Can you Burn out the door pop solenoid?

[JPW231]

The door release button under my drivers mirror had started to drop, so I put some sealant (a tiny amount) around the base of the switch and used masking tape to hold it in place whilst it dried.

Just been out to the car & rather than a solid clunk web pressing the button there is just a faint click and the solenoid is not popping the door open :-(
What have I done? Any advice?

[SpecB]

Probably the solenoid itself. They get weak with age. I have just changed my passenger side and it only took half an hour and a part from Maplins.

You want the two wire version for the door popper.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/door-lock-motors-12304

[JPW231]

Assume that the clicking means that the relay in the dash is working, but not the solenoid?

Any tips on getting access to the solenoid and removal/replacement?

[JPW231]

Just been out to check & there's nothing from the solenoid. The locking & unlocking is fine, just nothing on the drivers side for door release.
Decided now if it ain't broke I'm not going to touch it as I've had the car 2 weeks & when I've tried to improve one thing it's created another fault :-(

[SpecB]

If your car has the the button under the mirror then there are two solenoids. One for the locking and one for the door opener. If you look behind the door on the inside there is a panel covered in carpet that pulls out of the way revealing the two solenoids.

You need to undo the hex bolts to get the lock mechanism out of the way then changing the solenoid is a piece of cake. The alarm shouldn't come into it. The door pop solenoid is live all the time even if the car is locked.

Edited by SpecB on Friday 15th June 22:21

[JPW231]

Thanks for all of the tips! Part reserved, will collect from Maplin in the morning :-)

[JPW231]

Do you know if the Maplin wires were the same colour as I don't have a multimeter?

Edited by JPW231 on Friday 15th June 23:13

[SpecB]

They weren't on my car. The solenoid is designed to pull or push so you need to connect it to see which way around to connect the wires - It needs to push in this case.

The car's original solenoid is connected with a plug. I cut the plug off the old one once I had it out and crimped the new one to the old plug and wrapped it in tape to keep out the damp.

[JPW231]

Great - thanks for the advice. Hopefully this is all thats wrong! I assume that the solenoid just goes without warning as there was no indication that it was about to fail?

[SpecB]

Not sure. Mine started to get weak and required several presses of the button to work so I changed it before it locked me out but it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility for them to suddenly give up. It is a cheap fix in any case.

[JPW231]

Thanks SpecB - new solenoid fitted between showers and car back in rude health :-)

[SpecB]

JPW231 said:

Thanks SpecB - new solenoid fitted between showers and car back in rude health :-)