Advances in technology have made the automotive experience more pleasant and convenient. Who doesn’t appreciate power steering, for example? If you’ve driven without it, you know the main difference is tremendous, akin to the strenuous workout of steering a huge, old farm tractor. What is the significance of having power door locks? When they break, we can’t wait to have them fixed again. Courtesy of DenLors Tools Auto Blog, here is simple details you can use to help direct your mechanic toward the heart of the power locks problem your vehicle may be having.
Reasons power locks stop
According to DenLors, if the power locks on just one side aren’t working, probably the most common reason is a malfunctioning actuator (also known as a door lock solenoid). Thus, make that suggestion to your mechanic if that’s what you are experiencing with your automobile. Fixing an actuator will even fix an attached door latch. The problem could be as simple as a broken switch. As automotive computer systems themselves are generally reliable, they typically aren’t the culprit when issues with power locks occur. Bundled data transmission wires, also called the BUS sometimes, don’t have difficulties typically either. A security system can connect to your car and tell you what is wrong. Error codes will display and be connected to a certain part of the computer.
What if there’s an additional issue?
Sometimes the problem, according to DenLors, was caused by the owner of the car as they were trying to get their door open with a slim jim or coat hanger. The door-unlocking implement can catch the rod and disconnect its link in the power locks system. If this has happened in your car, a mechanic (or adventurous owner) can remove the door panel and replace the plastic rod. Plastic parts are only in your car because of price cuts automakers have had to make.
A simple power locks checklist
DenLors suggests these things when figuring out your power lock problem:
- Is just one lock having troubles? Look into just that door before anything else
- If only one switch will make the problem, that switch should be looked at
- The actuator is going to be where you’ll the answer to your problem if the power locks will only either lock or unlock the car
- Check the bad door lock switch if power locks are working one direction
Discover more about this topic here
DenLors Tools Auto Blog
denlorstools.com/autoblog/2009/07/power-door-locks-not-working-diagnose-and-repair/
Wikipedia (definition of solenoid)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solenoid
Fixing the power door lock actuator on a Ford Explorer lift gate
youtube.com/watch?v=zobdWXnDeyY
