[Sears]

I just started having an intermittent problem with my passenger side door locks on my 92 coupe that I'd love some help with. When I turn the key from the outside to lock the passenger doors, the locks with go down for 1 or 2 seconds and then pop right back up. If I walk around to the driver's side, they lock just fine and the alarm arms (blinking red lights on both lock pulls). If I'm in the car and press the lock button on the center console, both locks go up and down in tandem, no problem. And sometimes the passenger door lock works fine, like this morning. Any ideas?
Thanks,

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[Cloud9...68]

As these cars age, problems with the door locks are becomming common. Mine sometimes does exactly what you're descreibing. Other times, particularly when it's cold, I simply can't unlock my drivers side with the key. But it hasn't done that in months. If you have a lot of free time and a ton of patience, I suppose you could tear into the lock mechanisms and figure it out. My fear is that I'll take off the door panels, and possibly find something, or possibly not, and then go through enough cycles of taking the panel off and on that I'll end up ruining the panel. So, I've decided to wait until the lock problems become consistent and repeatable enough that troubleshooting will become less of a guessing game. So far, it's just been a minor annoyance that I chalk up to one of the character traits of an 18-year-old German GT.

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[DaveN]

My impression of the locking system is that if it goes down and pops back up again it is seeing an open cct somewhere indication conditions are not met for locking. Maybe just a contact on the pasenger side getting flaky. Clean the door/light switch first as it's easy to re/re. After that it's removal of the door panel to check the 18 year old plastic linkage.

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[DayDreamer]

Check the Workshop manual for the diagnostics to check if the control unit is working properly. Then, make sure the actuator in the door is aligned properly, lastly. In the door handle lock, is microswitch which triggers the actuators via the control unit.

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[Sears]

Thanks guys, I'll start a bit of recon this weekend.

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[aslet]

I have a similar problem. The PO had a keyless remote for the doors. This went haywire and I had it taken out. This appeared to fix the locks and got them working with the key again. Then I parked it at school, came out and it was unlocked (I had locked it). I locked it overnight in the garage and it was fine. I went to school and again it unlocked over the day. I again have left it locked in the garage with no issue, I am afraid to leave it at school though in case it unlocks again.

The biggest difference is that at school the car is exposed to sun. Could the light or heat cause this? Any other quick checks I can do before I bring it to my shop?

Thanks

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[lbpesq]

The locks/alarm in my '93 Cab just started acting up. First, my alarm started going off about ten minutes after I got home. I'd turn the key, turn it off, re-lock, and 5-10 minutes later it went off again. It did this 4 times. I searched this forum and found how to lock the car without setting the alarm. Next day I depressed the door panel and trunk light switches several times each quickly to clean the contacts. That seemed to fix it as the alarm set without going off. Then this afternoon it started doing it again. Finally, tonight as I drove home I pressed the switch to lock the doors, they locked, the red light lit, and a few seconds later the locks popped up and the red light went out. Each time I locked, they unlocked themselves. I tried locking by hand. If I only locked one side, it stayed locked. But as soon as I manually locked the other side, they both popped up. I tried to lock the car without the alarm by locking it with the switch from the passenge side, then closing the passenger door, but the locks kept popping up. Any ideas?



Bill

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[968rz]

I just had this happen tonight on my car for the first time. All I did was open and close each door plus the hatch (but not the hood) then it locked fine. My guess it a dirty contact at one of the switches; which one is the question.

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[Langley968]

The other day an alarm went off around my place and the owner would just NOT shut the stupid thing off!

After s few minutes I went outside to find the culprit, and was met by my neighbour, who told me that the sound was coming from the enclosure where my 968 was parked!

What had happened is that I had "popped" the trunk but then did not open it. I guess with a vehicle driving by, there was enough vibration to cause the trunk lid to slightly rise and set the alarm off, because I had locked the doors and thus had set the alarm. The alarm was only triggered a day after...

I wonder if some of the above description has something to do with trunk lids and hatch lids not being completely slammed shut...

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[tamathumper]

I *hate* neighbors like that! <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.png" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[lbpesq]

I just ordered a new door jam switch (I replaced one about 6 months ago), and the trunk switch. Thinking about it I suspect the problem is likely the passenger door jam light switch. Everything was working fine until my wife came along on a drive to Santa Cruz, using the passenger door which doesn't get a lot of use, and it all started. I thought I had it fixed (by pressing the switches in and out several times) until she rode in the car again and the alarm started going off again. I'm hoping replacing all the switches (door and trunk) will solve the problem for another 19 years.



Bill

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[lbpesq]

Getting weirder! I replaced the door jam and trunk switches. Now when I try and lock the car, the red lights in the door locks flash once (repeating) where they used to flash twice (repeating). The alarm still goes off a few minutes after I lock it. Here's the really strange symptom: The doors unlock themselves when I step on the brake. This doesn't happen when the car is still, only when it's moving forward. Doesn't happen in reverse. Also, I don't have to stop suddenly or jerkily (is that a word?), just an easy press on the brake pedal and the locks unlock themselves. They are also unlocking occasionally even when I don't step on the brake. I do seem, however, to now be able to lock it without the alarm set and have it stay locked (at least for the 20 minutes I tried). Any ideas? Do I need an exorcist?



Bill

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[flash]

do you have an aftermarket alarm or remote door thingy?

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[lbpesq]

Nope. All stock. The only aftermarket addition is a window express in the driver's door. But that's been in for months with no problem



Bill

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[flash]

while it may not be the direct cause, never assume that because something has been without a problem for any period that it is not involved. we don't repair stuff until it "has a problem".



if i had to guess, something else in there got monkeyed with when the window express was installed, and it only now chose to mess with you. it could be as simple as a junction connector or ground wire.

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