Door locking not working
Discussion
Not sure how to approach this so hoping for some advice.
My doors no longer lock when I press the keyfob on the remote. Also the locking button inside on top of the golf ball no longer works.
I thought it was a knackered solenoid as when I investigated I found the fuse had blown. I unplugged the solenoids on both sides (via the access hatch), replaced the fuse then tried plugging in one side at a time and locking the doors. Nothing worked, with either side plugged in doors dont lock, same with both sides plugged in.
Fuse is still ok, hasnt blown again and the hazards work fine (they are on the same fuse)
So is it possible/likely that the central locking control box (I assume there is a basic logic controller) is broken ? cant find anything in the bible about a control unit ?
I have checked the courtesy light switches by removing, pushing connectors on and reseating but no joy. My courtesy light doesnt work (blown bulb) , I know the central locking relies on the courtesy light switches to sense door closure, could the blown bulb be the problem ?
My doors no longer lock when I press the keyfob on the remote. Also the locking button inside on top of the golf ball no longer works.
I thought it was a knackered solenoid as when I investigated I found the fuse had blown. I unplugged the solenoids on both sides (via the access hatch), replaced the fuse then tried plugging in one side at a time and locking the doors. Nothing worked, with either side plugged in doors dont lock, same with both sides plugged in.
Fuse is still ok, hasnt blown again and the hazards work fine (they are on the same fuse)
So is it possible/likely that the central locking control box (I assume there is a basic logic controller) is broken ? cant find anything in the bible about a control unit ?
I have checked the courtesy light switches by removing, pushing connectors on and reseating but no joy. My courtesy light doesnt work (blown bulb) , I know the central locking relies on the courtesy light switches to sense door closure, could the blown bulb be the problem ?
FlipFlopGriff said:
Have you lost a rubber blob off the door so the door switch thinks the door is still open? Or the door switch has corroded so it still thinks its open. Push the switch in with the door open and try again to see if they lock.
FFG
I've had the switches out and cleaned them , they seem to be working ok, but I see your point about the rubber. I need to replace the blown interior light bulb then at least I can check if the door switches are the problem. Hoping it really is something that simple to be honest !FFG
FlipFlopGriff said:
Have you lost a rubber blob off the door so the door switch thinks the door is still open? Or the door switch has corroded so it still thinks its open. Push the switch in with the door open and try again to see if they lock.
FFG
I think we may have a winner here - kind of ! Checked the interior bulb, it wasnt blown just loose. Refitted it and it stays permanently on with the doors closed regardless of the position of the light switch. So with the help of an assistant we pressed in both door switches and it still stayed on. Switches are working as when pressed in I can hear a relay clicking under the dash somewhere.FFG
So I guess there is a relay stuck somewhere thats making the courtesy light stay on and fooling the locking system.
Back to the bible to find the relay.
Cheers !
one small step forward. Removed courtesy light delay unit and bingo light now goes out.
Doors still dont lock though
Also disconnected and reconnected battery then set the alarm. No door locking.
Still hear a relay clicking somewhere when the door switches are pressed by hand so they are still working.
I guess there must be a short or disconnect somewhere between the switches/relays and the door power. Looks like its dash off time *sigh*
Doors still dont lock though
Also disconnected and reconnected battery then set the alarm. No door locking.
Still hear a relay clicking somewhere when the door switches are pressed by hand so they are still working.
I guess there must be a short or disconnect somewhere between the switches/relays and the door power. Looks like its dash off time *sigh*
bigdods said:
The hunt is now on for a replacement relay as none of the usual suspects stock it. I guess I will have to take it down to the local motor factors and see if they can get a match.
The central locking relay is next to the alarm under the dash top, the original was made by Italamec in Italy.We used to buy universal aftermarket central locking kits and the exact same relay was supplied in those kits, so not an OE part of any kind. When you have access to it the wiring diagram is printed on the side of it so that may help with your fault finding.
I guess the other thing it could be is a faulty solenoid. Does anyone know, if I disconnect both solenoids should I be able to press the central locking button and have the green light come on ? Or does it require both solenoids to be present and functioning correctly for it to work.
Just wondering if I have a faulty solenoid thats screwing things up.
And just for comedy effect I did try slapping the dash while pressing the door switch in and out to make the relay energise in the hope that it might just be sticking. Neighbours thought i'd lost the plot.....
Just wondering if I have a faulty solenoid thats screwing things up.
And just for comedy effect I did try slapping the dash while pressing the door switch in and out to make the relay energise in the hope that it might just be sticking. Neighbours thought i'd lost the plot.....
bigdods said:
I guess the other thing it could be is a faulty solenoid. Does anyone know, if I disconnect both solenoids should I be able to press the central locking button and have the green light come on ? Or does it require both solenoids to be present and functioning correctly for it to work.
Just wondering if I have a faulty solenoid thats screwing things up.
And just for comedy effect I did try slapping the dash while pressing the door switch in and out to make the relay energise in the hope that it might just be sticking. Neighbours thought i'd lost the plot.....
The central locking button does the same thing as the alarm module when it pulses to "lock".Just wondering if I have a faulty solenoid thats screwing things up.
And just for comedy effect I did try slapping the dash while pressing the door switch in and out to make the relay energise in the hope that it might just be sticking. Neighbours thought i'd lost the plot.....
I would check what is going on at the C/L relay before hitting the car too many times
I just had a very similar fault with mine, everything seemed to be in order and I could hear a relay clicking under the dash but the locks would only operate once in 15/20 attempts. If you lock the car manually (i.e operate the actuators by hand via the access panels behind the seat belts) you can establish if the car unlocks ok.
This was the scenario I had with mine so I removed the dash (which was actually very straight forward) to check the relay; it had two coils in it - one for locking and one for opening. By removing the outer relay shroud I could operate the locks by squeezing the contacts in the relay, this worked a treat so a good blast with WD40 (and plenty of testing before refitting the dash) and touch wood it's never missed a beat since!!
Hope this makes sense and helps a bit
Richard
This was the scenario I had with mine so I removed the dash (which was actually very straight forward) to check the relay; it had two coils in it - one for locking and one for opening. By removing the outer relay shroud I could operate the locks by squeezing the contacts in the relay, this worked a treat so a good blast with WD40 (and plenty of testing before refitting the dash) and touch wood it's never missed a beat since!!
Hope this makes sense and helps a bit
Richard
Dickie Dastardly said:
I just had a very similar fault with mine, everything seemed to be in order and I could hear a relay clicking under the dash but the locks would only operate once in 15/20 attempts. If you lock the car manually (i.e operate the actuators by hand via the access panels behind the seat belts) you can establish if the car unlocks ok.
This was the scenario I had with mine so I removed the dash (which was actually very straight forward) to check the relay; it had two coils in it - one for locking and one for opening. By removing the outer relay shroud I could operate the locks by squeezing the contacts in the relay, this worked a treat so a good blast with WD40 (and plenty of testing before refitting the dash) and touch wood it's never missed a beat since!!
Hope this makes sense and helps a bit
Richard
Thanks for the info, this confirms that its worth stripping the relay down so I will get onto that this weekend. Before removing the dash I am going to stick a meter on the solenoid to see if its getting a lock pulse on either side jus tto confirm its the relay. Hopefully once I get the relay case off it will be the same problem and simple solution !This was the scenario I had with mine so I removed the dash (which was actually very straight forward) to check the relay; it had two coils in it - one for locking and one for opening. By removing the outer relay shroud I could operate the locks by squeezing the contacts in the relay, this worked a treat so a good blast with WD40 (and plenty of testing before refitting the dash) and touch wood it's never missed a beat since!!
Hope this makes sense and helps a bit
Richard
Problem solved, one of the capacitors inside the relay pack has popped and looks like its done a fair bit of damage. New relay is £80 + shipping ! 
ETA: Found one on ebay for £11, result !
Glad I put wingnuts on the dash bolts last time I took it off, only took 5 mins to get it off this time !
Some pics to show the problem.
Capacitor was just floating around loose inside the case
The underside of the circuit board
ETA: Found one on ebay for £11, result !
Glad I put wingnuts on the dash bolts last time I took it off, only took 5 mins to get it off this time !
Some pics to show the problem.
Capacitor was just floating around loose inside the case
The underside of the circuit board
Edited by bigdods on Thursday 23 June 12:41
Edited by bigdods on Thursday 23 June 12:54
New relay from ebay (£11) works a treat. Both door solenoids turned out to be siezed, I guess when the relay expired it fried them (the fuse did blow but I guess it was too late!)
New solenoids from maplins £23 for the pair including shipping. Ordered yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.
Spent the morning fitting the new solenoids , most of the time was taken getting the dash back on properly !
Both doors now lock and I took the opportunity to realign the locks while I had it all apart so the doors now open much more cleanly
New solenoids from maplins £23 for the pair including shipping. Ordered yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.
Spent the morning fitting the new solenoids , most of the time was taken getting the dash back on properly !
Both doors now lock and I took the opportunity to realign the locks while I had it all apart so the doors now open much more cleanly
bigdods said:
New relay from ebay (£11) works a treat. Both door solenoids turned out to be siezed, I guess when the relay expired it fried them (the fuse did blow but I guess it was too late!)
New solenoids from maplins £23 for the pair including shipping. Ordered yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.
Spent the morning fitting the new solenoids , most of the time was taken getting the dash back on properly !
Both doors now lock and I took the opportunity to realign the locks while I had it all apart so the doors now open much more cleanly
The relay won't fry the solenoids, the solenoids fry the relay.New solenoids from maplins £23 for the pair including shipping. Ordered yesterday afternoon, arrived this morning.
Spent the morning fitting the new solenoids , most of the time was taken getting the dash back on properly !
Both doors now lock and I took the opportunity to realign the locks while I had it all apart so the doors now open much more cleanly
ok, that makes sense
Just glad that people have taken the time to put together the guides, alternative parts lists etc. Would have cost me £130 in parts alone from the usual suppliers , but managed to get everything for £34. And I just followed the guide from the chimarea pages to carry out the job, with a little help from the bible .
Just glad that people have taken the time to put together the guides, alternative parts lists etc. Would have cost me £130 in parts alone from the usual suppliers , but managed to get everything for £34. And I just followed the guide from the chimarea pages to carry out the job, with a little help from the bible .
bigdods said:
ok, that makes sense
Just glad that people have taken the time to put together the guides, alternative parts lists etc. Would have cost me £130 in parts alone from the usual suppliers , but managed to get everything for £34. And I just followed the guide from the chimarea pages to carry out the job, with a little help from the bible .
Just goes to show the power of forums like this bigdods, not just at the time but often months or years later. I looked on here for an issue with exactly the same symptoms. Having seen your post I ordered a relay (£12 on ebay) and when the part came in I was able to fit it in about 20 minutes (dashboard top taking 18 minutes). No need for diagnosis or messing about in the cold, so important too when mine is an everyday car. Well done to all contributors.Just glad that people have taken the time to put together the guides, alternative parts lists etc. Would have cost me £130 in parts alone from the usual suppliers , but managed to get everything for £34. And I just followed the guide from the chimarea pages to carry out the job, with a little help from the bible .
Hi Brian,
Could you let me know which relay to order on e-bay please?
Had a look on Chimaera pages and found the solonoid part numbers but nothing about the lock relay?
Just bought my Chim and when got home it wouldnt lock, did lock ok once in garage and has been locking/unlocking fine since but would like to get a relay just in case!
Thanks,
Peter.
Could you let me know which relay to order on e-bay please?
Had a look on Chimaera pages and found the solonoid part numbers but nothing about the lock relay?
Just bought my Chim and when got home it wouldnt lock, did lock ok once in garage and has been locking/unlocking fine since but would like to get a relay just in case!
Thanks,
Peter.
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