Another door lock issue.

[Mr Nelson]

So I have searched and found good advice but it pertained to the guy having his keyfob unlock all doors and not his driver door. my problem is the keyfob will unlock only the driver door and not the rest. I changed the batterys in the fob also. it sometimes will unlock all doors but usually a 1 in 5 chance. it also seems to have no problem locking all doors.

Any ideas? I heard there are relays from the other thread is there a specific relay for the keyfob unlock? I should also mention the keypad on the outside of the door works great and all panel lock switchs work except the driver switch which will only lock all doors and not unlock them.

 

[RickOTR]

Open the key fob like your going to replace the batteries. Once open there are some black rubber looking contacts that need to be cleaned. Use some kleenex to clean contacts, then put it back together again and see what happens. If no change, then it's in the GEM module.

 

[Mr Nelson]

I cleaned the keyfob out with a q tip and 91% rubbing alcohol, it works but is still picky, I noticed this morning while inside the truck it was doing the same thing just unlocking the driver door, so I held the unlock button down and then kept pressing it rapidly and it finally unlocked all doors, then i kept repeating lock and unlock and it was working 100% of the time like it just needed to warm up or something. is there a relay that could be sticking?

 

[swshawaii]

How often are the other three doors and tailgate used? Door latches tend to stick, get finicky, and work intermittently if not used on occasion. Wear eye protection and spray penetrant or brake cleaner with the straw to flush dirty latches clean. A small aluminum handle soldering flux brush will help loosen stubborn dust and grime. Cycle the door handles to help free latches up. Have plenty of paper towels or rags for cleaning and finish with white lithium spray. If the problem persists you may have weak or faulty lock actuators, latches, or door lock wiring issues. Door locks have never been a strong point with Explorers. I've replaced all four actuators and both front latches since owning my ST. I always have "Christmas tree" door panel clips handy.

 

[Mr Nelson]

How often are the other three doors and tailgate used? Door latches tend to stick and work intermittently if not used on occasion. Wear eye protection and spray penetrant or brake cleaner with the straw to flush dirty latches clean. A small aluminum handle soldering flux brush will help loosen stubborn dust and grime. Cycle the door handles to help free latches up. Have plenty of paper towels or rags for cleaning and finish with white lithium spray. If the problem persists you may have weak or faulty lock actuators, latches, or door lock wiring issues.

I use them fairly often, I have lubed them in past 3 months but they all unlock fine if using the passenger switch. I will lube them again for good measure though.

I think my plan of attack will be to fix the wires in the driver door first and get the lock switch working properly again, then if the fob is still having trouble I will try swapping relays as I think my RAP is ok since the keypad on the door works. I just got so used to using the fob so I could let in passengers since the driver switch unlock as been broken.

 

[RickOTR]

There are three gold contacts that the three black rubber knobs touch to make power. They need to be cleaned too.

 

[toypaseo]

Your driver door switches might be the problem.

My g/f's Mom has a 2000 F-150. Driver switch would not unlock the passenger door. Note that her window is down a lot, so dirt, debris, and weather are landing on the driver switches. The driver door switches were replaced, and the problem was solved.