Technical Side Door contacts

[Red Van Man]

I've been fitting the door handle anti-theft plate this afternoon, to the (n/s) sliding side door. It's a fiddly thing to do as the nuts holding the handle on aren't easy to get at - that is until I found the rubber blanking plate in the door removed to give access to the RH nut.. We live and learn.. (The pax and driver's door have similar rubber bungs to give access to this nut)
Anyway, during this process I followed the bundle of 3 wires down the inside of the door to see where they went and there's a connector on the invisible edge of the door. It has three spring-loaded brass contacts and a plunger switch on it which mate with a similar contact connector on the door aperture in a waterproof surround. It's presumably for a door open warning, lights and the alarm system. It was loose. Very loose. I extracted it after a lot of fiddling (it's very inaccessible) and there is a single clip holding this in place and the contacts are all spring-loaded plus the plunger switch so it's under a lot of stress. On the mating face there is another plunger switch (on the car body)
After much looking at it, wondering why there's no claw device on the clip, I noticed a hole through the centre of the clip (which is at the top of the row of connectors). It must be one of those that has a pin you push in to release the clip, then withdraw the pin prior to refitting and pushing the pin in once more and that spreads the clip legs wide to grip the metal aperture. Trouble is I don't have the pin. Nothing I did today would have disturbed it so I guess it's gone west sometime before.

I've left the door card off for the moment and even shut the door from the inside hopefully to get the contacts to make the necessary circuit with the rest of the car but the alarm won't set, the doors won't lock, and on starting up I get an attempted break-in warning and the legend that the rear door is open - which it's not!

Any ideas for a fix, to get this connector secure (anything would be better than the original) or how to bypass it in the interim?

Thanks.

R-V-M

 

[Red Van Man]

Any ideas for a fix, to get this connector secure (anything would be better than the original) or how to bypass it in the interim?

Sad that often I end up answering my own questions on here.. How many Fiorino owners are there? There's a huge overlap with the Qubo of course. Would a Quboist please like to take a pic of their start-up dashboard (have to be quick!) as I'd like to see how it differs from the commercial dash as I think there is some difference.

Anyway, the sliding door coontact.. I went to Autoworld in Chesterfield today and their service/parts dept. Spoke to one chap who eventually brought me the service manager (in gloves) and he knew all about the problem - usually affecting Ducatos. The contactor bar on the door is only held in by one clip and the slamming door shakes it loose and the expanding pin falls out so watch out on your Q and F models!
A new unit with loom (why so much for one missing pin that must cost about 2c to make) is on the parts van for delivery tomorrow for me and the service chap suggested attaching a little double-sided sticky tape to hold it secure, but not too secure as it needs to float a tiny bit for making contact with the receptor on the body.

+1 for Autoworld Chesterfield.

R-V-M

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Hello i'm one RVM, but not had any issues with my door contact, so could not help out on this occasion.
Luigi

 

[Red Van Man]

Hello i'm one RVM, but not had any issues with my door contact, so could not help out on this occasion.
Luigi

Thanks Luigi.
Might be interesting to have a feel (as you can't see it) to see (feel!) how secure it appears on yours since it's a little older than mine..

This pic shows the design of clip in essence though the prongs are in the contact moulding and the pin forces those lugs apart to make it hold in the steel flange of the door.

Hope this is all that's likely to get loose/drop off!!

Paul
[R-V-M]

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

I've had dealings with these buggers before.........corsa front bumper which i removed to fit headlight bulbs...well done vauxhall for that design.
But hay, i will check it out RVM
ps. If you post in the future, i'll get back to you just for the hell of it.
There was a time,before the new fiorino section was born i was posting on the qubo section all on my own. ah, i know don't cry
Luigi

 

[Red Van Man]

I've had dealings with these buggers before.........corsa front bumper which I removed to fit headlight bulbs...well done Vauxhall for that design.
But hey, I will check it out RVM
ps. If you post in the future, I'll get back to you just for the hell of it.
There was a time, before the new Fiorino section was born I was posting on the Qubo section all on my own. Ah, I know don't cry
Luigi

Actually this was only to give you the idea of what type of method is employed to hold in what I'd consider a fairly vital-that-it-works-right connector, relying solely on a pin that evidently can drop out after only a few slams of the door.
The moulded bracket holds three spring loaded contacts and a plastic plunger and the clip is at the top end of the bracket, only one clip. Not the best method in my book!
Photo to follow when I have a spare in my hand.

R-V-M

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Well done,
Ps you seem like a nice chap, keep up the good work
Luigi

 

[philnicandamy]

I've had dealings with these buggers before.........corsa front bumper which i removed to fit headlight bulbs...well done vauxhall for that design.
But hay, i will check it out RVM
ps. If you post in the future, i'll get back to you just for the hell of it.
There was a time,before the new fiorino section was born i was posting on the qubo section all on my own. ah, i know don't cry
Luigi

ah we all loved you really!!

 

[ontor]

greetings
the plunger contacts are to operate the central locking. If they were not there, you would need a trailing wire following the sliding door.
the clip you describe is a "scrivet"

ontor

 

[Qube O]

Thought that was the hedge in my front garden..................lol

 

[ontor]

Thought that was the hedge in my front garden..................lol

Chuckles and such

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Lol
luigi

 

[Red Van Man]

Greetings
The plunger contacts are to operate the central locking. If they were not there, you would need a trailing wire following the sliding door.
The clip you describe is a "scrivet"

Ontor

Equivalent to needing a long extension-lead for an electric car...

I realise the importance of the contacts-bracket, just that it's only held in by ONE plastic scrivetty thing at one end of the bracket when it's subjected to slamming forces yet needs to maintain 4 contacts 100% of the time when shut.
Mine just appeared to have 'fallen off' (the scrivet - perhaps nicked by a jealous frog..)

Some things on a car are amazing for their design concept - others defy belief for the tacky way in which they are made and applied.

Thanks for the new word in my vocabulary!

R-V-M

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

Just to confirm my scrivet is intact, the connector block is secure,and there's no problem with mine [85 plate model]
LUIGI

 

[Qube O]

Likewise mine is also secure......I have walked around the garden tugging on various parts of the hedge with no effect whatsoever. Apart from a occasional trim all seems well.
Qube O LOL.

 

[Red Van Man]

Just to confirm my scrivet is intact, the connector block is secure,and there's no problem with mine [85 plate model]
LUIGI

Dr Who returns... Fiorino travels back in time before its own invention!

Your reg is 55 isn't it? (I know it's a private plate but not 1985?) Aha - it's only 55 in the number not the year part. Well the van is 2005/6 isn't it..

R-V-M

 

[2668GRIFFIN]

OOps
yeh 58 plate

luigi