Darmain's central locking misery

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Darmain

Darmain

Well-Known Member
Posts
2,366
Location
Chippenham, Wiltshire
I have yet another central locking problem and this time it looks expensive.

A couple of months back the drivers door suddenly stopped unlocking on the fob, but this wasn't a massive disaster as I could use the key on this door. I can hear the solenoid definately switching states but there is no unlock drive at all. I assumed there was a jammed or misaligned linkage and kept meaning to have a look at it.

Then about two weeks ago the passenger rear door stopped unlocking too. Again the solenoid is doing its stuff but no unlock. Fortunately in a previous solution to a central locking problem within the CCU I disabled the dead locks. This has saved me a serious load of grief with this one as I can still unlock the door from the internal handle.

So, today was investigation day. The job started badly. All three torx screws were solid and I ended up destroying them in the process of attempting to undo them. All three had to be drilled out.

Lock out on the bench and three observations were noted.
  1. The lock design for the passenger rear door is totally different to the drivers read door.
  2. The lock mechanism shows significant wear to several components.
  3. The solenoid and its linkage is buried so deep in the assembly that it would result in the components destruction to even get to it.
Conclusion: New lock.

But wait, the drivers door is the same, great two new locks.

There's more. Having finished the job my next task was a visit to the recycling centre. I went to open the rear drivers door to put stuff on the seat, only, it wouldn't open!! WTF!! Eventual diagnosis, solenoid linkage failure!!

There is no common fault. All solenoids are operating correctly.

So that is three locks in as many months. I suspect the front passenger lock is probably near its end as well. After all they must have the same amount of Operations.....

Now, where can I get a good deal on a complete locking system for a Gaylander? :mad:
 
I had the rear o/s door lock off and it took alot of tinkering with the mechanism to understand how it worked.Once I was fairly sure I was able to fix it.I could not explain how it works,but hte reason it didnt is because one of the parts was open when it should be closed or vice versa .Perseverance paid off ,but Im sure youve done all you can and its down to a worn out mechanism.
 
I'm well understood on how the mechanism works and I can see there is wear in parts that dead lock the door. There is also a lot of slack on the pivots, more than the slack adjuster springs can compensate for. On this basis I have to write off the lock. It is all too clear to me that a failure of any of the items I have mentioned will result in a door that is unable to be opened. In this case the lock can not be removed. Other members have had to put a dripp through the side of the door to destroy the lock. i don't want to go there.

The actual problem is the linkage between the lock / unlock solenoid and the rotary locking mechanism. The solenoid can "push" to lock but can not "pull" to unlock. Well, it does the action but the linkage has separated so there is no actual unlock achieved.

The "lock" is not a lock in the traditional sense, it just disables the link between the handles and the release mechanism.

The problem is that the solenoid and it linkage are inside an enclosure, part of which is held together by the pivots of the exposed locking mechanism. The pivots are held together with what I can only describe as a "one way" spring washer, that slides on the shaft to hold the parts in place but self locks to the shaft when any attempt is made to pull it off again. I'm sure they have a particular name.

Anyway, it seems to me that to mess about trying the dismantle, repair and re-assemble the lock when there is clear evidence that there are other problems to be had, is self defeating.

Kept meaning to phone the local independent to find a quote for parts all this week but keep forgetting.
 
Last edited:
Oh well!! Phoned the garage today. Got the prices and also discovered that he had one lock on the shelf, the rest to order in. So I've got a rear, passenger side lock to fit. Cost? Well, not much change out of 80 sheets. :(
 
:D As I've already done a few locking system repairs I've got the knack of it now. Trouble was with the passenger side rear lock. The sodding bolts wouldn't budge. Ended up trying to rattle them off but ended up trashing the screw head and the torx bit. Now got screws on order too. :rolleyes:
 
Totally useless response for you, but here's how I fixed mine.

1. Get your sister to marry an auto electrician.

2. Buy second hand bits off ebay, front drivers door electric bits and lock.

3. Get wife to make a New York baked cheese cake.

4. Go to sister's checking brother in law is in.

5. Give brother in law cheese cake.

6. Wait for the right moment (tears welling up in eyes as taste buds do a dance)

7. Hand over box with bits in and the keys to the freelander.

8. Go and talk to sister whilst drinking tea.

9. Ta-daa! one fixed central locking.


It's a long shot, but it worked for me.
:clap2:
 
Similar problems here:

Press unlock once - both fronts and o/s/r unlock. 2, 3 or 4 more presses and the n/s/r unlocks and then very slowly.
 
Skinny Mike said:
Totally useless response for you, but here's how I fixed mine.

1. Get your sister to marry an auto electrician.

2. Buy second hand bits off ebay, front drivers door electric bits and lock.

3. Get wife to make a New York baked cheese cake.

4. Go to sister's checking brother in law is in.

5. Give brother in law cheese cake.

6. Wait for the right moment (tears welling up in eyes as taste buds do a dance)

7. Hand over box with bits in and the keys to the freelander.

8. Go and talk to sister whilst drinking tea.

9. Ta-daa! one fixed central locking.


It's a long shot, but it worked for me.
:clap2:
Click to expand...

fantastic, if you could just let us know your sisters address, problem solved !
 
Well, first lock fitted today. Result!! Door working normally again, but what is noticable is the lock is so much faster than the passenger door, which is the only door not affected. Shows that all the locks have degraded with wear. More locks coming on Monday. Credit card has run out the door screaming. :(
 
Finally got round to fitting the two new locks to the Drivers side of the car.

Drivers door lock was fun. Got to take half the window reg out to get to it. Then you've got to lower the lock mechanism to get through to the exterior handle assembly retaining bolts, which has to be removed to the get the lock out in the first place.

Oh man, getting the new one in was a right challenge. Got there in the end.

Now it is very clear the front passenger door lock is odd one out. When I unlock the car it is -

C-C-Click.......................................Dunk!!


I reacon that one will be duff in the near future, but its got to die before I replace it, rule of the bank balance.
 
Darmain said:
Drivers door lock was fun. Got to take half the window reg out to get to it. Then you've got to lower the lock mechanism to get through to the exterior handle assembly retaining bolts, which has to be removed to the get the lock out in the first place.
Click to expand...

bloody hell, never had any of that with mine, door card off, just reached in and unclipped rods and cables, undid the three bolts holding lock to door, then unplugged cable. admittedly it was reet fiddly, but never took any bits of regulator off.

glad for you it's done now.
 
Optimus Prime said:
bloody hell, never had any of that with mine, door card off, just reached in and unclipped rods and cables, undid the three bolts holding lock to door, then unplugged cable. admittedly it was reet fiddly, but never took any bits of regulator off.

glad for you it's done now.
Click to expand...
I didn't bother getting all twisted round the window slide to find out if I could get the lock out with it still in place. I lowered the window an inch so I could access the glass clamp release bolt, undid that, then completely removed the two bolts holding the slide to the door frame, then rotated it down into the bottom, of the door. This way the glass was held in place by one clamp and the motor side of the window was undisturbed. It was just a case of revearsing these moves to get the slide back in place. The only exception was I did the glass clamp up semi-tight, then closed the window so to center the glass in the clamp. Then I dropped it back down and tighened off the clamp fully.

After this mornings observations, when leaving for work, I reacon this passenger lock is going to be done sooner rather than later. :(
 
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