NokiaGuy Posted March 15, 2009 Report Posted March 15, 2009 Hi, I'm obviously new to your forum as I'm posting in here. I appreciate people come in, ask a question, get their answer and clear off again. It's not my intention - I've just bought a Galaxy and so will enjoy being on here a fair bit in the future. But of course, I am having a problem with my car and I'm hoping one of the many experts on here may be able to help... When we first picked our car up, I opened the rear passenger door and strapped my baby boy into his seat but after half a minute, his door locked (even though it was open) and shortly after, the alarm started going off. I figured at the time I would look into it later. Anway, 3 weeks went by and we found every time we were strapping him in, the door would lock so we'd have to either unlock again with the remote - or open the driver's door a nick and this would stop it happening. Last night, we got back from friends late and when the wife opened her door (passenger front) I noticed the interior light didn't come on - but it did when I opened the driver's door. I soon figured the problem with the doors locking themselves and the interior light failing to come on were related. One quick look in the owners manual and I read that the doors will relock themselves within 30 seconds of unlocking if no doors have been opened. It was late & dark by then - and I'm currently stuck in the office all day so can't go look at it so I'm hoping someone could post up a couple of possible things to check? I guess the first port of call would be the door switches - but it seems odd two of them would fail? I looked thru the manual but couldn't see that it would be a blown fuse somewhere (but maybe just looked in the wrong place)...So if anyone can offer up some suggestions, I would be very grateful. My biggest fear at the moment is opening one of the passenger side doors, putting my keys on the seat without thinking and then closing the door... Thanks to all for any help - and sorry for the length of my first post. Something I always tend to do is drone on and finally get to the point! Cheers ;) 2004 Ford Galaxy Zetec 1.9TDi Quote
suzuki91 Posted March 15, 2009 Report Posted March 15, 2009 take a look at the little button switch in the door frame, add a little oil and push it in a few times to help the oil into the switch. if that dos'ntwork you need to remove it from the door frame and check the earth terminal, clean it up while its out. last resort is to check for broken wires in the main wiring loom that goes into the door fom the A piller. Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 15, 2009 Author Report Posted March 15, 2009 take a look at the little button switch in the door frame, add a little oil and push it in a few times to help the oil into the switch. if that dos'ntwork you need to remove it from the door frame and check the earth terminal, clean it up while its out. last resort is to check for broken wires in the main wiring loom that goes into the door fom the A piller. Hi, thanks a lot for your reply. By the time I got home from work, it was too late to start looking but I'll be out there tomorrow checking it all out. Thanks again :) Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Posted March 16, 2009 Well I've been out and had a look...I took the rubber grommet off rear passenger and was starting to look at taking the switch out when I noticed that the "door open" symbol was lit up on the dash. So I pushed the switch in, it went out. Then I tried the driver side rear, same thing, passenger front, same thing. But yet when I open any of those doors, no interior lights come on and if I leave them open for 30 seconds, the doors all lock themselves. So I'm thinking it can't be a switch - surely if it was, the light on the dash wouldn't come on? The only door that works properly is the drivers door - if I open that, the interior lights come on and no doors lock themselves. Any other ideas? Cheers! Quote
NikpV Posted March 16, 2009 Report Posted March 16, 2009 time to check for broken wiring in the door to piller looms - my old escort had swiches for the lights but the door open alert worked on the microswitch in the lock tself - maybe the gal is the other way around and the wire in the looms is a known issue and can cause all sorts of problems - soldered four the other day on my passenger near side rear door Quote
NikpV Posted March 16, 2009 Report Posted March 16, 2009 and make sure you check the drivers door as well you may have some sort of short or broken wire affecting the other doors you can get some weird unpredictable effects in this area check the faq - 31 43 and 44 iirc Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) and make sure you check the drivers door as well you may have some sort of short or broken wire affecting the other doors you can get some weird unpredictable effects in this area check the faq - 31 43 and 44 iirc Thanks a lot Nik...The missus has got me tidying the garden now ("Well if you can't fix the car, you might as well mow the lawn!") so I'll have a look later. I'm on nights tonight so can take the car and have a look in the garage at work. Thanks again :-) Edited March 16, 2009 by NokiaGuy Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Posted March 17, 2009 Back again! So I've just finished checking all the doors - drivers included and I couldn't find any broken wires at all. Front doors are a right pain aren't they?! Could it actually be the switches - even tho the door icon lights up on the dash? I'm at my wits end as I was really hoping I'd get this fixed tonight. Very frustrating that it's happening on 3 out of the 4 doors. I guess there's no fuse to check is there? Thanks.... Quote
anton Posted March 17, 2009 Report Posted March 17, 2009 hi there..im no expert but i had a bit of trouble with my door/switches and interior light last week...i had a quick read of your posts and replies and will add my 2ps worth..just a thought..... where your door switches contact with your doors...is there any sighn that they are touching the doors...like a 'scuff' mark...it maybe that.....i added some black felt (bout 3mm) to the doors and mine are working great now...the felt is the type u have on chair feet if u have wooden floors that u dont want scratched..or for a temp fix cellotape some toilet tissue to the doors just to see if its that...but u have to do all doors...hope this helps in some way.. anton Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Posted March 17, 2009 hi there..im no expert but i had a bit of trouble with my door/switches and interior light last week...i had a quick read of your posts and replies and will add my 2ps worth..just a thought..... where your door switches contact with your doors...is there any sighn that they are touching the doors...like a 'scuff' mark...it maybe that.....i added some black felt (bout 3mm) to the doors and mine are working great now...the felt is the type u have on chair feet if u have wooden floors that u dont want scratched..or for a temp fix cellotape some toilet tissue to the doors just to see if its that...but u have to do all doors...hope this helps in some way.. anton Hi Anton, cheers for the reply - I did see the trouble you were having and read the posts in the hope it would help. I don't think there are any scuff marks but I'll try what you say, just to eliminate another potential problem. I'll post up the results...Getting so frustrating now! So far as the switches are concerned, what wires are coming off them? I did try and pull one out but I just ended up putting some nice little scores into my thumb and finger(!) What's the easiest way to remove them so I can check the back of them? Cheers! Quote
mk2vr6 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Posted March 17, 2009 the door switches are double pole switches, one for the interior lights the other for the dash display, hence why the dash display is still showing the door ajar warning Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Posted March 17, 2009 the door switches are double pole switches, one for the interior lights the other for the dash display, hence why the dash display is still showing the door ajar warning Ahh...SO it could indeed by a fault on the switches? As per my previous post - what's the easiest way to pull them out? Thanks a lot for the reply :P Quote
mk2vr6 Posted March 17, 2009 Report Posted March 17, 2009 hammer and chisel, if that doesnt work try a Stil saw, but remember to get the wheel changed and checked by someone with a valid license before you start :P if not just use a small flat bladed screw driver and lever the switch out Quote
NokiaGuy Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Posted March 17, 2009 hammer and chisel, if that doesnt work try a Stil saw, but remember to get the wheel changed and checked by someone with a valid license before you start :P if not just use a small flat bladed screw driver and lever the switch out :D Lucky I'm at work then - I can pop into the engineers workshop and borrow one of their lump hammers...I'm thinking I'll get my mate to hold a bolster against the switch and I'll take a run up with the hammer. Quote
anton Posted March 18, 2009 Report Posted March 18, 2009 hi m8.... when i checked my switches i popped them out with a round ended kitchen knife...and pulled the wire conector off ..trying not to let the wire fall back in to the car lol...and put the switches into a multimeter...on the fuze setting...beep.... when nipples were out it beeped....when pressed in it didnt....showing switch was ok..by having a open /closed circuit....... anton Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.