Locked Out!!

Right then, when I unlocked my Defender (2003 TD5) this morning, everytime I pressed the unlock button on the key fob, the doors unlocked and then relocked themselve again before I could open the doors. (this has happened a couple of times before, usually when it is cold).

After about the fifth attempt I managed to get in and all seemed OK.

So I started the engine and then got out to defrost the windscreen, when I went back to get into the door, the door had swung partly closed and the central locking had decided to lock itself again.

So the keys are in the ignition, the engine is running and the doors are locked and I can't get in :doh:

Luckily I was at home and had the spare keys, remote central locking still would not work as the ignition was on, but the key in the door lock worked meaning I could at least get in.

The concern I have is if this happens again when I am away from the house as I do not want to carry the spare keys with me all the time!!

So does anyone have any ideas what causes this or better still what I can do to stop it happening again??

Sounds like a short circuit to me.


Door cards off and multimeter time.

stating the obvious - but for the time being dont start the car and shut the door

top drive said:

stating the obvious - but for the time being dont start the car and shut the door

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Agreed, the keys will be firmly attached to my person in the future

Just mentioned this to a mate that runs a fire alarm installation company and apparently they have the same thing with 3 of vans during the past couple of weeks as well, two VW Transporters and a Nissan Navara (or what ever they are called!)

Very strange...

DTd5 said:

Just mentioned this to a mate that runs a fire alarm installation company and apparently they have the same thing with 3 of vans during the past couple of weeks as well, two VW Transporters and a Nissan Navara (or what ever they are called!)

Very strange...

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This can also be caused by a powerful transmitter. Not sure what you can do about it unless you can prove who it is that's causing the interferrence

Central locking fairies me thinks :lol:

PaulWilde said:

Central locking fairies me thinks :lol:

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Could be, maybe they could leave me with some fairy dust, I hear its wonderful stuff

there is an easy way to get in if your stuck ,if you send me a pm i tell you

Exactly what I did with my merc, but I was 7 miles away from home with my mrs! I worked it out to be that one of the door locks was frozen, so the whole system locked it's self again instead of wrecking the solenoid, or in my case vacuum pump. I just defrost it all first now, then get n and start it!

Karlos has hit the nail on the head. My Volvo did the same and it was a frozen rear door solenoid. Took it all out and dried everything off, sprayed the mech with silicone furniture polish to repel any water or condensation and its been as good as gold ever since. Not too shabby considering Volvo wanted to fit a new solenoid because their mech said it was goosed. I'll let you guess how much they wanted to charge me for the privilege of their expertise.

Ok Guys, thanks for the response, that gives me something to work with

I had a similar problem with a Disco 2 turned out to be my front door bell !!! it was a remote one and the battery was flat on the ringer but not in the button and someone had rung my door bell and the button got stuck on and that was that couldnt use my remote and nor could the guy next door he couldnt use the remote on his focus, i just notice the little light was on on the button and flicked it and all was good. car open with the key and when i drove it away it was fine but come home and it was buggered again, was amazed it was just the door bell !!!

Hamsterberg said:

I had a similar problem with a Disco 2 turned out to be my front door bell !!! it was a remote one and the battery was flat on the ringer but not in the button and someone had rung my door bell and the button got stuck on and that was that couldnt use my remote and nor could the guy next door he couldnt use the remote on his focus, i just notice the little light was on on the button and flicked it and all was good. car open with the key and when i drove it away it was fine but come home and it was buggered again, was amazed it was just the door bell !!!

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:lol::lol:

brilliant :lol: :lol:

Right, it looks like it probably is something to do with being frozen, this morning the drivers door lock struggled to lift and on the first attempt it didn't unlock, so I locked it and then unl;ocked it again and it lifted right up.

I guess all the recent heavy rain followed by the freezing overnight temperatures is the cuase!!

Must be the season, my TD5 2003 90 did exactly the same thing to me this morning (except for taking the keys hostage!).

Drivers door lock wouldn't go up so the Landy relocked itself. Managed to get in through passenger door by pushing the unlock on the key fob and opening the door fast. Could then pull up the drivers door lock.

I've noticed when trying to change the door lock springs on a Disco that as soon as you unbolt the actuator for the remote locking, as soon as you knock the end of the piston, it will try and lock. If the actuator in the door is loose or has moved a bit, then it might be really close to its trigger point. So, a slight jolt might cause it to lock the doors.
A faulty actuator can do the same thing.

Most likely the lock frozen as you already said!

They usually work by sending a lock/unlock pulse which operates the motors in one way or the other. If the motors stay trying to 'lock' or 'unlock' for too long, it switches back the other way to save burning them out....even if its just one motor thats sticking...so it sounds as though thats the problem you've been having!

And for the keys problem:
My key to start the car is detachable from the rest, so that I can close/open doors without killing the engine, might be worth the 50p