Driver's side door won't lock or unlock with Keyless entry

[bumpin_99]

My driver's side door will unlock and lock when I use my key. When I use my keyless entry it wont unlock or lock my door. The little button to lock/unlock my door doesn't move at all. I have to press it down when I close my door so I can lock my door. Does anyone know what I need? I am not sure if I need a new motor or what?

Any help would be appreciated.

You can post on here, email me at illinibball89@hotmail.com or send me a private message.

Thanks

 

[Ed_N_Ted]

The mysterious lock/unlock fix

Here is your problem bro. There is a pop rivet which holds the lock actuator in place. Over time and with the excessive use (because most of the time the drivers door is unlocked unless you hit the button twice to unlock all the doors) this pop rivet breaks. So you actuator is moving rather than the needed rods. Open the drivers door. Look a few inches down from the lock strike/ mechanisim and you will see a hole. Now open the passenger door and look in the same place. You wont find a hole, you'll see the head of the rivet. Now the fix, and although not difficult, it will just take patients or a small set of hands. Unless you have one of those huge auto glass rivet guns you will have to do what I did. Take a fat chunk of wax, play-do, or something like it and stick it on or near the hole and shut the door. Once you open the door you can then remove the wax and this will tell you how much gap clearence you have so when you go to the hardware store to get a nut and bolt you can safely get a lenght that will prevent damage and allow you to shut the door. Also, before you go to the store take the door panel off, get a flashlight and measure the braket on the lock actuator so you also have sufficent length to mount it back into place. I just used a piece of tie wire and got the length that way. Which ever. Also get some loc-tite that is for permanent set. You probably wont be able to get a washer of any kind on there so the loc-tite will keep your nut from backing off. Good luck and this will fix your issue.

 

[bobflood]

My driver's side door will unlock and lock when I use my key. When I use my keyless entry it wont unlock or lock my door. The little button to lock/unlock my door doesn't move at all. I have to press it down when I close my door so I can lock my door. Does anyone know what I need? I am not sure if I need a new motor or what?

Any help would be appreciated.

You can post on here, email me at illinibball89@hotmail.com or send me a private message.

Thanks

Do either of the electric lock buttons lock/unlock the drivers door? If they don't, it's probably the actuator. If they do, and it's only the keyless that doesn't, check the driver's door relay. There is a separate door lock relay for the driver's door so that the first push on the remote just unlocks that door and a second push unlocks all the doors.

 

[geosnooker2000]

Do either of the electric lock buttons lock/unlock the drivers door? If they don't, it's probably the actuator. If they do, and it's only the keyless that doesn't, check the driver's door relay. There is a separate door lock relay for the driver's door so that the first push on the remote just unlocks that door and a second push unlocks all the doors.

I'm having this issue on my wife's Grand Caravan. The button locks and unlocks the Driver's door, but the key fob does not. So i'm assuming I have the driver's door relay problem. My question is, what is the "driver's door relay"? Is it the cluster of wires on the underside of all the control buttons (i.e. door locks, auto window buttons, etc)?

 

[bobflood]

I'm having this issue on my wife's Grand Caravan. The button locks and unlocks the Driver's door, but the key fob does not. So i'm assuming I have the driver's door relay problem. My question is, what is the "driver's door relay"? Is it the cluster of wires on the underside of all the control buttons (i.e. door locks, auto window buttons, etc)?

Need more details re which "button" you are talking about - the driver's side "power lock" switch, or the mechanical lock/unlock button/lever/whatever actually on the driver's door that just does that door?

Does the power lock switch lock/unlock all the doors except the driver's door? If that is true, then the switches and relays are all OK and the problem is with the driver's side door lock actuator. If the power lock switch also locks/unlocks the driver's door, then your driver's side door lock actuator is OK.

If the key fob doesn't work any of the doors, then the "brain" or the fob is bad.

Will the key fob lock any/all of the doors, including the driver's side door, but not unlock only the driver's door? If this is the case, then the driver's door unlock relay is faulty. There is a separate relay triggered by the key fob to unlock the driver's door - this is how they allow one push to unlock only the driver's door, and the second push to unlock all the rest of the doors.

In the Explorer, the relays are all in the left back side next to the keyless entry brain. No idea where they are in a Grand Caravan. Relays are typically square/rectangular boxes that have 2 to 6 connectors on the bottom that plug into receptacles in a junction box.

 

[geosnooker2000]

Need more details re which "button" you are talking about - the driver's side "power lock" switch, or the mechanical lock/unlock button/lever/whatever actually on the driver's door that just does that door?

Does the power lock switch lock/unlock all the doors except the driver's door? If that is true, then the switches and relays are all OK and the problem is with the driver's side door lock actuator. If the power lock switch also locks/unlocks the driver's door, then your driver's side door lock actuator is OK.

If the key fob doesn't work any of the doors, then the "brain" or the fob is bad.

Will the key fob lock any/all of the doors, including the driver's side door, but not unlock only the driver's door? If this is the case, then the driver's door unlock relay is faulty. There is a separate relay triggered by the key fob to unlock the driver's door - this is how they allow one push to unlock only the driver's door, and the second push to unlock all the rest of the doors.

In the Explorer, the relays are all in the left back side next to the keyless entry brain. No idea where they are in a Grand Caravan. Relays are typically square/rectangular boxes that have 2 to 6 connectors on the bottom that plug into receptacles in a junction box.

Oh, Yeah. I now remember what a relay is. And yes, the POWER button on the driver's door works unlocking all of the doors except for the driver's door. Same with Key Fob. I think at 2:30 in the AM I was not thinking/typing clearly.

So, sounds like the problem is with the lock actuator. Thanks for your help!

 

[bumpin_99]

Do either of the electric lock buttons lock/unlock the drivers door? If they don't, it's probably the actuator. If they do, and it's only the keyless that doesn't, check the driver's door relay. There is a separate door lock relay for the driver's door so that the first push on the remote just unlocks that door and a second push unlocks all the doors.

I have a viper alarm on my explorer as well and neither its unlock/lock or keyless buttons do anything on my drivers side door but it does on my others. Same thing with the buttons inside of the truck they will lock and unlock all the other doors but not my driver's side. Does anyone know where I can get a cheap actuator and is it hard to replace them?

Also does anyone know how to fix the door handle. i have to pull up hard on it to open my door. It kinda feels loose like little pressure when pulling it and I am afraid if I pull to hard I will break my door handle. It happens to be the same door that doesnt unlock unless i use the key. If i was gonna open it up to fix the actuator then I might as well fix the door handle.

 

[CaptainComet]

Cool info guys .... having problems with my 98 Sport ... you hit the button and the door lock only pops up about halfway ... looks like more of a mechanical problem than electrical.

I'll have to see if I have a missing rivit.

THANKS!

 

[jghake]

Here is your problem bro. There is a pop rivet which holds the lock actuator in place. Over time and with the excessive use (because most of the time the drivers door is unlocked unless you hit the button twice to unlock all the doors) this pop rivet breaks. So you actuator is moving rather than the needed rods. Open the drivers door. Look a few inches down from the lock strike/ mechanisim and you will see a hole. Now open the passenger door and look in the same place. You wont find a hole, you'll see the head of the rivet. Now the fix, and although not difficult, it will just take patients or a small set of hands. Unless you have one of those huge auto glass rivet guns you will have to do what I did. Take a fat chunk of wax, play-do, or something like it and stick it on or near the hole and shut the door. Once you open the door you can then remove the wax and this will tell you how much gap clearence you have so when you go to the hardware store to get a nut and bolt you can safely get a lenght that will prevent damage and allow you to shut the door. Also, before you go to the store take the door panel off, get a flashlight and measure the braket on the lock actuator so you also have sufficent length to mount it back into place. I just used a piece of tie wire and got the length that way. Which ever. Also get some loc-tite that is for permanent set. You probably wont be able to get a washer of any kind on there so the loc-tite will keep your nut from backing off. Good luck and this will fix your issue.

I just bought a 2000 XLT last night and it is having this problem. I checked and that rivet is gone. Do you have pictures of what yours looks like now? Also wouldn't I be able to just use a regular rivet gun instead of a bolt?