Central locking problem
Discussion
Hi all,
The central locking is not working, when i press the button to activate it a very loud/violent noise occurs. The door (drivers side) opens fine, so i don't think it is the mechanism. It looks/sounds like it is coming from the 'central locking solenoid' (The bible, p.308).
Please help, this is very annoying (and embarassing), is there an easy fix? I would like to get it sorted asap as i fear it may be doing some damage with continuing use.
Apologies if this sounds more complex than it actually is!
cic
The central locking is not working, when i press the button to activate it a very loud/violent noise occurs. The door (drivers side) opens fine, so i don't think it is the mechanism. It looks/sounds like it is coming from the 'central locking solenoid' (The bible, p.308).
Please help, this is very annoying (and embarassing), is there an easy fix? I would like to get it sorted asap as i fear it may be doing some damage with continuing use.
Apologies if this sounds more complex than it actually is!
cic
There's a solenoid on each door, behind the interior panel behind each seat. Presumably the system has been working ok, so you know the sound it normally makes?
Does the new sound come from both sides, or just one? You say the driver's door opens ok, but does it lock. What about the passenger door? Does the normal noise come from there.
You'll be able to identify the solenoid from the bible. Is it secure, or has it come loose? It may be loose and is striking something as it operates - it's quite a powerful device.
Does the new sound come from both sides, or just one? You say the driver's door opens ok, but does it lock. What about the passenger door? Does the normal noise come from there.
You'll be able to identify the solenoid from the bible. Is it secure, or has it come loose? It may be loose and is striking something as it operates - it's quite a powerful device.
Andy,
The noise is coming only from the drivers side, the passenger side is fine. I have opened the panel and everything seems ok (to my untrained eye). The car does not lock.
On activating the lock with the panel open, it looks as though the 'walking stick' shaped arm pushes up to open, in my case it seems like it is trying to go up more than it can for several seconds, hence the noise.
Does that make any sense!
cic
The noise is coming only from the drivers side, the passenger side is fine. I have opened the panel and everything seems ok (to my untrained eye). The car does not lock.
On activating the lock with the panel open, it looks as though the 'walking stick' shaped arm pushes up to open, in my case it seems like it is trying to go up more than it can for several seconds, hence the noise.
Does that make any sense!
cic
I'd be inclined to persevere a little further with Ribol's suggestion. Sounds very much like the noise that happens when my door is not quite closed properly and if you touch the door it sounds like a jack-hammer going off i.e. the pin isn't being depressed beyond the switching point and the locking mechanism oscillates rapidly.
Nope, the noise is definately coming from inside the panel. This happens when i open the door using the under wing mirror switch, when i press the button on the central column, and when i depress the door pin under the kick plate.
cic
>> Edited by cic450 on Wednesday 5th October 11:17
cic
>> Edited by cic450 on Wednesday 5th October 11:17
Ribol is right I believe. If you depress the courtesy light switch by hand I assume that the interior light goes off?
There should be a little foam rubber pad on the door that lines up with the courtesy light switch. If this rubber pad is missing or is worn or mis-aligned the courtesy light switch is not fully depressed.
The central locking system will think that the door is not closed properly and you will find that the door will not lock? The solenoid in the door will then continuously cycle trying to lock the car. This is the noise you can hear.
So I think that your central locking system is fine, the door switch is not being depressed properly. Try taping the courtesy switch down and see if the door will lock?
There should be a little foam rubber pad on the door that lines up with the courtesy light switch. If this rubber pad is missing or is worn or mis-aligned the courtesy light switch is not fully depressed.
The central locking system will think that the door is not closed properly and you will find that the door will not lock? The solenoid in the door will then continuously cycle trying to lock the car. This is the noise you can hear.
So I think that your central locking system is fine, the door switch is not being depressed properly. Try taping the courtesy switch down and see if the door will lock?
The interior light is operated by the switch that you can see at the bottom of the door opening below the sill (I am obviously a lot older than you at 56 and call then courtesy lights?)
For the central locking to lock and the alarm to correctly arm, the interior light switch needs to be fully depressed. When the alarm is activated the interior light switch is used by the alarm to indicate that the door has been opened.
The rubber pad on the door allows for a degree of variation in fit in fibre glass body and door and ensures that the interior light switch is fully depressed. If the foam pad slips so that it does not line up properly or has degraded or has fallen off altogether, the interior light switch will only be half depressed and will lead to the solenoid noise you are hearing.
NB. If you half close the good door (close to first catch only), you will probably get this door solenoid to cycle in the same way.
My basic contention is that if the solenoid is making a noise it is proably capable of working properly? Electrically it would appear sound and therefore something mechanical has changed or broken. If you check everything and can find nothing wrong, then I would go for a factory replacement door solenoid which you can then fit yourself.
However, one last thing has just occurred to me. The central locking needs to see a signal when the solenoid has closed. The solenoids are connected by multi-pin plugs somewhere in the door. It might be that this connector simply wants disconnecting and reconnecting a few times to clean the pins for everything to be OK? Worth a try.
For the central locking to lock and the alarm to correctly arm, the interior light switch needs to be fully depressed. When the alarm is activated the interior light switch is used by the alarm to indicate that the door has been opened.
The rubber pad on the door allows for a degree of variation in fit in fibre glass body and door and ensures that the interior light switch is fully depressed. If the foam pad slips so that it does not line up properly or has degraded or has fallen off altogether, the interior light switch will only be half depressed and will lead to the solenoid noise you are hearing.
NB. If you half close the good door (close to first catch only), you will probably get this door solenoid to cycle in the same way.
My basic contention is that if the solenoid is making a noise it is proably capable of working properly? Electrically it would appear sound and therefore something mechanical has changed or broken. If you check everything and can find nothing wrong, then I would go for a factory replacement door solenoid which you can then fit yourself.
However, one last thing has just occurred to me. The central locking needs to see a signal when the solenoid has closed. The solenoids are connected by multi-pin plugs somewhere in the door. It might be that this connector simply wants disconnecting and reconnecting a few times to clean the pins for everything to be OK? Worth a try.
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