What the heck is wrong with my door locks?

**Bob** · 10-08-2010, 12:30 AM

My door locks will lock at any time without warning! When I go to disarm the alarm (dealer installed Mitsubishi Alarm), the door locks will unlock and immediately lock again. I have to use the key sometimes to unlock. I know one thing.....I've learned to carry a spare key in my pocket! It will sometimes act o.k. for a spell and then go haywire!

Any ideas as to what might be causing this? Maybe some relay? Any info will be appreciated.

**mikeyVR4** · 10-08-2010, 01:52 AM

I have had the same issue for months now. At first I thought it was my aftermarket alarm and stock alarm fighting one another but after my visit to the alarm installation place, that wasn't the case.

So this is what's happening to mine and I have learned to live with it. If the car is unlocked already, dont use the key to try to lock or unlock the door. This will make the car lock spasm out and go from unlock to lock to unlock to lock. Once it is locked, then you can unlock it with the key.

If the car was locked initially, you can unlock it with the key normally. But opening the passenger side door is a little crazy. I have to hit the driver side door unlock button sometimes a few times for the passenger side door to unlock. You have to pause through each attempt. Trying to do it fast never works.

So what is the solution? I was told that my window regulator/relay was out. The audio store said that some door regulators go haywire when they are going out/bad. I kinda learned to live with the issue so it doesn't bother me anymore.

Your not alone lol.

Mike

**enigma** · 10-08-2010, 03:09 AM

this may be the answer, no pics though!
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I had this chattering problem. Pulled the drivers lock apart to see what was going on and sussed it after a few mins. Bsically the little half cog thing that makes the contacts when the door is open or shut, overshoots in its position. There are some dampers to stop it goin too far in the motor part of the lock, but mine had fallen off and was more like black blue-tack(or black-tack perhaps). Basically when the lock is open, the half cog spins round and goes past the open position and back onto the closed position, which makes the lock try to open again, and then close, and then open... etc ect... and kinda chatters the lock. I've just glued a bit of rubber, where the old black rubber stuff was and its sorted. Heres some pics which will hopefully make more sence.

1st remove the door card and remove the central locking unit(fairly easy with window up). Then carefully pry the unit open once its removed with a flat blade screwdriver.
Should look like this inside. (Currently in locked position)

Next you can see where the damper at the top(open position) is worn or missing. Right side of the unit at the top. You can see the one still in position at the bottom.

Heres where the half cog should stop when open(12 o'clock) Sorry its a bit blurd.

And heres where it does stop with no rubber or a badly worn one.

And lastly the cheap fix. Just need to glue a bit of rubber into the posion where the original rubber would be. I used a corner of the rubber suction plugs that you use for removing halogen spotlights( All i could find lyin around) A piece of pensil rubber would do the job, about 3mm thick. Clean surface well from grease and superglue into position. Then you can clip the top back onto the unit(i superglued it again) and try out in car. You can plug it in, without puttin it all back together to test it.

SORTED. AN ANNOYING PROBLEM FIXED FOR VIRTUALLY FREE.

Completed with rubber in place.

**blindmist** · 10-08-2010, 04:52 AM

If it is like the VW Jetta's, check that your door switch is functioning properly. It could be an auto lock in case you unlock it but don't open the door, it locks itself after a set amount of time. If the door switch is bad, the alarm system always thinks that the door is closed.

**Tys** · 10-08-2010, 05:41 AM

Same thing happened to me a while back. It turned out to be the door lock mechanism, so I just swapped it with a new one from Mits. Since then, no problems.

I followed Stealth316's guide on removing the interior door trim and then removed the rods that lead to the door latch. I also had to remove the outside door handle to get more room to reach the door latch.