drivers door lock unlocking very seldom

[boechler14]

hey i was wondering what would cause my drivers door lock to only unlock from time to tmie? it always locks but will nearly never unlock? i tested for power in the drivers side kickpanel where the wires from the door join with the wires in the car and when i press unlock theres no power comin through but when i press lock theres power? any everhad this problem? i was thinkin it was a relay that is under the passenger side dash but i wasnt sure any help or ideas would be helpful

[hosser]

You cant go by the poketester on some of that suff, there is either a damaged ground or the relay is messed up. The arm that stops doors from overextending ripped out of the frame (rusted) and that caused a SERIOUS issue. my elec. mirrors stopped working then when i regrounded it they worked fine. But the locks were still fishy, i herd a clicking and found the relay was toasted. hope this helps.

[terryk2003]

i had a similar problem...my drivers side switch would unlock the doors, but wouldn't lock the doors...mine was caused by a bad door lock switch on the drivers side...i dunno if you're having quite the same problem...but...thats just my 2 cents...

[boechler14]

if the ground is messed how would i go about finding where it and fix it...the realy thats the one under the passenger dash rite? would there be anyway to know if it was the problem?..i went to the j/y and tried one but it still had the same problem..but for all i know that relay coulda have been bad...how would the arm on the door casue the problem? is that where there grounded? about the switch is there any way to test it? but the switch on the passenger door dosen't unlock it nor does the keyless entry could it still be the switch?

[terryk2003]

well...if neither switch OR the keyless entry unlocks it...its prolly not the switch...so, i dunno about that other stuff... ...

[boechler14]

oh ok so the switch couldn't be causin the problem atleast that takes off one possibility thanks for your input

[terryk2003]

...i don't think it could be the switch...possibly the power door lock acutator!?... ...

[boechler14]

yea see thats the first thing i was thinkin it was so i went and got one from the junkyard and i figured id plug it in before i actually attached it to the car or took the other one out and it too didn't unlock it didnt push out the rod so unless that too was shot i dunno what are the odds of me gettin a actuator that had the same problem as mine ?

[GnatGoSplat]

I had that problem on 2 Cutlasses and a Grand Prix.

What fixed it was lubricating the linkages, especially on that C-shaped part that pivots.

I also pulled up the actuator shaft boot and lubed the actuator shaft, although I'm not sure if that helped any.

[boechler14]

awsome thanks alot im going to go and try that out later tonite and hopefully it works thanks for all the help

[DiscoStudd]

Another area you could apply a touch of ole WD-40 to is the plastic lock lever and the surrounding trim behind where the lever slides. When I installed my separates in the doors of my Regal, I found that after I reassembled the door panel the locks were binding up. They would work fine with the lever off, so I lubed up the lever a bit, reassembled it, and it worked like a charm...

[boechler14]

awsome thanks for the input ill make sure to try that as well

[boechler14]

well i tried lubricating everything and still nothin when i had the door lock accuator off i decided to test it for power and the power only came when i hit the lockin button not when i hit unlock so im convinced it has to be the relay unless anyone has any other ideas?

[w3rk5]

I had erratice power lock-unlock issues. Sometimes the lock-unlock switch work and other times it didn't. My local GM dealer traced it to a "faulty hazard swithch". That's right! You heard right. The hazard button had something to do with my power door locks. I dunno what code it generated nor how much it cost cause it was under warranty. But after they replaced the hazard switch, I've never had a problem since.

[boechler14]

a hazard switch? really? i never would have figured that one..do u or ne one know where that would be or how to fix it? cuz i was just goin to go n buy a new realy for $60 canadian of course and figured that it would fix my problem but i geuss that probly wont do it thanks for the info

[DiscoStudd]

I had erratice power lock-unlock issues. Sometimes the lock-unlock switch work and other times it didn't. My local GM dealer traced it to a "faulty hazard swithch". That's right! You heard right. The hazard button had something to do with my power door locks. I dunno what code it generated nor how much it cost cause it was under warranty. But after they replaced the hazard switch, I've never had a problem since.

What kind of car was this on? Was it a Grand Am or something where the hazzard switch is on the dash? On most W-Bodies, the hazzard function is incorporated into the main signal switch inside the steering column. From what I've seen on my W's, there's no correlation between the signals and the power door locks (and there is no separate "hazzard switch.")

 

On a side note, when I hooked up an aftermarket keyless entry system to my Grand Prix, I had to tap into 2 wires located in the driver's side kick panel. One was light blue and the other was white. These were the lock and unlock wires (can't remember which did what though.) I'd try to find those 2 wires and apply 12 volts to each wire individually to see if the doors will lock and unlock independently of the main switch...

[boechler14]

ok ill try lookin for those wires next time im able to work on my car cuz i had a guy install a keyless entry in my car for me and thats when i noticced that my door lock wasnt workin i just figured that it never worked before cuz i never tried my power unlock and paid attention

[jeremy]

I would highly doubt the problem is the hazard switch.....

[boechler14]

well i went and bought a relay and it seems to have fixed the problem at elast im hopin so so thanks for all your help and info

[boechler14]

after buyin the new relay everything worked fine until yesterday when it stoppped workin so i decided to go under the passenger dash and try movin some wires around and se what happens and it started working again but i dont know what did it i played around with 2 things the relay and some other thing beside the relay heres a pic of what the other thing looks like if anyone has any idea what this is and if it may be causeing my porblem thatd be great

 

 

 

but first i need to know how to put a pic on here :oops:

[jeremy]

 

 

but first i need to know how to put a pic on here :oops:

 

[boechler14]

[digitaloutsider]

[bangs head on desk]..

[boechler14]

ok somethings wrong with me i cant do nothin rite im sorry does it have to be on the ner or something?

[digitaloutsider]

Just send the picture here:

 

shaun@digitaloutsider.org