Auto Door Locks Common Fix = Failure!

[UTEP]

Hi all,

Well after researching ad infinite and being convinced the power block replacement is the solution to auto locks acting up and replacing I report in my case it did not solve the problem!

The symptoms before and after were locks cycling locked and unlocke with a clicking sound from the power block.

Absolutely the same with a brand new power block!

Any clues?

Thanks,

Utep

 

[UTEP]

Hmmmm

OK Oddly it is a little better so somehow related…

No thoughts here? Dang, this was getting attention of a few threads but no longer.

Point is I have an instance of the power block replacement NOT working which is counter to 99% of the posts I saw.

I wonder what it could be….

Thanks,

UteP

 

[concordcarlos]

I also have the non-functional power door locks. They will unlock from the switch on the door but not re lock. I didn't replace anything but took out the box and used copious amounts of electrical cleaner on the whole thing. No change for me.

 

[UTEP]

Hi,

Mine were all over the place. Often not working, often flicking locked/unlocked when trying to lock. Started flicking while driving after a few weeks.

When it started flickering while driving I was then able to pull out the key and they would lock as they should!

ALL the information I could find pointed to the power block so today I finally replaced it.

I noticed on the old one some green corrosion on one of the back connectors. Would have been harder to clean and could be inside.

At any rate the behavior did change by removing, cleaning and replacing with new unfortunately not completely repaired.

Seems to get a little better each time I drive the car, weird…

Any more clues/ideas to solve this would be great!

Thanks,

UteP

 

[IBallEngineer]

Hi all,

Well after researching ad infinite and being convinced the power block replacement is the solution to auto locks acting up and replacing I report in my case it did not solve the problem!

The symptoms before and after were locks cycling locked and unlocke with a clicking sound from the power block.

Absolutely the same with a brand new power block!

Any clues?

Thanks,

Utep

Ok, well I don't know what you read, or how you came to the conclusion so I won't address that. Suffice to say it does seem to be the consensus here to blame the Body ECU for a lot of things.

What I/We don't know, is what year, what model, what options you have. Do you have remote lock/unlock? This changes the game somewhat I believe.

Personally I have to "know" why I am changing something before I do it, and even then I'm a skeptic. In this case there are many variables, starting with any of switches, all any of them do is ground one side or the other.

All that said, it's not an easy problem to solve. I'm sure many have ideas, but this requires a lot of detail to solve. I'd start ruling out switches, because that would be easy.

 

[Kryptoroxx]

Kinda sounds like a short to me. If cleaning contacts helped......I would check more of the connections. It might even be your locks corroding and giving you mixed signals and symptoms.

 

[UTEP]

Ok, well I don't know what you read, or how you came to the conclusion so I won't address that. Suffice to say it does seem to be the consensus here to blame the Body ECU for a lot of things.

What I/We don't know, is what year, what model, what options you have. Do you have remote lock/unlock? This changes the game somewhat I believe.

Personally I have to "know" why I am changing something before I do it, and even then I'm a skeptic. In this case there are many variables, starting with any of switches, all any of them do is ground one side or the other.

All that said, it's not an easy problem to solve. I'm sure many have ideas, but this requires a lot of detail to solve. I'd start ruling out switches, because that would be easy.

Thanks,

Blame may be one thing but it solved it in all the instances I read. I never read one thread where replacing the power block did not solve it, till now :/

Could have been contacts but I cleaned all those as well.

The fact it changed and improved it some what is telling, perhaps the contact cleaning.....

Could be a related short, I'm not an auto electrician and was willing to toss $200 to solve it since it worked so often.
The clicking sound came directly from the block as well, not s flasher although it sounds like s flasher.

Thanks,

Utep

 

[mtbtim]

When I bought my 2000 4runner SR5 last year, the door locks would actuate when I would hit the brakes. After asking an experienced mechanic if he's ever heard of something like this and he said no, I decided to do a little detective work myself. Since the door locks were only acting weird when I depressed the brake pedal, I looked under the dash to see if there was a wire coming in contact with the brake pedal.

It ends up the return spring for the brake pedal was rubbing against a bundle of wires. One of the outer most wires had some exposed copper where the sheath had worn through and it must have been for the door locks. I wrapped some electrical tape around it, zip-tied the bundle away from the spring and it was fixed.

Take a look under the dash and make sure the brake return spring isn't rubbing against a bundle of wires.

 

[UTEP]

When I bought my 2000 4runner SR5 last year, the door locks would actuate when I would hit the brakes. After asking an experienced mechanic if he's ever heard of something like this and he said no, I decided to do a little detective work myself. Since the door locks were only acting weird when I depressed the brake pedal, I looked under the dash to see if there was a wire coming in contact with the brake pedal.

It ends up the return spring for the brake pedal was rubbing against a bundle of wires. One of the outer most wires had some exposed copper where the sheath had worn through and it must have been for the door locks. I wrapped some electrical tape around it, zip-tied the bundle away from the spring and it was fixed.

Take a look under the dash and make sure the brake return spring isn't rubbing against a bundle of wires.

I'm thinking this may be part of it..

Oddly it is working MUCH better but not completely solved. Seems to changed day to day for the better.

It was flickering lock and unlock when I drive, a real frustration. Now it does not lock when I start driving, flicks once when I hit the lock button and then locks and does not unlock when I remove key. BUT the "master" switch on drivers door has complete control…and that is progress…


Any other clues, ideas I'm all ears!

Thanks,

Utep

 

[UTEP]

Hi,

Bumping this one back up top as I have more information!

Reading the above thread you'll note I said the power block replacement did NOT work to fix mis firing door locks. Well it finally settled in after a while so maybe a wire shifted and short resolved? Who knows...BUT...

I noticed it started to happen again recently and coinciding with my starting system seeming to be laboring. My battery was a Interstate MT-35 ~4 years old in the desert. I was traveling and just bought a new one and bought one level hotter CCA's. Well...upon replacement of the battery the locks work perfectly!

Windows and all electronics more snappier than ever!

So...if you're having issues...and your battery is older and just in specs for CCA's try a hotter new battery and see if that doesn't solve the problem.

UTEP