door was open while pulling on the exterior handle and then shutting the door and they lock like that so it's not the mechanism itself as such. She's had the car for 3 weeks and she called me after a week and I said that you haven't shut a door properly. Then heard nothing from her until this week. So was intermittent. Very strange.

I hate selling cars, I tended to fix everything so lost money, unlike car salesmen who just make them look pretty, sell them with known defects and deny liability or fob off with BS.

 

[steveras57]

Hello Paul -Be interested to hear the outcome on this one!.
Has anyone tried using the remote when sat in the car to see if theres any errors on the dash such as door open etc?.
No idea myself !but having had multiple problems with mine tend to blame the BCM for everything electrical that goes wrong!. .
Think your starting point with the rod tension is a good one!- but dont understand if theres a problem how its self locking whilst driving!
best of luck and let us know what you find!.

 

[typecastboy]

Hello Paul -Be interested to hear the outcome on this one!.
Has anyone tried using the remote when sat in the car to see if theres any errors on the dash such as door open etc?.
No idea myself !but having had multiple problems with mine tend to blame the BCM for everything electrical that goes wrong!. .
Think your starting point with the rod tension is a good one!- but dont understand if theres a problem how its self locking whilst driving!
best of luck and let us know what you find!.

Apparently it locks when driving away but not sure whether it does within the car using the remote. Have had that issue before which turned out to be the remote but it didn't flash the lights twice as that would indicate there's a door open, My thoughts entirely about it locking when driving away but not with the key or the remote. Strange one. Hopefully I'll get to the bottom of it on Saturday.

 

[chris3234]

Possibly battery /voltages related bad connection somewhere and the higher voltage with the engine running makes it work correctly?

But knowing the weirdness with electrics x

 

[typecastboy]

Possibly battery /voltages related bad connection somewhere and the higher voltage with the engine running makes it work correctly?

But knowing the weirdness with electrics x

I hope not as that will be a nightmare to find.

 

[The Panda Nut]

My Pandas all do 1 flash when locking and 2 flashes when unlocking. Bravo was the same. If a door is open when you lock it it flashes several times very rapidly. (at least 8 times) I am wondering if the wiring has somehow been reversed so the BCM gets an unlock signal rather than a lock one?? Solenoid operating the wrong way round. Just speculative thinking.

 

[typecastboy]

My Pandas all do 1 flash when locking and 2 flashes when unlocking. Bravo was the same. If a door is open when you lock it it flashes several times very rapidly. (at least 8 times) I am wondering if the wiring has somehow been reversed so the BCM gets an unlock signal rather than a lock one?? Solenoid operating the wrong way round. Just speculative thinking.

That's a good point. I remember having a similar thing myself some years ago. It is multiple flashes isn't it. I wonder if it could be one of the locks. I think I have some spares, so might have to swap them out. Hopefully I can figure out which one it is without having to guess.

 

[jackwhoo]

Let's hope the new owner is trying to lock the car with the Unlock button. That would be a very easy fix

 

[steveras57]

That being the case lets hope they never actually manage to start it and get out on the road with the rest of us!!!

 

[typecastboy]

I did get a message from her the day after I sold it to her saying it only had one reversing light I do hope that's the case. We'll see. She's bringing it round tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

 

[steveras57]

thats if it gets there!

 

[The Panda Nut]

I did get a message from her the day after I sold it to her saying it only had one reversing light I do hope that's the case. We'll see. She's bringing it round tomorrow, so fingers crossed.

Oh deers. Not an experienced driver then?

 

[typecastboy]

Oh deers. Not an experienced driver then?

Well her Mum is who messaged me. I guess her car has one both sides. She also brought it round last week, the day before she told me again the car won't lock as she said there was a droning noise when going above 40. I went out with her and I could barely. hear anything and was just tyre/road noise. I think she might end up being one of those customers. I even offered her a full refund, which she declined.

 

[steveras57]

Im even more worried now i know she goes above 40!