|
|
Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
|
|
| |
|
|
dgradl
New User
Jun 30, 2012, 5:02 PM
Post #1 of 7
(3378 views)
|
|
Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
1999
Chevrolet
Suburban 2500
7.4L
120,000 miles
When I first bought this vehicle (used), the power door locks worked fine. Very shortly after buying it I noticed on the key fob a 2x button, which I had not tried previously, and I wasn't exactly sure what it was for (the barn doors :)). Anyway, after pressing this the door locks haven't worked properly since. I share this in case it might give a clue...
So here is how the door locks behave... I can use the key fob or the door lock to unlock the doors one time. It only unlocks some of the doors (randomly), sometimes 3, sometimes 2, never all 4. Pressing it again to unlock or lock does nothing (except the relay clicks). I can then drive along to some destination and by the time I get there, the locks will lock some of the doors (randomly). So it only works partially, then doesn't work, then after time passes it works again partially.
Since there was one door that it never would open I suspected it might be the actuator in that door. So I "opened up" the door to check it out. I disconnected that actuator altogether, and the symptoms were still the same. I proceeded to open up all the doors and disconnect the actuators.. down to just one door at a time, and the same symptoms would occur even if there was just one connected... meaning that it would open that lock once and then not work for awhile. I did not replace any of the actuators because I assumed this meant the issue was elsewhere. Perhaps this was flawed troubleshooting? Replacing the actuator means drilling out the rivets to open the door fully, etc (so I haven't gone to that length of work yet). I have also tried a new relay and this did not change anything.
The Chevy dealership here diagnosed at needing to replace all of the actuators but they did not seem very confident that they knew this would solve the problem and their quote was very pricey so I did not go ahead with that.
I'd like to get some other ideas and opinions about this problem.
Thanks for your help...
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2012, 5:30 PM
Post #2 of 7
(3360 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
The 2X button opens the rear hatch. Make sure it is latched all the way as it will prevent anything from locking if it's open.
On the unlock button. Pushing it once unlocks the driver's door only. Pushing it a second time within 5 seconds unlocks all doors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
dgradl
New User
Jun 30, 2012, 5:40 PM
Post #3 of 7
(3353 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
I actually have the double "barn doors" not a hatch on this suburban. I did figure out that's what the 2x was for. As for the pressing of unlock once/twice, this is true, I have pressed it more than twice though. No matter how many times I press it, it does not unlock all of the doors... after the second press it doesn't do anything except make the relay click.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2012, 5:42 PM
Post #4 of 7
(3349 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
If you can hear those actuators making any noise at all, then they just need to be replaced.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2012, 11:54 PM
Post #5 of 7
(3321 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
Just a maybe as I fought hard with one all intermittent then touch anything it would all work. After many tests it ended up being a six prong relay up over gas pedal - hard to get at without some foul language.
Pulled old relay apart and points inside looked fine. Fixed now for well over a year for $20 +/- and some busted knuckles,
T
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 1, 2012, 5:04 AM
Post #6 of 7
(3314 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
That's possible
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 1, 2012, 6:03 AM
Post #7 of 7
(3308 views)
|
|
Re: Power door locks partially work - strange symptoms
|
Sign In
|
|
Yup - it was that #1 was erratic as I said. Why? Who the heck knows???? That car, everything worked for months if engine was running (higher voltage) and each actuator worked tested independently.
I gave up after a million tries as it would just work 100 times in a row then do it again a week later. Gave up after three other techs couldn't find it and on to an Auto Electric Specialty shop who replaced the remote receiver and it worked for a day only?
Family vehicle so no rip offs here and wouldn't do that anyway ever. Gave up again and just do without dependable door locks till voila the actuator for selected vents (for A/C) was all busted up, missing springs and parts from the A-Hole at the specialty place and I was in there to fix that and just tossed that damn relay 'cause I was there and it all worked perfectly ever after.
As said, no clue as any testing would only show all was right,
Tom
|
|
| |
|
| | |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
Shop says they want to bleed my brakes for a clutch job?
2018 Kia soul. Knocking while accelerating.
p119f22 ‘Deterioration of the engine oil’ - 2017 Peugeot Boxer Euro 6 2.0 Blue HDi
Misfire on coil E
