Door Lock Issues

[RealtorMatt]

For the past several months the locks in my 2016 Sport have been acting strange...it started with the rear passenger side door locking but not unlocking. That went away and worked fine for a few days then the other rear door started doing the same thing. Then it was both not working at the same time and then working again and now today the front passenger side door isn't locking and unlocking. I have found that rapidly locking and unlocking the doors can make them work sometimes.

I find it hard to believe that this would be a chaffed wire in the door or bad actuators in three doors. As far as I can tell that only leaves the door lock relay that could be bad. The problem is that I cannot find the relay! I found the fuse for the relay under the dash but not the relay itself. That is also all that I can find in the owners manual.

I know on older model Explorers there was a relay panel behind the glove box but I figured I would ask here first!

 

[jmr061]

The relays are internal to the BCM. One controls the drivers door, one controls passenger front and both rear doors.

 

[RealtorMatt]

The relays are internal to the BCM. One controls the drivers door, one controls passenger front and both rear doors.

Thank You! I'm guessing that this would require having the entire BCM replaced, correct? I was trying to avoid the dealer but it is seeming inevitable.

 

[jmr061]

Let me clarify this...for locking one internal relays controls all locks (ie if the relay was bad none of the doors would lock) and for unlock the driver has its own relay and the remaining doors are controlled by one other relay. So if the relay were bad for the remaining doors none of them would unlock. I ran across a PIU once that the unlock relay for the driver door was defective from the factory.

 

[RealtorMatt]

I may be back at square one then...As of today, only the driver's door lock was working properly. The other three did not respond fully to the lock and unlock from the button on the door and the remote. some would work part of the way but not fully and not consistently. Rapidly cycling the lock unlock button seemed to get a little response from one door but again not consistently.

I made an appointment with the dealer to have them look at it but they cannot get it in and give me a loaner until the end of next month...

 

[peterk9]

Have you tried locking and unlocking using the Securicode pad? It probably won't make a difference.

Peter

 

[Adrian Gitch]

Low battery voltage?

 

[jmr061]

Low battery voltage?

I too was thinking this could be a possibility.

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

I am having this issue with mainly my right rear door and very rarely the left rear door. Seems to be more of an issue when "colder" and such here in Phoenix, AZ (meaning under 50 degrees). Has there been any pin-pointed issue/solution?

 

[peterk9]

I sent a PM to the OP to see if he has an update.

Peter

 

[RealtorMatt]

I thought I posted an update but apparently not! The dealer replaced the BCM(the old one was showing that it was bad) and coded it to the car, however, that didn't fix the issue. The locks were still not working properly. They ended up replacing the lock mechanism in each door and that coupled with the new BCM fixed the issue.

A few months in and everything is working as it should.

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

Thank you for the update, seeing how i am at 46K miles ... I am glad I have my extended warranty to help offset this potential repair(s).

 

[royski]

I believe this is the same issue I am having. My drivers door no longer locks or unlocks with the Key FOB. The rear driver side door is intermittent (don't use the passenger rear often, so can't say really).

I will add that this started last winter and then went away when temps warmed up and I honestly forgot about it until it started again once it got cold. I wonder if something with the lock mechanism and expansion with temperature is coming into play, especially wince OP stated that the BCM was not the cause...

Thoughts?

 

[peterk9]

Have you read this post? Drivers door Intelligent Access door handle not working

Peter

 

[royski]

Have you read this post? Drivers door Intelligent Access door handle not working

Peter

I just read it but I don't think this is the same as I don't have the IA doors.

With mine, the key FOB OR the door controls inside the driver door will unlock the driver lock and sometimes not the rear. Again, the rear tends to not work when it is really cold outside.

 

[peelman]

I thought I posted an update but apparently not! The dealer replaced the BCM(the old one was showing that it was bad) and coded it to the car, however, that didn't fix the issue. The locks were still not working properly. They ended up replacing the lock mechanism in each door and that coupled with the new BCM fixed the issue.

A few months in and everything is working as it should.

Amazing, dealership shoots the parts cannon at a problem and finally the problem is fixed. All along it could have been a loose connector... What is really sad is that they can't properly diagnose their own products.

 

[Fordbrian]

I just read it but I don't think this is the same as I don't have the IA doors.

With mine, the key FOB OR the door controls inside the driver door will unlock the driver lock and sometimes not the rear. Again, the rear tends to not work when it is really cold outside.

Hey royski,
Any update this issue? I am seeing the exact same thing. Driver side door does not budge with unlock or lock. Need to manually lock it when I leave car and climb across from passenger side to pull door handle to unlock it. And the back door driver side I would say 90% of the time doesn’t work. Occasionally I look and see it stuck in the unlock position. But most of the time it doesn’t move/I just have it stuck in the lock position.

I have taken off the driver side door panel to take a look at the actuator. Not totally familiar with it all but it looked fine nothing stuck out as broken. I am starting to think I must have broken wires in the door jamb if it’s just the driver side doors. A fuse would probably mean all the doors wouldn’t work? Any insight by anyone would be greatly appreciated trying to avoid the dealership since they just charged me $2500 to change my steering rack after that just randomly broke...this explorer will be the death of me

 

[royski]

Hey royski,
Any update this issue? I am seeing the exact same thing. Driver side door does not budge with unlock or lock. Need to manually lock it when I leave car and climb across from passenger side to pull door handle to unlock it. And the back door driver side I would say 90% of the time doesn’t work. Occasionally I look and see it stuck in the unlock position. But most of the time it doesn’t move/I just have it stuck in the lock position.

I have taken off the driver side door panel to take a look at the actuator. Not totally familiar with it all but it looked fine nothing stuck out as broken. I am starting to think I must have broken wires in the door jamb if it’s just the driver side doors. A fuse would probably mean all the doors wouldn’t work? Any insight by anyone would be greatly appreciated trying to avoid the dealership since they just charged me $2500 to change my steering rack after that just randomly broke...this explorer will be the death of me

I haven't had a chance to bring it in and honestly, not sure if I will at this point. As of now, the drivers door is working again but the driver side rear is not. When I click the key fob, I can hear a noise in the door where the lock mechanism is, this makes be believe that power is getting to it but something internally is not working. I need to get a recall done on the rear and might ask about a quote on replacing the door actuators but feel it will not be worth it as I am looking to trade the car in at this point, especially with over 105,000 miles and the fact that I do not trust the water pump any more.

This car has been a headache for me with 2 different roof leaks, bad front axil, bad PTU, cracked rear cover over 3rd seat, split driver side door rest and faulty door lock system.

 

[peterk9]

Hey royski,
Any update this issue? I am seeing the exact same thing. Driver side door does not budge with unlock or lock. Need to manually lock it when I leave car and climb across from passenger side to pull door handle to unlock it. And the back door driver side I would say 90% of the time doesn’t work. Occasionally I look and see it stuck in the unlock position. But most of the time it doesn’t move/I just have it stuck in the lock position.

I have taken off the driver side door panel to take a look at the actuator. Not totally familiar with it all but it looked fine nothing stuck out as broken. I am starting to think I must have broken wires in the door jamb if it’s just the driver side doors. A fuse would probably mean all the doors wouldn’t work? Any insight by anyone would be greatly appreciated trying to avoid the dealership since they just charged me $2500 to change my steering rack after that just randomly broke...this explorer will be the death of me

Welcome to the Forum Brian.
Your Owner's Manual only shows position #3 in the cabin fuse box as being for the Driver lock relay (20A). Position #24 is the Central lock relay (20A).
Do you not have a key to unlock the driver's door?

Peter

 

[Fordbrian]

The actual key inside the fob is so small that it is hard to get enough torque to open the door. I’m not sure I’ve ever tried the key when the lock was properly working so I guess I don’t know how much force is required to get it to work. But the way it is it is almost impossible with just my fingers. Could this be a sign that maybe it is something with the actuator in the door/the locking assembly as a whole? I would find it odd that both the driver and rear door had the actuators go around the same time but could be possible.