mpls_kelli
New CEG'er
My car: 1997 Contour GL 2.0L (I am the only owner, 16 years and counting).
Power locks only. No remote for locks. No power windows. No aftermarket anti-theft system or aftermarket keyless entry. Trunk release is manual (cable) not electric.
The issue:
I am having a problem with my driver's side door lock/unlock.
When I press the switch to lock or unlock my doors, I get absolutely no response.
I can lock ALL the doors using the lock/unlock switch on the passenger side door. I can visually see the lock mechanism moving on the driver's side door when I do this. Sometimes the physical piece that swivels in and out to show whether the door is locked or not gets stuck part way (This is the piece controlled by the cable from the lock actuator and located by the door handle.) When that happens, I can manually push it the rest of way.
When I use the passenger side switch to lock the driver’s door, 9 times out of 10 I can then unlock the driver’s side door from the outside using the key. I have not been able to figure out what the wild card factor is that determines whether the key works or not.
I can also lock the driver’s side door using the key.
What I have tried to fix this issue.
First, I checked the fuse in slot #25 in the interior fuse panel located under the dash on the driver’s side. The fuse looked good but I replaced it with a new one anyway. No change in problem.
I have the driver's side door panel off.
I tried cleaning the driver’s side lock/unlock switch/connector with electrical cleaner. This did not help. **Just for reference. This connector/switch has openings for 7 pins. Slot 1 has a yellow/green stripe wire. Slot 2 has two orange/black stripe wires, Slot 3 is empty, Slot 4 has a black wire (ground?), Slot 5 has an orange/thin yellow stripe wire, Slot 6 is empty, Slot 7 has one white/green stripe wire and one white/black stripe wire. None of these wires go to the door lock actuator and instead seem to go directly to the round connector that goes into through the door panel and out into the door jamb area.
I had pulled a replacement trim piece from a junk yard that had the identical black lock/unlock buttons/switch for the driver's door. I unclipped my old switch and plugged in the replacement switch. The locks would still not work.
I had pulled a replacement door actuator from the junk yard that was still connected by the cable to the interior door handle assembly. I unplugged the connector going to the lock actuator currently in my car and plugged the connector into the replacement lock actuator/interior door handle assembly. The passenger side lock/unlock switch could still lock and unlock all the doors in the car AND it also locked and unlocked the lock in the replacement interior door handle assembly. I then plugged in both my old driver’s side and replacement lock/unlock switches, but neither switch made any of the car doors lock or unlock and would not lock or unlock the lock in the replacement interior door handle assembly
.
I disconnected the replacement lock actuator. Leaving the wiring disconnected from the original lock actuator in my car, I tried locking and unlocking the doors using the passenger side switch. It locked and unlocked all the doors EXCEPT the driver’s side door. I reconnected the connector to the original lock actuator in my car and once again the passenger side lock/unlock switch worked on all the doors including the driver’s side door.
Next, I disconnected the connector that comes from inside the door panel and plugs into the car's frame in the door jamb area. I am not sure what this area is called. The connector is round with 15 pin holes in an outer circle labeled 1 – 15 and 5 pin holes in an inner circle labeled 16 - 20. The pins are located on the door frame. The wiring and connector come out of the door panel into a black rubber flexible covering. I cleaned the connector and the pins and re-connected everything. I tried both the new and the replacement lock/unlock switches on the driver's door but got no response. I tried the passenger side and again ALL locks worked including driver's side.
So, my next guess was that there was something in the wiring from my driver’s side door lock switch to the lock actuator, but I can’t figure out how that wiring works.
I bought inexpensive 12v circuit tester and with the power on and with the tester grounded, I touched the tester to the wires on the end of the door lock switch but the light indicating that voltage was present did not light up.
I disconnected the round connector in the door jamb again and tried touching my tester to each of the pins in the door frame. The only pin that made my tester’s light come on was a pin in the inner circle that is located at 7 o’clock. Possibly pin #19. Pinhole #19 on the connector is the only part of the inner circle that has a wire connected to it. This wire is black/thin orange stripe. Note: When the round connector is disconnected, the passenger side switch still locks all the doors except the driver’s side door which makes sense since I had disconnected all wiring to the driver’s side door panel but I thought I would check anyway just to be sure.
I have not checked the power lock relay yet. Is it located behind the passenger side kick panel?
Is it possible for the relay to be the issue if the passenger side lock/unlock switch is still working?
Why would none of the other pins that I tested in the door jamb show any voltage except the one?
Reading a bunch of older threads has made me wonder if there are corroded wires under the carpet on my driver’s side kick panel area. I pulled the carpet back in that area today and saw that the carpet padding is covered in Minnesota winter salt and chemicals and the padding is cracked and starting to get crumbly in spots. I did not explore any further. I have no experience removing carpet or the padding in my car and I am reluctant to do that without good cause. I know that sometimes an electronic trunk release will not work when corrosion is an issue in this area, but my trunk release is manual (cable), not electronic, so that would not be an indicator for me.
I would appreciate any help with next steps for troubleshooting my electrical issue. I am interested in trying any remaining tests or troubleshooting solutions without throwing any more parts at it if that is possible. I do better with mechanical issues than with electrical issues and have never used a continuity tester or a multimeter, but I can get one if I need to.
I can always go back to the junk yard and pull a door lock relay and pull some other wiring harnesses as well to use as testers.
I just don’t know which direction to go in at this point.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Power locks only. No remote for locks. No power windows. No aftermarket anti-theft system or aftermarket keyless entry. Trunk release is manual (cable) not electric.
The issue:
I am having a problem with my driver's side door lock/unlock.
When I press the switch to lock or unlock my doors, I get absolutely no response.
I can lock ALL the doors using the lock/unlock switch on the passenger side door. I can visually see the lock mechanism moving on the driver's side door when I do this. Sometimes the physical piece that swivels in and out to show whether the door is locked or not gets stuck part way (This is the piece controlled by the cable from the lock actuator and located by the door handle.) When that happens, I can manually push it the rest of way.
When I use the passenger side switch to lock the driver’s door, 9 times out of 10 I can then unlock the driver’s side door from the outside using the key. I have not been able to figure out what the wild card factor is that determines whether the key works or not.
I can also lock the driver’s side door using the key.
What I have tried to fix this issue.
First, I checked the fuse in slot #25 in the interior fuse panel located under the dash on the driver’s side. The fuse looked good but I replaced it with a new one anyway. No change in problem.
I have the driver's side door panel off.
I tried cleaning the driver’s side lock/unlock switch/connector with electrical cleaner. This did not help. **Just for reference. This connector/switch has openings for 7 pins. Slot 1 has a yellow/green stripe wire. Slot 2 has two orange/black stripe wires, Slot 3 is empty, Slot 4 has a black wire (ground?), Slot 5 has an orange/thin yellow stripe wire, Slot 6 is empty, Slot 7 has one white/green stripe wire and one white/black stripe wire. None of these wires go to the door lock actuator and instead seem to go directly to the round connector that goes into through the door panel and out into the door jamb area.
I had pulled a replacement trim piece from a junk yard that had the identical black lock/unlock buttons/switch for the driver's door. I unclipped my old switch and plugged in the replacement switch. The locks would still not work.
I had pulled a replacement door actuator from the junk yard that was still connected by the cable to the interior door handle assembly. I unplugged the connector going to the lock actuator currently in my car and plugged the connector into the replacement lock actuator/interior door handle assembly. The passenger side lock/unlock switch could still lock and unlock all the doors in the car AND it also locked and unlocked the lock in the replacement interior door handle assembly. I then plugged in both my old driver’s side and replacement lock/unlock switches, but neither switch made any of the car doors lock or unlock and would not lock or unlock the lock in the replacement interior door handle assembly
.
I disconnected the replacement lock actuator. Leaving the wiring disconnected from the original lock actuator in my car, I tried locking and unlocking the doors using the passenger side switch. It locked and unlocked all the doors EXCEPT the driver’s side door. I reconnected the connector to the original lock actuator in my car and once again the passenger side lock/unlock switch worked on all the doors including the driver’s side door.
Next, I disconnected the connector that comes from inside the door panel and plugs into the car's frame in the door jamb area. I am not sure what this area is called. The connector is round with 15 pin holes in an outer circle labeled 1 – 15 and 5 pin holes in an inner circle labeled 16 - 20. The pins are located on the door frame. The wiring and connector come out of the door panel into a black rubber flexible covering. I cleaned the connector and the pins and re-connected everything. I tried both the new and the replacement lock/unlock switches on the driver's door but got no response. I tried the passenger side and again ALL locks worked including driver's side.
So, my next guess was that there was something in the wiring from my driver’s side door lock switch to the lock actuator, but I can’t figure out how that wiring works.
I bought inexpensive 12v circuit tester and with the power on and with the tester grounded, I touched the tester to the wires on the end of the door lock switch but the light indicating that voltage was present did not light up.
I disconnected the round connector in the door jamb again and tried touching my tester to each of the pins in the door frame. The only pin that made my tester’s light come on was a pin in the inner circle that is located at 7 o’clock. Possibly pin #19. Pinhole #19 on the connector is the only part of the inner circle that has a wire connected to it. This wire is black/thin orange stripe. Note: When the round connector is disconnected, the passenger side switch still locks all the doors except the driver’s side door which makes sense since I had disconnected all wiring to the driver’s side door panel but I thought I would check anyway just to be sure.
I have not checked the power lock relay yet. Is it located behind the passenger side kick panel?
Is it possible for the relay to be the issue if the passenger side lock/unlock switch is still working?
Why would none of the other pins that I tested in the door jamb show any voltage except the one?
Reading a bunch of older threads has made me wonder if there are corroded wires under the carpet on my driver’s side kick panel area. I pulled the carpet back in that area today and saw that the carpet padding is covered in Minnesota winter salt and chemicals and the padding is cracked and starting to get crumbly in spots. I did not explore any further. I have no experience removing carpet or the padding in my car and I am reluctant to do that without good cause. I know that sometimes an electronic trunk release will not work when corrosion is an issue in this area, but my trunk release is manual (cable), not electronic, so that would not be an indicator for me.
I would appreciate any help with next steps for troubleshooting my electrical issue. I am interested in trying any remaining tests or troubleshooting solutions without throwing any more parts at it if that is possible. I do better with mechanical issues than with electrical issues and have never used a continuity tester or a multimeter, but I can get one if I need to.
I can always go back to the junk yard and pull a door lock relay and pull some other wiring harnesses as well to use as testers.
I just don’t know which direction to go in at this point.
Thanks in advance for the help.