Suggestions are welcome

[ramjet]

In January this year, I drove down to Lorne with Liz for our anniversary. No problems at all. In February, I take the car up to Steve Taylor to do the spring insulators. Steve rings me and asks how I get in the passenger door?

Odd. I say unlock the car and open the door. He says the door won't unlock.

So today I decide I am going to sort this out.

Easy. Take the door card off and have a look to find out if something has dropped off inside.

Not so easy Michael, you numpty. I can't get the door unlocked to open it, so that puts paid the the door card coming off.

Door won't unlock when I unlock from the drivers side lock. Won't unlock if I am in the car and lock the drivers door and unlock manually. You can't move the locking tab in the passenger door handle from the inside and can't unlock the passenger door with the key in the outside lock either.

Put it simply, I am a bit puzzled.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

[ramjet]

So I got the door open. Luckily, years ago I had the plastic cover on the mechanism out as it was broken. I have since glued it back together, but never got around to putting it back in.

That let me get a piece of wire down to the mechanism and get the door open.

Have got everything out now.

The door solenoid is jammed in the lock position. It ain't moving. Sealed, so the only answer that I can see is buying a new one.

eBay here I come.

[sailorbob]

The door lock motor will not move by hand if it is in its deadlocked position (try too much force and you will break the 'sledge' and/or its retaining latch). Have you tried applying power directly to the motor to check if it is faulty?

[fjmuurling]

I once had the same problem.

The latching mechanism was resting on the Striker Plate when the door was closed.

This was caused by a sagging door (just a bit). Realignment of  the door and adjusting the striker plate solved the problem.

 

DON'T remove the 2 bolts (only loosen) of the Striker Plate at same time, otherwise you are out for an almost impossible fishing expedition of the Tapping plate which falls between the firewall/bulhead and a fueltank.

 

[ramjet]

Believe it or not, I got the case apart. I incorrectly called them solenoids. They are motors.

As best as I can tell, there must be something wrong internally. I will test to see if the motor works, then the small microswitches to see if they are still operational. Then if all that pans out, cable tie it back together to test it once it is hooked up.

Did get an odd result though. While I was playing with the key in the doorlock before getting the locking mechanism out, the window has started to do the auto up thing when you hold the key in the lock position. Only on the passenger door though.

[ramjet]

So I put twelve volts on the motor and it worked. Hmm.

Pulled the 10A fuse and it looks fine. What the hell, I'll put the meter across it. Nothing. Look at the fuse again. Looks fine. Meter. Nothing. Have a real close look against the light and there is a tiny break in the wire. It's almost impossible to see.

So, just quickly, I wish I had checked the simple things first. All this angst would not be happening.

So another 10A fuse in the holder. The passenger door locking motor now works. Now I just have to work out how to get it together so that it works in sync with the drivers door.

So far, every way I have put it back together seems to cause an issue. One way, it does not work properly and another way, the doors lock from the drivers door key, but then it instantly unlocks both doors again.

Cranky at myself that I did not try the fuse first.

[Clive59]

connections are 95% of electronics problems, and I count fuses in that. But a subtle wire break is unusual. Vibration over time? Hence why pulling something apart and putting back together often fix a problem, and everyone thinks you are a genius!

[ramjet]

I've been trying to remember back a week ago. I swear that I checked the fuse. It is just a break in the fusible link. Really hard to see.

Now I just have to work out the passenger door motor, glue it back together and put it back together. If all else fails, I'll get another motor from Holden. They still have them.

[ramjet]

So, after a day of having my arms elbow deep in the doors, several things have happened.

1) Passenger door lock works correctly again, but I am not sure what I did to get there.

2) Changed the window modules over between the doors so at least I can program the drivers window to be one touch both ways. Obstruction sensing does not seem to work though. Never has.

3) Now this is the odd one. Both courtesy lights now stay on in the doors. Even when the door switch is depressed. Passenger door was working, but then it started to stay on as well. I even went as far as to take the wire off the back of the switch (on both sides) and the courtesy light still stayed on. Looking at the electrical diagram, this is nigh on impossible to occur.  

Work tomorrow and then back into it tomorrow afternoon.

[ramjet]

So once I had another look at the wiring diagram, it was obvious. Took me about 10 seconds. Common earth via both switches.

Got the daughter to hold passenger door switch while I held drivers door switch in and hey presto! everything works as it should.

I hate electricity.

[ramjet]

I am feeling very alone in here.

I can just imagine everyone sitting at their computers going, "I'm not going to help him. This stuff is simple."