Door Locks = FUBAR

[winstontj]

My door locks seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't... Is there a valet option that works with the trunk lock?

I also notice that when the driver's side interior light works the doorlocks work... when the interior light does not work the door locks do not work either....

Any suggestions???

[jms16v]

I have a very similar problem. I have changed the lock control unit twice, and still the power locks only work whenever they want to. I think the next step is to check out the wiring.

[winstontj]

My wonder is whether or not I should start behind the door panel or under the dash/where the wires end up. Also it would be best to try and diagnose when the problem is happening but the way this is behaving it seems that the minute I try to dig in and fix it I'm sure the locks will work fine and there will be nothing to fix....

[schmidty]

I would check the central locking relay (correct term?). It's located in the driver side footwell right by the speaker. Kind of a PITA to get to and remove but the unit is known to be faulty. Just open it up once u get it out and check all the solder points and make sure non have come apart.

[Eric Giles]

My door locks seem to have a mind of their own. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't... Is there a valet option that works with the trunk lock?

I also notice that when the driver's side interior light works the doorlocks work... when the interior light does not work the door locks do not work either....

Any suggestions???

Your problem is in the wiring harness that runs thru the doorjamb-I know this as I am having the same problem. Over time, the connection pins in the wiring harness oxidize and the connection becomes intermittent. Also, it could be the wiring itself is becoming old and brittle and the constant stress of them bending over time is becoming part of the problem.

If you pull the rubber boot away from the wiring in the doorjamb, and take out the speaker grill in the driver's side footwell, you can pull this main connector apart and inspect the pins in the harness. You can take electrical contact cleaner and spray on all of the pins to help solve the problem. However, in some cases you will need to buy new pins as the old ones are too far gone.

I can grab the wiring harness in the doorjamb and shake/wiggle it back and forth and my locks will start working again for another day or so. As you can tell, I need to follow my own advice and get in there and fix it!