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hyperactive door locks, how I fixed mine


mishikwest
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Symptom:

Upon inserting a key in the lock and turning it, the power locks would "bounce" a couple of time, and not necessarily stop on an unlocked cycle. Also they would occasionally lock/unlock on their own accord.

 

What worked for me:

 

-Remove door panel

 

-Remove the small power-lock motor and actuator. It's a tan colored box about the size of a digital camera in the lower corner of the door. Two 12mm ? bolts mount it to the inner sheet metal. Also have to unhook the 2 wiring plugs and linkages.

 

-Put the thing on your bench and remove the six tiny screws that hold the halves together, and split the case.

 

***VERY IMPORTANT STEP*** Use a scribe or similar devise to mark the exact position of all the gears inside. If I remember correctly, there are 3.

 

- Remove the large plastic gear, and the drive parts underneath. You can’t take it apart any further without grinding down some cold-formed rivets. Hose the whole thing out with a generous amount of electrical contact cleaner. Move the actuator a few times and really clean out the sliding copper contacts. Spray more. If a little spray is good, alot can only be better. -alcohol-

 

-Give the gears a little bit of fresh grease.

 

-Reassemble, paying attention to your marks denoting the orientation of the gears and actuators.

 

Reinstall, and hopefully your locks will behave normally.

 

Again, this is from my experience, but just remember you read it on the internet :D :D

Edited by mishikwest
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Mine are kinda acting up too. The drivers side lock stays locked but the pass door and the rear door both come unlocked randomly. I dont really like that AT ALL haha. Its not when I put the key in the key hole either. It usually happens when my doors have been locked for a while (ie while Im sleeping or at work where they would be locked for more than a few hours).

 

Is this close to your problem mishikwest??? Or has anyone else had a similar prob?

 

Rami

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I had the same problem and attempted to fix mine in the same way. Unfortunately, the clean up process didn't help at all and it was too far gone. Just a heads up, but the actuator is a $90 part from the dealer, so don't bugger yours up.

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I would stick my key in and turn to unlock, and in rapid fire they would bounce between lock/unlock/lock/unlock/lock/unlock. all that with just a single turn of the key. And try and unlock all door by doing the "double rotation", and forget about it. Things would go all sorts of haywire.

 

Once in a while they would lock on their own too...like if I slammed the door or something.

Edited by mishikwest
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  • 8 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

On my 91 pathy I have had a problem where if I lock the door then shut it it unlocks, this happens with the front doors. I found that if I hold the door handle while I shut it then it stays locked. I don't have a whole lot to worry about cause I have manual everything cept tranny and hubs. -bounce-

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oh man, that whole holding up the door handle part took me FOREVER to figure out. being that this was only my second vehicle, and my first wasnt an import it was sooo confused. until someone told me i was closing the door, opening the back door, and reaching up and pushing the looks down haha

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oh man, that whole holding up the door handle part took me FOREVER to figure out. being that this was only my second vehicle, and my first wasnt an import it was sooo confused. until someone told me i was closing the door, opening the back door, and reaching up and pushing the looks down haha

lol....yea, on some models, you have to hold the door handle up =P

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

My locks are pissing me off....if I get out with the key in the ignition, the Pathy laughs at me and locks its self. So now I had a spare key made and got a magnetic "hide-a-key" box and put it inside of my spare tire on the carrier....now when she laughs, it's not for long because I just walk around to the back and get my "other key"

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My locks are pissing me off....if I get out with the key in the ignition, the Pathy laughs at me and locks its self. So now I had a spare key made and got a magnetic "hide-a-key" box and put it inside of my spare tire on the carrier....now when she laughs, it's not for long because I just walk around to the back and get my "other key"

Yep I never leave the key in the ignition and get out of the car without opening the window first. LOL If I unlock the doors and ONLY open the passenger side then the phantom unlock happens. Crazy!

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I've got a 95 SE and my locks do little tricks as well. I'm in the habit that was mentioned above, I never leave my key in the ignition unless I open a window. The problem usually happens in the dead of winter, very cold conditions. The spare key idea is a very good one. These things are tricky, but worth the trouble. Great vehicles.

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Hey nice write-up. I'm going to have to fix my central lock system too. I've left it go too long and as a result of fighting that "bouncing" of the actuator, my driver's side door lock is now totally shagged. I put the key in the barrel and it goes round and round and round without doing anything! The lock stem on the inside still locks the door fine (apart from the actuator problems). Is the lock barrel completely written off or is this an easy fix?

 

Thanks

Mark

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I've had a mild case of that problem before; occasionally when I go to unlock it, it'll unlock then relock real fast. It only ever does it once though, the 2nd time I unlock it it works normally.

 

If it ever gets real bad though, I'll do what you said, it seems pretty simple. Thanks

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  • 3 weeks later...

This happened to me at a most unfortunate time. I was out wheeling with a buddy, and stuck the Pathy in camoflaged mudhole up to passenger side mirror, had some water inside the passenger side just shy of the ECU. Got out of the vehicle with it running, doors locked on me. Ended up having to take rear passenger window out to get back in.

Top it off my buddys XJ had no tow points due to crappy unibody and could not pull me out witht he tow strap I had.

Found some help later from a guy and a small tug pulled me out.

 

Anyways I have a magnetic key holder now and hi lift jack with tow strap at all times(works until I can afford a winch)

 

Took some TLC to clean out the mud from interior but I still love the Pathy and keep adding mods here and there.

 

Thats my door lock horror story :wacko:

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HAVING THE SAME ELECTRIC LOCK PROBLEMS

IT LOCKS WHEN IT WANTS TO OR VISA VERSA

BUT MY PROBLEM IS THE KEY LOCKS DONT TURN

AT ALL ON THE DOORS SO I HAVE TO OPEN BACK

HATCH WINDOW AND CLIMB THROUGH

ANY CLUES ON WHY THE DOOR LOCKS WONT TURN

WITH A KEY -bounce-

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  • 3 weeks later...

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