General Panda 1.1 active 2009 drivers door lock

[cnikonpete]

Hello, need some help with my newly acquired Panda, the central locking (key only) locks and then immediately unlocks. Occasionally it will lock the three other doors, but the drivers door will open to the latch.
Three of the door handles won’t spring back on their own, they have to physically pushed in, the drivers door is one of them. I have tried spraying WD40 into them without success.
I have watched the video on removing the door lock, but I can’t follow it easily as my Italian is useless
Any advice please?

Thanks

 

[koalar]

Lots of threads on this

Just need lubricant

Can take A few days to work in properly

Never had to take on apart, you just have to be patient

Here's an example

Fiat Panda passenger doors not closing | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

Hello, I'm having trouble with the passenger doors on my 06 Fiat Panda. They only shut if you push the handle from the outside, otherwise they just bounce back open. Has anyone had this problem before?

www.fiatforum.com

 

[cnikonpete]

Thanks Koalar, can’t really see where to squirt!!, are there pivot points that I can get to from the outside? The central locking works perfectly from the inside, which is not much use!

 

[koalar]

Under the handle and by the latch with the door open

Can take a bit of working in

 

[cnikonpete]

Well,I’ve drenched the locks with Wd40 and silicon spray. The handles are now returning to the proper closed position more easily.
However the central locking is still flaky, if I hold the key to the right for about 10 seconds there’s a good chance it will lock and stay locked, but if I just lock it normally it will bounce open. This is an improvement, but I would like a little more certainty.
I’m thinking the driver’s door lock is faulty?

 

[koalar]

Oiled this part as well

Open and close the boot

If you sit in the driver's seat and push the lever on the door

Do all four lock at the same speed

 

[porta]

As a further to @koalar excellent advise, if you can be bothered, and careful, take off the door panel as well and squirt everything inside…and don’t leave it long before you reapply
Personally, I can’t stand silicon spray, and many of them coagulate, so compound the problem. Stick to the lighter lubricants like WD and AC

 

[cnikonpete]

View attachment 456063

Oiled this part as well

Open and close the boot

If you sit in the driver's seat and push the lever on the door

Do all four lock at the same speed

The doors all lock at the same time .when operating the driver’s inside lock, they sound so good, you could almost believe the central locking works. I will try the door card off when it stops raining one day! Hopefully that will wok.

 

[koalar]

Shame it's not obvious which door is causing the problem

Basically its one of the micro switches isn't closing in time

Normally it's either a door not properly latched, opening and closing each door sorts it out

Or

One of the handles is stuck up

Seeing as you had 3 of the handles sticking, I am surprised this isn't the problem

There are other causes such as a frayed wire, but they are very rare

Seeing as the central lock is working fine from the inside, suggests the problem is the drivers door. It would be nice to confirm this before going any further

If you wind down the drivers window and turn the key in the lock from inside the car do all the latches move the same amount


Decent scantool that can connect to the body computer can monitor the switches

 

[cnikonpete]

Thanks Koala, will try that next,think the driver’s door handle needs more attention,it’s definitely better,(or maybe I am).
Should report this morning, The n/s/r door has less movement,although that was the outside handle was the only one that didn’t stick.

 

[cnikonpete]

Just checked it again, all the locks work before bouncing out, the nsr isn’t showing as much of the red band, but is locking (briefly), when using the driver’s internal handle, they all lock and stay locked. It’s only when using the key that the problem occurs.

 

[koalar]

Does it stay locked if you push the nsr handle first then turn the key

 

[cnikonpete]

Does it stay locked if you push the nsr handle first then turn the key

No, I tried locking three doors internally, then got out and tried the key,same result!

 

[koalar]

Shame we are no further forward yet, it's still a one in 5 chance, not sure if the active measures the rear hatch

Not sure if this works, I don't have a panda anymore to check

If you open all the doors

Push a screwdriver through each latch to flip them over

And try the key again

Pretty much everything else is going to be a pain in the bum

You could measure the signal at the body computer but access isn't great

Did it start after a door that's rarely used was opened, rear seat passenger, shopping on the back seat say

Has it been temperamental beforehand

 

[cnikonpete]

Only just got the car so no knowledge of previous problems, I will try the boot, but think my next step is to take the door card off,the wd40 soakings seem to have made a difference,so maybe spraying inside will help, it locked straight away just now . I will definitely let you know if your knowledge has helped,I am very grateful

Pete

 

[koalar]

As it getting better its probably sat awhile little used before you bought it

Keep spraying with solvent and light oil will probably work in over a few weeks

standard WD40 is candle wax dissolved in solvent

It works initially but as it dry it leaves a sticky water displacement coating

The very thin oil as used on hair clippers soaks in well and gets most things sliding properly again, but I have use engine oil before now

 

[porta]

Shame we are no further forward yet, it's still a one in 5 chance, not sure if the active measures the rear hatch

Not sure if this works, I don't have a panda anymore to check

If you open all the doors

Push a screwdriver through each latch to flip them over

View attachment 456090

And try the key again

Pretty much everything else is going to be a pain in the bum

You could measure the signal at the body computer but access isn't great

Did it start after a door that's rarely used was opened, rear seat passenger, shopping on the back seat say

Has it been temperamental beforehand

Push that catch in for two clicks, ensuring the external handle is down
If you have the door trim off, ensure that the handle isn’t broken or bent/fatigued

 

[cnikonpete]

Don’t know if it’s relevant but courtesy light doesn’t come on when door opened although the information on the dash does.
Going to try and spray inside the door tomorrow, rain permitting.

 

[koalar]

Don’t know if it’s relevant but courtesy light doesn’t come on when door opened although the information on the dash does.
Going to try and spray inside the door tomorrow, rain permitting.

Is the dome light switch off

Is the bulb okay, can you switch it on manually

 

[cnikonpete]

The light works manually only, think the courtesy switch is in the door locks?