Hey all,
I have been recently having a prob with my 89 max and it's power locks!!! While driving the other day I couldn't help but notice that my door locks popped up by themselves??? I thought it may have been my hand brushing against the driverside door lock? But it wasn't, I locked the doors by pressing the driverside door lock button down and a few minutes later all of the locks pop right back up??? Needed to know if this has happend to anybody else? I have changed the power window module already, that was bought brand new from dealer. I do have a viper alarm wired into the car with the power locks feature. However, my next conclusion is that when the car is on the alarm will not work so the locks wouldnt be effected by the alarm, but even when the car is parked the locks again pop right back up by themselves?? Need major input on this one? Doesn't have me sleeping to well at night with this going on? Could it be the power lock module or relay located under the driver side dash panel or maybe under the hood in the main fuse box?

 

Hmm mine used to lock themselves as soon as i unlocked them. When i turned the key it was a race to open the door in time before the locks went back down. I got my mechanic to fix it though, so i guess i don't really have an answer for you.

 

I have the same damn problem. Most of the guys say its the door lock timer, but my FSM shows no timer for my car (91 SE). Exactly which power window module did you replace? The master window control on the driver's side? If you find a solution please post it on this thread.

 

Can you ask your mechanic what exactly was causing that problem. It can help us all.

 

Yea i replaced the master window control on the driver side arm rest. I seem to have fixed the prob for now! Nothing really done other than to open up the arm rest and pull out the module and reseat the connectors. I think that maybe the bass from my subs may have wiggled or caused the power lock button to wiggle in it's harness against the connectors fooling the over all lock mechanism into thinking the lock button was being pushed or just plainely a false negative!! I will keep u posted though

 

I havent had a chance to take apart my doors or do any sort of troubleshooting, since it has been so cold in NYC and I don't own a garage, and just park on the streets.

But if the control module has worked for you, maybe it will work for me. Thanks, make sure to let me know if you have those locks popping up by themselves again.

 

Yea superdesi, The problem seems to not happen as much but is still evident!!! Yea I live in the NYC area queens, so it has been a bit brisk!! I got to get to the bottom of this ASAP I came to the car this moring and the damn locks were up!!! ****TTTTTT!!!!! But my viper was still covering the bases but what the hell you already know what i am thinking unlocked doors!!! I called courtsey today and they said that I had a power lock timer, guess the price??? $365 non-refundable!!! Got to break out the haynes book tonight and get my hands on a multi-tester. Courtsey didn't have a schematic or a location on the timer either so let me know if the location is pretty much the same on all of the third gen? Thanks

 

If you need the timer I think I can help you out. thehorns@bwr.eastlink.ca

 

Matt93SE says that the 89-91 do not have door lock timers. I looked in a 1991 Factory Service Manual and see no mention of a timer. I don't know why COURTESY told you that you did have a timer. However, timers on the 92-94 are located to the right of the steering column.

 

Man then I am not sure then why they told me that??? I will look thru my haynes books 2 morrow and try to get some ideas of what to look for. Thanks for the help if I come up with anything I will let you know.

 

Yeah... cause I have the same problem. 99% of the time, however, it only happens when it's cold out. Since it's sub-zero here in North Dakota this time of year, it happens all the time. I can unlock the door with my key and it almost immediately locks itself. Then once I finally DO get the door unlocked, I can shut the door and the door will lock itself.

 

Well the guy was my mechanic at the time, and i don't live in that town anymore, and it was about 7 years ago. I doubt if the guy would even remember if he still worked there. But i'll look into my old bills and see if i can find the ones from there.

 

Well i called my local dealer and got some info from them in regards to the lock problem. They said that no I dont have a lock timer, but it could be two possible things either my actuator, or the amplifier. I guess they mean the current amplifier, I will have to look in some of my books for this component. Let me know what you guys think on this diagnois? Well, for me I can get into the car no prob, that is beacuse the locks are up!!! But when driving and i lock the doors the locks then pop up? They havent been doing it recently but when i get out of the car and park it and lock the doors this is when the locks pop back up when i come back to the car!!!! I have two ideas to test one i will remove the brain of my viper alarm and see if the lock prob disappears, if so then i need to check the power lock wires from the brain. But my thoughts are that the locks are recieving a positive current to the lock mechanism, if my memory serves me correct a negative voltage would make the doors lock and a positive would unlock them??? Let me know if anyone has input on that idea?

 

AHA ! Eureka ! I had an old viper alarm in mine. I mean OLD. The remote had one button that locked and unlocked everything. Well the alarm died and i left the viper brain in there. Then the lock problem presented. I'm pretty sure they just removed my viper brain. My memory just needed jogging.

 

So what happend to the lock problem? was it the viper brain that was causing the problem? Did it stop once you removed it? Please let me know? I am planning on removing it to see it the brains power lock circuit is blown or fried? Let me know!! Thanks

 

Today I changed the master driver's side window control unit with a brand new one from the dealer.

The lock problem still remained, so I know it is not the control unit.
However, I took a look at the driver side keyhole from the inside (after removing the door panel). I noticed that mechanism where the key meets the keyhole was broken (plastic piece). Also the door lock rod had a little play in it.

I have never had an aftermarket alarm installed. So, I have come to the conclusion that it is probably the actuator causing the problem. But, I have still have not figured out the single click (sounds like a relay) I hear coming from the front passenger door panel whenever I lock the doors.

 

Do you have the digital touch entry ( keypad under the door handle)?
If you do, there is a control unit behind the kick panel just in front of the front passenger door. That may be what you're hearing.

 

I don't have the digital touch entry system. But the sound definately sounds like a relay click.

 

Well super I took my max to my mechanic and had him take a look at things and as usual the problem didn't come about. I havent had the problem now for about a week!!! Not too sure if the cold weather had anything to do with the problem? Damn, I haven't removed the alarm brain, but I will keep thinking and looking at it? I make take the door apart today and look at the mechanisms. Hmmmm this thing has me thinking through out the day about it!!!! Let me know what you come up with? I had gotten a e-mail from another 3rd gen who said he was having the same prob with the locks. His problem revovled around a old viper brain that had gone bad. But since this wouldn't pertain to you!! Stay in touch!!

 

I had them yank and unhook the viper brain. I didn't have any more problems with the locks. But i'm not sure that's all they did. I wish i knew more. Mine did it ALL the time, rain, shine, snow, hot, cold. So i'm not sure what to tell you.

 

Thanks Zogg, I havent had the problem since I last spoke to you??? It has been warmer here in NYC, ans I haven't had any problems at all since then? I was planning on pulling the brain to see if that would work but the problem disappeared right before i went to my mechanic!! Gofigure!!