automatic door lock problems

[Lawn Guyland]

mmk...so i need some help! i currently drive a '99 chevy lumina and i have auto door locks in it. so yesterday i went out to grab something from my car and when i hit the unlock on my remote the doors didn't unlock, but the dome light turned on. my trunk release works as well when i hit it on the remote. once i got into the car manually, i hit the lock/unlock switch a few times and nothing happens...you can hear the switch wanting to turn over but nothing does. when i started up the car, i tried it again, worked once, and then just stopped working but continued to make the turning over noise. tried it again earlier today, same thing, so i don't think it was the cold or anything messing around with the locks. any suggestions?

[Ruecifur]

mmk...so i need some help! i currently drive a '99 chevy lumina and i have auto door locks in it. so yesterday i went out to grab something from my car and when i hit the unlock on my remote the doors didn't unlock, but the dome light turned on. my trunk release works as well when i hit it on the remote. once i got into the car manually, i hit the lock/unlock switch a few times and nothing happens...you can hear the switch wanting to turn over but nothing does. when i started up the car, i tried it again, worked once, and then just stopped working but continued to make the turning over noise. tried it again earlier today, same thing, so i don't think it was the cold or anything messing around with the locks. any suggestions?

i suggest next time you are near here have me or rj look at it

[jeepbogger4x4]

could be the solenoid if you can here it trying to work

[hippie metal]

needs a grenade...or to be subjected to heavy fire....i am sure Phil can help you out



honestly is it just one door or all doors?

[Lawn Guyland]

all doors. went out earlier today and they didn't work. started the car, they worked once, then they 'died' out, it seemed like the car starting gave it just enough juice to make the locks open/close that one time...however will and i just went out 2 hours ago or so and they started working again, i can use my remote and the button inside the car...sooo i have no idea what it could be at this point haha

[92xjlaredo]

my 95 XJ did the same thing on cold ass days...however i found that by taking the door panel apart i found that not only did moisture attack it and freeze the mechanism but there was an extensive buildup of what looked like white lithium grease. so a shop rag and half a can of wd-40 later, they all work fine unless its BITTERLY cold out i.e. -1 and lower temperatures, dont know much about the lumina though so it may be completely different for you. thats my 2 cents

[Lawn Guyland]

update...they are still working

maybe my car was just having a bad day

[Lawn Guyland]

bump...

so this problem keeps happening on & off and i've narrowed it down to it happening whenever i use the locks in the car itself (if i lock the doors from the inside, etc) but it never happens with the remote...

they will stop working for a day or so, and then just magically start back up...until someone touches the locks inside the car again. this is an odd one

any suggestions? i mean, i really don't care too much because they do start working after a day or so, but i just don't want this to turn into something worse

[XJLI]

its probably a bad switch... or whatever controls the main "brain" on the auto locks. if the relay is clicking (and it obviously works since you can control it from inside the car if im reading right..) then thats fine..

actually now that i type and think.. have you tried another keyfob? it seems theres a bad ground somewhere or something isnt making the connection when you hit unlock..

[Lawn Guyland]

no nooo...the locks go out whenever you hit the button in the car itself

once someone touches that, the locks go out for a day

however, once they 'work' again, using the unlock/lock remote works fine and i havent had any problems with it

[HeavyMetal]

no nooo...the locks go out whenever you hit the button in the car itself

once someone touches that, the locks go out for a day

however, once they 'work' again, using the unlock/lock remote works fine and i havent had any problems with it

your relay doesnt really click either, sometimes the whole process is just silenced and doesnt work...worth noting

[Magilla]

probably a loose wire somewhere whether it is on the control its self, a frayed wire in the harness or a bad ground. or all together a bad button which is not too uncommon. If it is a loose wire/ frayed it could be splitting when the button is pushed cause of heat going through it and then coming back together at a later moment

[CumminsJeep]

I vote bad ground. or like RJ said a split wire.

[Lawn Guyland]

should i just have one of you guys look at it? i don't know much about electrical work...i don't know if i should worry/fix this, but i figured i'd post up and see what the deal is...thanks guys!

[Magilla]

i suggest next time you are near here have me or rj look at it

should i just have one of you guys look at it? i don't know much about electrical work...i don't know if i should worry/fix this, but i figured i'd post up and see what the deal is...thanks guys!

seems as though mike volunteered and he will be over at my house tomorrow