Gransport central locking problem

Oxytorch

Junior Member
Messages
122
Trying to figure out what's wrong with my central locking today.

When I tried to lock up with key remote, passenger door locks then immediately unlocks and no lock sound from driver's door, so neither door locks.

I opened both doors and pressed the key remote - the passenger door started repeatedly locking and unlocking but no action on driver's door.

After a number of attempts using the key remote, even the passenger door stops responding to either key remote or key in driver's door lock.
If I leave it a while then the passenger door lock responds again to both key remote and driver's door but after several times it stops again.
When this happens, locking either door by key individually, if I lift the handle, the window drops a little like it would if unlocked. This happens on both sides. Trying again later and this doesn't happen.

Then if I leave it a while or if I use the battery isolator off and on again, the passenger door lock starts responding again but not properly. It again locks and unlocks immediately using the key in the passenger lock, drivers lock or remote.

It all seems quite random. My guess is the unit that control's locking and unlocking is getting inconsistent signals but I don't know for sure.

Which side is the problem on? The passenger door handle seems a bit doughy when lifted but the drivers door lock mechanism doesn't seem to respond to key remote but works with key in the lock and sometimes unlocks the passenger door at the same time.

John
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,549
Solenoid is failing on the one of the doors.

Try locking with the key, both doors. One should let the car lock properly, one won't. The one that locks correctly is the one that's broken.

Cheers

C
 

safrane

Member
Messages
16,748
Had the same two years back... you need a new door lock. They are not too much (£40) but a bugger to fit...I got the garage to do it when on a service.

Interim resolution was to use the key manually.
 

Oxytorch

Junior Member
Messages
122
Ok. Thank you very much for the advice. I was able to use key in drivers side door lock to lock both doors, so therefore it is the drivers side lock mechanism at fault? If so, I will order the part.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,549
Ok. Thank you very much for the advice. I was able to use key in drivers side door lock to lock both doors, so therefore it is the drivers side lock mechanism at fault? If so, I will order the part.

That should be it indeed. The key provides a little extra help to the solenoid to enable it to complete the locking motion.

C
 

foibles

Member
Messages
511
Hey Catman - I'm not usually accused of being anything other than a dimwit...but in having read this....pardon if I ask for a confirmation.

You're saying that in instances where a door fails to lock properly (from above, sounds like it unlocks itself again) - you're saying that the faulty door (solenoid) is actually the one that does allow manually locking (as opposed to the one that does not).

I am not sure if you could answer this - but I would be interested in knowing;

* Could this behavior also be caused by a near dead battery or
* Could the faulty solenoid itself be draining a battery? (a fate befalling me at present)

Thanks 'in anticipation'
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,549
Hey Catman - I'm not usually accused of being anything other than a dimwit...but in having read this....pardon if I ask for a confirmation.

You're saying that in instances where a door fails to lock properly (from above, sounds like it unlocks itself again) - you're saying that the faulty door (solenoid) is actually the one that does allow manually locking (as opposed to the one that does not).

I am not sure if you could answer this - but I would be interested in knowing;

* Could this behavior also be caused by a near dead battery or
* Could the faulty solenoid itself be draining a battery? (a fate befalling me at present)

Thanks 'in anticipation'

No problem it is counter intuitive.

Consider it this way. Central locking works with a solenoid on each lock. If the lock does not fully engage the control detects this and immediately issues the unlock pulse so the lock bounces.

One solenoid unit is beginning to fail so it has not the power to fully engage the lock. By using the key, you're actually helping the solenoid engage the lock. If you use the key in the 'working' lock, the failing unit will still struggle. If you use it in the failing lock, the working one will engage as intended.

Does that help?

As for the battery I'd say
1) No. I've never seen a battery that made the locks bounce. Leaving my limited experience aside, I'm very sure you'd have a load more issues telling you your battery was flat.
2) Not that I can imagine. The solenoids are only powered when locking or unlocking. You'd have to have rather a nasty failure to keep one energised. I'd expect an overheat / fuse blow to happen shortly afterwards. Or a fire ;) Caveat: I could be wrong, but it's certainly nothing that's been reported in the last years I've been reading the forums.

As for the battery, how fast is it draining? Prime culprit is normally the tracker (assuming yours had one) where the internal battery dies then sucks juice all the time. You can call Cobra / Naktrak (Vodafone) and give them your VIN. They will tell you if you have a tracker and remove it FOC

C
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,549
Hey Catman - I'm not usually accused of being anything other than a dimwit...but in having read this....pardon if I ask for a confirmation.

You're saying that in instances where a door fails to lock properly (from above, sounds like it unlocks itself again) - you're saying that the faulty door (solenoid) is actually the one that does allow manually locking (as opposed to the one that does not).

I am not sure if you could answer this - but I would be interested in knowing;

* Could this behavior also be caused by a near dead battery or
* Could the faulty solenoid itself be draining a battery? (a fate befalling me at present)

Thanks 'in anticipation'

No problem it is counter intuitive.

Consider it this way. Central locking works with a solenoid on each lock. If the lock does not fully engage the control detects this and immediately issues the unlock pulse so the lock bounces.

One solenoid unit is beginning to fail so it has not the power to fully engage the lock. By using the key, you're actually helping the solenoid engage the lock. If you use the key in the 'working' lock, the failing unit will still struggle. If you use it in the failing lock, the working one will engage as intended.

Does that help?

As for the battery I'd say
1) No. I've never seen a battery that made the locks bounce. Leaving my limited experience aside, I'm very sure you'd have a load more issues telling you your battery was flat.
2) Not that I can imagine. The solenoids are only powered when locking or unlocking. You'd have to have rather a nasty failure to keep one energised. I'd expect an overheat / fuse blow to happen shortly afterwards. Or a fire ;) Caveat: I could be wrong, but it's certainly nothing that's been reported in the last years I've been reading the forums.

As for the battery, how fast is it draining? Prime culprit is normally the tracker (assuming yours had one) where the internal battery dies then sucks juice all the time. You can call Cobra / Naktrak (Vodafone) and give them your VIN. They will tell you if you have a tracker and remove it FOC

C
 

Gp79

Member
Messages
1,393
Took me a while to get my head round what was going on when one of mine was playing up.

Good advice on this forum saved me a lot of time and £££
 

foibles

Member
Messages
511
No problem it is counter intuitive.

Consider it this way. Central locking works with a solenoid on each lock. If the lock does not fully engage the control detects this and immediately issues the unlock pulse so the lock bounces.

One solenoid unit is beginning to fail so it has not the power to fully engage the lock. By using the key, you're actually helping the solenoid engage the lock. If you use the key in the 'working' lock, the failing unit will still struggle. If you use it in the failing lock, the working one will engage as intended.

Does that help?

As for the battery I'd say
1) No. I've never seen a battery that made the locks bounce. Leaving my limited experience aside, I'm very sure you'd have a load more issues telling you your battery was flat.
2) Not that I can imagine. The solenoids are only powered when locking or unlocking. You'd have to have rather a nasty failure to keep one energised. I'd expect an overheat / fuse blow to happen shortly afterwards. Or a fire ;) Caveat: I could be wrong, but it's certainly nothing that's been reported in the last years I've been reading the forums.

As for the battery, how fast is it draining? Prime culprit is normally the tracker (assuming yours had one) where the internal battery dies then sucks juice all the time. You can call Cobra / Naktrak (Vodafone) and give them your VIN. They will tell you if you have a tracker and remove it FOC

C

Sincere thank you for the time and effort which you've put into answering my question, its is greatly appreciated.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,549
Sincere thank you for the time and effort which you've put into answering my question, its is greatly appreciated.

Not a problem at all. Just let us know if we're right.

If we're wrong, I'd like to know what right is :)

C
 

foibles

Member
Messages
511
And following up re the battery drain issue.....its usually fuly discharged in 2 to 3 days. No matter what i do. Its a battery killer. Is an aus delivered model and likely no tracker was therefore ever fitted. Certainly have the solenoid problem however, not just the door lock unlock psychosis, but the window displays similar tendencies....cycling through its up and down routine, which the spyder does when opening the door (so as not to damage the roof lining). Looks like i need to find a reputable auto elec!
 

adam01

Member
Messages
1,079
And following up re the battery drain issue.....its usually fuly discharged in 2 to 3 days. No matter what i do. Its a battery killer. Is an aus delivered model and likely no tracker was therefore ever fitted. Certainly have the solenoid problem however, not just the door lock unlock psychosis, but the window displays similar tendencies....cycling through its up and down routine, which the spyder does when opening the door (so as not to damage the roof lining). Looks like i need to find a reputable auto elec!
Re AUS delivered vehicles, in certain states ie NSW for one, trackers were required in order to obtain comprehensive insure for the car.

Mine did have it but subsequently removed

So i would not dismiss that avenue



Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

spkennyuk

Member
Messages
5,932
Different car but some shared parts. The alfa 166 battery died on me last week. Locks bouncing open then closed if you used the key fob to lock the car. I had only used it a couple of days before with no issue. Put the battery on trickle charge / recon cycle. Fully charged 24 hrs later put the battery back in and car starts and runs fine.

2 days later battery dead again. Door locks bouncing and can only get in with the key. Repeated trickle charge / recon until fully charged. Tried battery in car but it has failed altogether. Shows around 13 volts on a meter but no oomph to power the door locks or start the car.

New bosch S4 fitted hopefully all is now well again but will see when i return from the le mans trip.

So yes the door lock bounce on a dead on dying battery can happen. I think the alarm wont let you open or close the car by using the fob if the battery voltage is too low as a precaution of some sort. If the battery is completley dead only the drivers door will open with the key. If there is some power still left in the battery then all doors will open with the key.

You could charge you battery and then measure the voltage drop at the battery as somebody starts the car for you. If the voltage drops to below around 11 volts then the battery is going bad as far as im aware. A load test would confirm.
 

Ed Vit

New Member
Messages
15
Hi There just read this thread - for what it's worth now - I had the bouncing lock, window dropping as handle pulled and staying down and all the other things mentioned. Gave it to my indie to look at it and replace etc. The auto electrician there found that the connector in the door (to the lock actuator) was loose - called me to say all fixed with one push and no charge. That was 8 months ago and all has been fine since. Cheers from down under.
 

Oxytorch

Junior Member
Messages
122
Ok. I've been stalling on buying a new lock because the stock in Australia is way overpriced and the shipping from U.K. costs a bomb so for the last 2 months I've just been using the key to lock and unlock. I accidentally pressed the key fob and was surprised to discover the lock is working again. The only other thing I did was recharge the car battery a couple of weeks ago. Bizarre but good.