Hello,
My 89 cabbie's central locking has started playing up (been working fine for years), when I lock the car with the alarm fob all the doors lock no problem. But, then it keeps trying to lock them (it did this until the battery went flat). It is also trying repeatedly to lock after I pull away (I open the door while driving and it stops trying after that). The unlock works OK, and it doesn't keep trying to unlock. I've tried using the key to lock the doors, but the same thing happens, you can hear the central locking running over and over.
Why does it keep trying? I'm thinking there might be a micro switch somewhere not regestering the fact that the doors did lock? Does that sound likely.
I have been looking at the wiki on central locking and will do the Red/Black bypass to eliminate that as the problem (if it hasn't already by done by a previous owner).
Any guidence/advice would be helpful.
Central Locking keeps trying to lock car?!
Moderator: martauto
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BackinBlack
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:00 pm
- Location: Doing Dirty Deeds Quite Cheaply
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BackinBlack
- E30 Zone Newbie
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2014 11:00 pm
- Location: Doing Dirty Deeds Quite Cheaply
Pulled the rats nest of wiring out from behind of the a pillar. Someone has been in there before i got the car and re-rooted the wiring to allow the fitment of some banging speakers!! There are several un-attached wires in the loom that look like they should be attached, but as the central locking was working perfectly until recently (and the wires look like they have been detached for years), i have left them as they were.
Several observations: although it is a cabbie - there are definitely only 2 red/black wires there, not the three that are meant to be there? One goes to the CL control box and one goes to a black plug (together with about 8 wires) that is/was not connected to anything. I had a good root around in the area and can find nothing that it could connect with, if it ever did.
Part of the problem i have with the CL (it continuing to run the locking repeatedly until the battery goes flat) may in part be attributed to the half inch of water that had accumulated in the controller box!?! I emptied it out and dried it up - noticed that the low melting point fuse thing had blow while i was moving it. After it had all dried out I test it and the unlock and lock solenoids worked fine, fitted it all back together and bingo, central locking working correctly again. I then put all the wiring back in the hole leaving the controller dangling out the speaker hole, all still working as it should. Put the controller back in the a pillar, speaker and the cover all back and bugger me, its started to play up again!!!
I will try and find a new controller, judging by the state of the board and all the corrosion it might be slightly fried.
Several observations: although it is a cabbie - there are definitely only 2 red/black wires there, not the three that are meant to be there? One goes to the CL control box and one goes to a black plug (together with about 8 wires) that is/was not connected to anything. I had a good root around in the area and can find nothing that it could connect with, if it ever did.
Part of the problem i have with the CL (it continuing to run the locking repeatedly until the battery goes flat) may in part be attributed to the half inch of water that had accumulated in the controller box!?! I emptied it out and dried it up - noticed that the low melting point fuse thing had blow while i was moving it. After it had all dried out I test it and the unlock and lock solenoids worked fine, fitted it all back together and bingo, central locking working correctly again. I then put all the wiring back in the hole leaving the controller dangling out the speaker hole, all still working as it should. Put the controller back in the a pillar, speaker and the cover all back and bugger me, its started to play up again!!!
I will try and find a new controller, judging by the state of the board and all the corrosion it might be slightly fried.
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ChrisHC
- E30Zone Contributor
- Posts: 515
- Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2015 11:00 pm
There may still be water in the sill which caused the soldered fuse to blow again when you put back the CL unit, and will do the same with any replacement. What happens is that the drain holes get bunged up and as the sunroof drain empties into the sill it fills up with water. You need to look underneath, the drain holes are formed by gaps left where two panels are joined with an external seam, about 2 inches in from the side of the car. Poke through the gap with a small screwdriver or something similar to make certain the drains are clear.
On my car the CL unit was simply dangling in the void, but it should be attached to a triangular gold coloured plate which is bolted to the bottom of the hole for the speaker. If the CL unit is not bolted to the car, not only is it more likely to dangle in any water that accumulates, but the inertia switch that unlocks the doors in the event of a crash will probably not operate.
Putting the CL unit in a space that can fill up with water may not be BMW's finest piece of design!
The wiki article relevant is HERE
On my car the CL unit was simply dangling in the void, but it should be attached to a triangular gold coloured plate which is bolted to the bottom of the hole for the speaker. If the CL unit is not bolted to the car, not only is it more likely to dangle in any water that accumulates, but the inertia switch that unlocks the doors in the event of a crash will probably not operate.
Putting the CL unit in a space that can fill up with water may not be BMW's finest piece of design!
The wiki article relevant is HERE