Name that relay...

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:22 pm

Just picked the car up from the garage (1991 325 Touring), they were fitting a new lock set and a quarter light window. They managed to replace the door locks, ignition, glovebox, and tailgate, but couldn't open the rear doors to replace the glass.

I had thought that once they replaced the door barrels then the rears would miraculously open (when the micro-switches on the rear of the barrel were re-positioned), unfortunately this wasn't the case.

They said that there was a 'relay' in the drivers door near the barrel that had burned out (litterally had a hole in it), they didn't think to remove it or note down the part number, they just put the door back together....thanks guys!

The rear doors seem to be deadlocked as the locks cannot be raised from the inside. When opperating the front doors with the key, a healthy clunking sound can be heard from both rear doors but the locks won't pop up.

My questions are as follows:

1) What is this 'relay' (about the size of a matchbox but cube shaped)

2) Could this be the reason why only the front doors opperate off the key or the blipper?

Basically it looks like the unlock signal is not reaching the rear half of the car but what is really confusing me is that the passenger front door is working fine.

Please can someone help before I end up selling the car in a huff??!

Dan

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:41 pm

Anyone???

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:11 pm

Hi (is that diff on yet?)
There's no relays in the doors only a reed switch next to the lock barrel that only send the lock signal.
The only relay that i can think of is behind the speaker by the pedals (and that can depend on the model of car).
If i were you i would check for a loose/broken connection to the unlock circuit.
It sounds like the deadlock unlock signal is not being recieved.This is sent from the drivers door motor white/black wire not the switch.

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:32 pm

Hello again mate, the diff is still at my mate's in Essex.......I have a habit of buying bits then not fitting them......but this time it will be different!

I've dealt with the control unit behind the drivers side speaker, soldered a red/black wire that had broken in the connector between the A-pillar and drivers door, and replaced the lock barrels.

Can you give me any guidance on how to test for the unlock signal? Also, if the unlock signal isn't getting out from the drivers door then how is the front passenger door unlocking???

When I swapped my control unit over for a freshly soldered one it seemed to work fine.....for about a day, then it went to the current situation i.e. no unlocking rears. Is it possible that I've dislodged/disconnected something importand in the process of stuffing the control unit back into the cavity do you think?

Finally, they definately said there was a matchbox sized relay type thing near the door barrel (fixed with one nut to the interior side of the inside of the door). It had a loom going to it. Could it be something to do with heated door locks?

God this problem is doing my head in!

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:58 pm

Right, change of plan
It looks like there's an add on for the four door deadlocks, There should be a black wire that runs from the front passenger door to the the two rear's and that one dissables the deadlocks if it fails to recieve a signal so it sounds like that's the one thats failed.
I'll e-mail you the diagram i'm looking at.

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:04 pm

I've come across this cube shaped thing before - on a car with heated locks. Nothing to do with your problem, I'm fairly sure.
Does your passenger door deadlock when it should? I'm thinking that the deadlock motor in this door may be dud, and this is the reason it still unlocks.
All the wires for locks and deadlocks split by soldered joints in the loom to feed the relevant motors in each door, so what affects one, should affect them all (except driver's).
Blue and black are the deadlock wires. Pull the plug off the locking ECU and apply earth and 12V+ to these two wires. With the lock buttons down, this should deadlock and un deadlock the locks, depending on which way around you connect the two wires.

Post Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:45 pm

Now we're getting somewhere! Thanks to you two fellas, I have to say that I half expected you to come forward Brian, you seem to be a walking E30 encyclopedia!

Can you tell me if getting to this 'relay' and the door barrel requires removal of the window and runners on a four door? The garage swear blind there was no other way, not looking forward to taking it all apart to get to the relay.....if indeed I decide I really need heated locks.

May come back to you both for more advice on the electrical tests as I really don't have a clue when it comes to things I can't hit with a hammer!

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:18 am

You don't need to remove the glass or runners.

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 9:35 am

Brian, you're absolutely certain that you don't need to remove anything from the four door (Tourer) model? The garage swear blind that there was one access hole at the bottom of the door and with the window up you can't even get your hand in there, and with the window down, the glass stops you getting in. This is a 'respectable' Peugeot main dealer saying this.

Now I have another question for you, having tried the lock/unlock at the garage yesterday it worked fine on the front doors, so took it home, parked it up, and locked it. Came to it this morning and now absolutely no doors will open!!! The key will turn only 45 degrees in the drivers door, and the passenger side does bugger all because I locked it from the drivers side.

To say I'm pi**ed off is an understatement. What I need to know is, am I right in thinking that the drivers door should work no matter what is going on with the central locking? My understanding is that the drivers side is all mechanical....so it could only be a faulty/badly fitted door barrel or a bent rod or something that is the cause. I want to make sure I'm correct before ranting at the garage.

I'm sick of it, I want a motorbike, no worries of getting locked out then!

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 10:52 pm

Erm....'bump'.....apparently thats what you say when you REALLY REALLY need someone to solve your problem?!

Post Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:47 pm

I've three E30 tourers plus a couple of two door saloons, have probably removed the locks from all of them at some time or othe, and have never removed the glass or runners to do so.
You need a longish screwdriver to reach in and slide the lock barrel retaining clip forwards. The lock barrel then pulls out, and all the rest of the mechanism is released.
There is a hinged piece on the back of the lock barrel that commonly seizes up and causes these sort of problems.
Personally, I wouldn't dream of taking my car to a main dealer for an "ordinary" make of car. These people employ muppets, and clearly they don't know what they're doing.
Buy yourself a Haynes manual and do it yourself.

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 12:11 am

Got the Beano....erm I mean the Haynes Manual, and also the Bentley guide, thing is it's an insurance job. The locks that were fitted were brand spanking new so I don't think anything has seized in the lock itself. Is the hinged thing you speak about part of the barrel itself or a seperate part? If its a seperate part is it feasible that this was damaged when they screw drivered the lock?

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 1:07 am

Hinged bit is about 10mm directly behind the tip of a key when in the lock. Think you should lend this main dealer your Haynes manual.

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 9:27 am

Cheers Brian, I think I will let them borrow the book.

Can you tell me whether I am right to think that the central locking has nothing to do with the drivers door not opening? The key should always work the drivers lock....unless something mechanical is broken?

The reason I ask is that the garage are almost certain to tell me that this problem is due to the buggered central locking, I want to be able to look them in the eye and tell them they are wrong and that it has to be something to do with the lock itself.

Typical that it worked fine when at the garage then as soon as I get it home it goes wrong.

Thanks for all your help and sorry about the long posts!

Post Wed Apr 27, 2005 4:09 pm

The drivers door should still work even if the battery is dead so i can't see how its the central locking

Post Thu Apr 28, 2005 12:05 am

Cheers, you've confirmed my thoughts, hopefully I won't be spouting shite when I tell them it's something to do with the work they did on the car!

Looks like you've made yourself at home on the Zone, you're racking up the posts pretty quickly. Hope you've found the Zone useful and continue to do so.