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Doors wont lock.

Gimpin

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
557
Location
Plant City, FL
I am having a problem locking the doors on my vr4 ... when I push the lock down it locks all the doors for a second and than unlocks them all. I have tried locking it with the doors closed and open... key in and out... car off and on... and even with the key hole on the out side... Why is it doing this??
 

Terry Posten

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Messages
9,009
Location
Davenport, Iowa USA
One of your lock cylinders is "out of phase". Happens all the time to our cars in the cold weather.

Take your key and put it in the drivers door and turn it really firmly to the unlock direction then carefully turn it just far enough to get the key out. Then do the same with the pasenger side.

Now, try your locks from the inside of the car to see if they stay down.

If not, you may have to open up the doors and see if something has come loose.

The other thing you can look for is that when you push down the lock, do all the rest of the lock pins go down all the way?
 

464/2K

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 21, 2003
Messages
4,671
Location
Denver,Co
short some where?
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
On my car this was caused by a broken key reminder switch which is located on the ignition cylinder. It caused the car to think the key was always in.

Your doors will not lock with the key in the ignition with the doors open, but should with them closed.
 

mikus

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 11, 2007
Messages
2,763
Location
Aurora IL
I'd have to go w/ Terry on this, I experienced this on both of mine last week. Felt pretty comical trying to open the car, it locking me back out.

Blast both driver & psngr sides with de-icer (even if no ice present, there's lubricant in the product). Both sides must work correctly (actually all 4 do but the back are usually fine) for the whole system to work.
 

Rausch

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
12,049
Location
Cleveland, OH
+1 I have found this to be caused by binding. Seems one of the lock cylinders or soleniods is not being allowed function correctly. Sometimes this happens because the linkage is binding somewhere. The lubrication can be a fix if the binding is occurring in the cylinder itself.

Really any of the above posts can be the cause. But now you have a fwe places to start looking.
 

14u2nV

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 22, 2004
Messages
9,398
Location
Agency/St. Joe, MO
for a temp solution if it is the ignition switch that is bad, you can lock the doors with the key from the outside. I do it when I want to leave the car running to warm up.
 

Gimpin

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
557
Location
Plant City, FL
thanks for all your suggestions.... I found the problem ... the passenger door lock is binding so I will have to take it apart and lube it up
 

atc250r

Staff member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Messages
13,235
Location
Orange County, NY
Mine had the same problem and it was because of the same thing as yours. No need to disassemble stuff, just spray a bunch of WD40 in and around the latch assembly using the little red straw that comes with the can. While you're at it you can do the door hinges and if you remove the little plastic plug right by the door handle on the door jamb side of the door, you can lube the handles nicely too. I also sprayed up the key cylinders and even though you're not supposed to use an oil based lubricant on them, my truck cylinder works for the first time since I got the car 4 years ago. It makes it a pleasure to unlock and open the doors now that everything is well oiled.

John
 
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