captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 (edited) I have the dreaded power lock failure. It started with random lock and unlock. Then they would quit for days at a time, then weeks at a time, and now they are dead. They wont work with the master switch or the keyless entry. The keyless entry/alarm system started acting up at the same time. Sometimes the alarm would set without locking the doors, sometimes the alarm wouldn't set but the doors would lock. Other times the alarm would deactivate, but the doors wouldn't unlock. Then I would hit a big pothole and everything would be perfect for a while. I searched the boards for sucessful fixes for this problem but didn't find anything helpfull. My brother has the exact same problem in his '95 Pathy as well. I have started disassembling the interior in search of the problem. At this point, I have checked all the connectors in the drivers door (electrical and mechanical), removed the master switch from the door and disassembled it, and removed the actuator and tested it with a direct connection to the battery. Everything seems good. I tested the voltage at the wires that plug into the actuator and it was very low(about 8 volts), oddly - there were two volts in these wires without even touching the master switch. Does anyone here know where the relay for the power locks is located? How do you get to the factory alarm to troubleshoot it? Any suggestions where to look next? It would be nice to solve this common problem once and for all. I have a bad feeling that it is in the factory alarm or computer though but I will try my best to fix this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Edited July 6, 2006 by captainsae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 pssd welcome to my world. i have not fixed mine yet...... need a bottle of JD and a BFH first before i dive in... -alcohol- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 (edited) Well, if at least one of us can fix theirs we can start making a list of things to look for. I'm leaning towards a faulty alarm/keyless entry system. I wonder if there is an easy way to bypass the alarm to test the rest of the system. The dealer was no help either - they just said they would have to keep replacing part$$ until they could get it to work. Edited July 6, 2006 by captainsae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuong Nguyen Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Check all your door switches. Then check your door lock timer. Usually the relay goes bad from all the bouncing around. It's located behind the rear driver side quarter panel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Thanks for the advise! Where is the timer and the relay located? I checked the main switch and it looked good. I dont believe I have any other door lock switches on the other doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I had a similar problem in my 95, and found that there's a breaker in the driver's side kick panel that is for the locks......I could not get my truck to lock/unlock with the door switch or my alarm system's remote. I found this breaker, which was corroded, cut it out, wired in a fuse, and it's worked flawlessly ever since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotrek Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 I vote for relay timer or the little plastic piece tied to the lock. Push the button when its quiet you should hear a ticking coming from the rear driver side cargo area. That's where the timer relay is located if it's ticking it's still working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Simon - I looked under the kick panel and didn't find a breaker or a fuse block. Just a bunch of what looks like relays. I didn't see any signs of corrosion. Gotrek- Do you know which one of the boxes is the timer? There are several. I do not hear ticking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgr8cycler Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 yea I am having the same problem with the remote not unlocking the doors. I as well have no corrosion under the kick panel, I do have 3 relays, it kinda looks like its missing one but theres only one contact for it. Are we supposed to have 4? But yea as captain said above which of the relays in the back is it? There are 4 grouped together up there among other wires and connectors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 I just found this interesting article which shows what the timer looks like and how to fix it! It may be too good to be true but I'll give it a try. http://www.q45.org/timers.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgr8cycler Posted July 6, 2006 Share Posted July 6, 2006 Post if it works or not, and any extra steps u had to take. I am eager to here of the reslults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 6, 2006 Author Share Posted July 6, 2006 Good news! The problem IS the lock timer! So give Cuong and Gotrek a prize. Unfortunately, all my solder joints were good so I guess I need to replace it with a new one. To get to the timer, you have to remove the interior panels on the driver's side of the cargo area. Start by unscrewing the pins that hold the trim strip under the hatch, then you can pull that up. The side panel snaps into place so just give it a good tug starting on one side and work your way across until it is off. You will see a grey box mounted with a ground wire for something attached to the mounting bolt. It says lock timer right on the box. As soon as I started pulling it out, my locks activated for the first time in months. I took it apart by using a very small screwdriver to pry one end out and the circuit board just slid out. I checked all the solder connections and they looked perfect so I put it all back together. At first the locks didn't work but I jiggled the plugs a little and now they are working perfect. So I guess the next time I hit a bump they will act up again. I'll try to pick up a new timer tomorrow if I can. I'll let you know if jiggling the wires does anything with the new timer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainsae Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Just wanted to give an update on the lock timer. The new one came in today and I installed it. Everything works perfect now. Even when I jiggle the wires everything works perfect. So, I think we have found the problem for the very common power lock failure that nobody else in the world (except for us) seems to know anything about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 good deal. thanks for the followup post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drennan_1 Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 In the attached picture, which is the lock timer? You have to remove the whole panel and not just the access panel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red dic Posted February 21, 2007 Share Posted February 21, 2007 thanks for finding this out! I'm going to replace mine asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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