Central Locking Playing Up

[Vince]

I thought you might like to know about my afternoon trying to fault find my central locking.

 

The symptoms were like many that are reported for central locking, doors not necessarily locking when the key is operated. It turned out to be a seized motor in one door that was stalled and drawing so much current that the other doors didn't get a look in.

 

I suggest if you are looking at a central locking system, that you first go round one door in turn and unplug the door from the chassis, by turning the cover of the connector where it joins the chassis, see the central locking articles where they talk about checking the wires and you will see what I mean. If you find that the rest of the system works correctly with one door disconnected, then you know which door is causing the problem.

 

I took the 'motor' off the latch mechanism and opened it up, found that the larger motor inside was completely seized until I turned the shaft. I spun it up off a 12v supply and it was fine after this, put it back into the central locking 'motor' module and it's all working again. You can lever the electric motors out of the assembly as they are fitted with connectors that slide into place, quite a cute system actually.

 

So there you have it, one seized motor inside the central locking 'motor' assembly took out the whole system. Disconnecting one door at a time will allow you to work out which door it is and save you taking apart the wrong door, like I did.

 

Vince.