Door lock problem! Please help!
#1
12-06-2010, 01:14 PM
Door lock problem! Please help!
Hey guys! What's up?! I'm having a problem with my door locks. First my drivers side door started doing this then about 2 weeks later my passenger side started doing it. My drivers side door never did work with the keyless entry key fob. I've always had to unlock it with the key. The passenger side works with the key fob though, and still does. One day I locked my car and then left the shop(this was during the paint project). The next day I came in, unlocked it with the fob then went to unlock the drivers side with the key. I unlocked it but it wouldn't open. I went in from the passenger side, moved the locking rod(I already had the door panels off thank God!) to the unlock position but it didn't feel like it was catching. I tried opening it with the handle, didn't work. I had to reach in the door and find the latch. There was a little plastic piece that I had to push in and down and then the door popped open. If the door is open and I lock, then unlock the door and shut it(unlocked) it will open back up no prob. But if I lock the door and shut it, or shut the door and lock it, it will not unlock and open. I have to find that little plastic piece to open it. Now my passenger side it doing the same damn thing. It makes noise when I use the key fob like it's trying to unlock, but it doesn't. I have to do the same thing with it, find that little plastic piece and push it in and down! Does anyone have any ideas on what might be causing the problem and how I can fix it?!? Sorry for the long thread I just didn't want to leave something out that might have been important!
Thanks guys,
Jess!
Thanks guys,
Jess!
#3
12-06-2010, 07:32 PM
It sounds like the door lock motors are dying/dead/disconnected. First the driver's side went and now the passenger's side is going. Looking at the parts catalog I see that the exact same actuators are used from 93 -2002 so I don't know why yours would be croaking when the ones on my 94 are still working. Maybe the mfg process changed?
Or, perhaps more likely, the RKE function of your car's body control module (BCM) is dying.
On 93-95 Camaros the RKE function was handled by a separate module located behind the RH kick panel. I've pulled a couple from junkyard cars and see that somehow water drips onto the top of the module (where the connectors plug in) and water gets into the module corroding it. See the pic. The three small relays toward the left side are for, from top to bottom, the driver;s door, the passenger's door, and the hatch.
96 up cars have the BCM mounted inthe same place and maybe the water intrusion problem affects them as well. Something to look for when troubleshooting.
Or, perhaps more likely, the RKE function of your car's body control module (BCM) is dying.
On 93-95 Camaros the RKE function was handled by a separate module located behind the RH kick panel. I've pulled a couple from junkyard cars and see that somehow water drips onto the top of the module (where the connectors plug in) and water gets into the module corroding it. See the pic. The three small relays toward the left side are for, from top to bottom, the driver;s door, the passenger's door, and the hatch.
96 up cars have the BCM mounted inthe same place and maybe the water intrusion problem affects them as well. Something to look for when troubleshooting.
Last edited by 1augapfel; 12-06-2010 at 07:35 PM.
#4
12-06-2010, 08:46 PM
ill have to agree with the door lock motors all tho some cars last and some dont my 95 works great except i need to be like 2 feet away from the car for the keyless to work
#5
12-06-2010, 10:04 PM
It sounds like the door lock motors are dying/dead/disconnected. First the driver's side went and now the passenger's side is going. Looking at the parts catalog I see that the exact same actuators are used from 93 -2002 so I don't know why yours would be croaking when the ones on my 94 are still working. Maybe the mfg process changed?
Or, perhaps more likely, the RKE function of your car's body control module (BCM) is dying.
On 93-95 Camaros the RKE function was handled by a separate module located behind the RH kick panel. I've pulled a couple from junkyard cars and see that somehow water drips onto the top of the module (where the connectors plug in) and water gets into the module corroding it. See the pic. The three small relays toward the left side are for, from top to bottom, the driver;s door, the passenger's door, and the hatch.
96 up cars have the BCM mounted inthe same place and maybe the water intrusion problem affects them as well. Something to look for when troubleshooting.
Or, perhaps more likely, the RKE function of your car's body control module (BCM) is dying.
On 93-95 Camaros the RKE function was handled by a separate module located behind the RH kick panel. I've pulled a couple from junkyard cars and see that somehow water drips onto the top of the module (where the connectors plug in) and water gets into the module corroding it. See the pic. The three small relays toward the left side are for, from top to bottom, the driver;s door, the passenger's door, and the hatch.
96 up cars have the BCM mounted inthe same place and maybe the water intrusion problem affects them as well. Something to look for when troubleshooting.
#7
12-07-2010, 10:19 AM
They shouldn't be. I didn't take them off or adjust them but I may have bumped it or something. I'm going to try to take a better look at it over the weekend and see if I can find anything.
#8
12-07-2010, 11:10 AM
As Basic says the problem could be (at least on the passenger side) purely mechanical.
In the RKE system a radio signal from the remote is received by the RKE module or BCM. The signal is for the driver door to unlock, the passenger door to unlock, the hatch to release, or both front doors to lock depending on which button you press.
The RKE module or BCM receives the signal, figures out what it should do, and then operates the appropriate relay to make it happen.
Then the current flows through the body harness to power the appropriate motor and move the linkage to the door latch.
Since you can hear the passenger side make a noise you can assume that the fob is transmitting a signal, the RKE module/BCM is receiving it, and it is trying to operate the passenger side lock/unlock motor.
The motor could be weak or binding. Is the problem temperature related? The grease used in the latch gets stiff with age and make parts harder to move. That gets worse during cold weather.
Another issue is that the lock/unlock motors (and power window motors) have permanent magnet fields (vs. wound wire fields). The PM field magnet is a lot cheaper to make and probably more compact as well but, unfortunately, the "permanent" magnets aren't really permanent as the field gets weaker over time. And when the magnetic field weakens the motor becomes less powerful.
It's in the high 20s here at the moment and I see that in the morning my 94 takes 3 or 4 pushes of the unlock switch to get the door unlocked. I see this as mostly a stiff grease problem but the 16YO lock/unlock motor is probably part of the problem too.
As for your driver's door, well I'd assume that the module is doing its job and the problem is at the door latch or in the wiring. You don't hear anything going "bzzzt" when you press the button so either the motor is completely locked up or it's not getting power. The only way to figure out for sure is to pop the door panel and take a look.
Keep in mind that the driver's door gets a *lot* more exercise than the passenger's side. The wiring at the jamb gets flexed every time the door opens and every time it closes. The motor gets jolted every time the door is slammed.
In the RKE system a radio signal from the remote is received by the RKE module or BCM. The signal is for the driver door to unlock, the passenger door to unlock, the hatch to release, or both front doors to lock depending on which button you press.
The RKE module or BCM receives the signal, figures out what it should do, and then operates the appropriate relay to make it happen.
Then the current flows through the body harness to power the appropriate motor and move the linkage to the door latch.
Since you can hear the passenger side make a noise you can assume that the fob is transmitting a signal, the RKE module/BCM is receiving it, and it is trying to operate the passenger side lock/unlock motor.
The motor could be weak or binding. Is the problem temperature related? The grease used in the latch gets stiff with age and make parts harder to move. That gets worse during cold weather.
Another issue is that the lock/unlock motors (and power window motors) have permanent magnet fields (vs. wound wire fields). The PM field magnet is a lot cheaper to make and probably more compact as well but, unfortunately, the "permanent" magnets aren't really permanent as the field gets weaker over time. And when the magnetic field weakens the motor becomes less powerful.
It's in the high 20s here at the moment and I see that in the morning my 94 takes 3 or 4 pushes of the unlock switch to get the door unlocked. I see this as mostly a stiff grease problem but the 16YO lock/unlock motor is probably part of the problem too.
As for your driver's door, well I'd assume that the module is doing its job and the problem is at the door latch or in the wiring. You don't hear anything going "bzzzt" when you press the button so either the motor is completely locked up or it's not getting power. The only way to figure out for sure is to pop the door panel and take a look.
Keep in mind that the driver's door gets a *lot* more exercise than the passenger's side. The wiring at the jamb gets flexed every time the door opens and every time it closes. The motor gets jolted every time the door is slammed.
#9
12-07-2010, 01:01 PM
I already have the door panels off, so I will check it out when I time. It's about 40 degrees here during the middle of the day. At night it's about 30. What should I be looking for to replace and price check?
#10
02-14-2011, 08:17 PM
Ok doors work fine now! 
They were out of adjustment on the rod that goes from the latch to the handle and it was putting pressure on the lock mechanism. Now the locks work fine BUT the Drivers side lock will not lock with the key fob or button on the doors. I have to either lock it with the key or with the rod on the door.
They were out of adjustment on the rod that goes from the latch to the handle and it was putting pressure on the lock mechanism. Now the locks work fine BUT the Drivers side lock will not lock with the key fob or button on the doors. I have to either lock it with the key or with the rod on the door.