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93 Loyale, passenger door lock problem


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Normally when I lock the driver's side door lock, it locks all the doors in the car. The passenger side lock has stopped locking. I can manually lock it so I know the mechanism works.

 

Is there a fuse for this or probably a loose wire or worse? Has anyone else had this problem?

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Aloha-

 

You didn't mention if it would unlock from the master switch...

 

It seems to me that I had one once that did the same thing. I took the door panel off and got out the test light and it was getting voltage in the lock and unlock positions, but it would only unlock. I had another one right there and just changed it out. You could also try and apply 12 volts to it to see if it is a wiring or switch problem. I've had PLENTY of window switches that wouldn't work from the door position and I give them a good spray of electrical cleaner and it fixes the problem most of the time... I do it now as a maintenance chore on all my cars... I can't stand it when the power windows don't work as they should on any of my cars.. It's just a thing that I have...

 

You may try and use electrical cleaner on the solenoid itself if that is the problem, but I'm not sure of the long term fix...

 

Good luck, Ron

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Aloha-

 

You didn't mention if it would unlock from the master switch...

 

It seems to me that I had one once that did the same thing. I took the door panel off and got out the test light and it was getting voltage in the lock and unlock positions, but it would only unlock. I had another one right there and just changed it out. You could also try and apply 12 volts to it to see if it is a wiring or switch problem. I've had PLENTY of window switches that wouldn't work from the door position and I give them a good spray of electrical cleaner and it fixes the problem most of the time... I do it now as a maintenance chore on all my cars... I can't stand it when the power windows don't work as they should on any of my cars.. It's just a thing that I have...

 

You may try and use electrical cleaner on the solenoid itself if that is the problem, but I'm not sure of the long term fix...

 

Good luck, Ron

 

 

The driver's side lock switch no longer locks the passenger locks or unlocks - sorry for leaving that the first time. Any specific brand names for the electrical cleaner? Can I get that at any auto parts store?

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I honestly wouldn't bother cleaning it, just grab one at a junk yard. I got mine for about $8 I believe and works great.

 

The system is really simple. Just the one fuse for the power door locks in the fuse box and that's it. So unless your wires are pinched/cut, then it should just work. Probably it's just old and needs to be replaced. For $8 it's worth swapping it out first to see if that's your problem IMHO.

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The electric locker/unlocker is the same for all doors including the rear hatch. Besides the tip the othe guys gave you, I also recommend you to try to repair it, it can be removed with two screws and you remove the cover with some little screws, there is a plastic gear in it that has a copper contact with a little copper wire, which touches the contact on certain position of the gear and doesn't touch it on other position, that wire sometimes bends a little and doesn't touch the contact, or gets stained and insulated. The other possibility is the wire had broken, so you can make it with copper wire and a long nose plier.

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From what you say the problem may be due to a broken wire in the door jam. There are seperate power wires for the master switch and door switch so the master wire lead may be broken. The door switch position could just be dirty also as the others have already stated. Checking for voltage at the passenger switch when switching the master switch on will tell you which way to go to correct the trouble.

Edited by Cougar
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  • 2 months later...

Well I finally got a chance to look at this. I get voltage on the connector to the passenger door lock when I move the lever on the driver's side. So I guess my next step is to remove the junk on the passenger side door and see if I can find either a broken wire or something?

 

Has anyone ever replace the solenoid thing that moves the lock? What is it called? My Haynes book doesn't really say much about it.

 

Will it be an expensive part? I also noticed my driver side door harness boot that connects the door wiring to the frame has come out of place on the door side. It doesn't want to go back in either. Will this eventually chaffe the wires or should I just leave it be? I tried wrestling with it, but it didn't budge. I suspect the cold weather is working against me here too.

Edited by MR_Loyale
Said Driver side, meant passenger side
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The problem is definitely the actuator. I took it out and bench tested it, no dice. Dealer wants $123 and it will come from New Jersey. I figured it was already broken, so what is the worst I could do by opening it up?

 

It seems to me that this thing was designed to fail. I took the cover off and there are three brushes that ride their contact on a motor driven wheel. Two of the three are nice solid stamped meta. The third, the one that brok off was made of thin wire. On top of it is a stub of what would be another nice sturdy stamped brush but it is cut off and serves only to hold down the chinsy wire.

 

Oh and I tested the motor by powering it directly. It works fine.

 

Update: I soldered the wire onto the base plate of the connector. It now works, so I just need to reinstall it.

 

Photos attached. The connector that broke is the second from the bottom with the red wire attached. As you can see, it is a spring wire. 17 years of sprining back and forth snapped it.

post-10421-136027645588_thumb.jpg

post-10421-136027645594_thumb.jpg

post-10421-136027645599_thumb.jpg

Edited by MR_Loyale
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This thing I don't get is why it was the passenger one that failed. It is used very little as I am single. I would expect the driver side to fail first. I wonder if the construction of the driver side is different. There is an F/R sticker on the side of this so I am presuming that means FRONT RIGHT which leads me to think they are all not interchangeable.

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Drivers door does not actually have a motor, it's just a switch. That's what controls all the locks. Lock the drivers for they all lock, unlock the drivers, they all unlock. Unlock an other door and it just locks/unlocks itself.

 

I put a motor in my drivers door and untapped switches on the door to luck and unlock. So I converted it. Kinda a pain though.

 

Glad you fixed it!

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