97 explorer doors locking continuously

[wjtowne]

Hello all,

I am having a problem with my 1997 Ford Explorere Limited. The electric door locks keep locking or unlocking (not sure which) all the time. This also causes the interior lights to come on and eventually the battery goes dead. I have tried a few things.

1. I unpluged the driver and passenger lock swithes. This had no effect on the problem.

2. I removed the 30 amp fuse under the hood in the power center. This stopped the locking and lights, but the relays in the back where still being activated. I could hear this. It would try to activate them when using the feyfob and also by itself. So to me there is something that is sending a signal to the relays to actuate.

3. I located the relays in the back jack compartement. I have three of them removed right now just to keep the battery alive. When I removed the two (lock and unlock) relays the locking stopped, but the interior lights would still come on. so I removed the third one that activated the interior lights.

Anybody have any ideas?

My current theory is that the RAP module is messed up. I am ordering one from a local salvage yard and will change that when it comes in a couple days.

Thanks,
Willie

 

[bobflood]

RAP module is a good first start. There are also circuits in the GEM module that work with the door locks and interior lights.

 

[nathaniversen]

My 95 Limited started doing that once when I disconnected some of the grounds next to the amplifier and sub box in the back.

 

[wjtowne]

Thanks all. The amplifier is not hooked up anymore due to an aftermarket stereo, but i put that in about 3 years ago. The RAP should be in tomorrow. I will post back and let you know if that fixes the problem.

Another thing I tries was taking the batteries out of the keyfob because I thought maybe that was freeking out. No luck there either.

 

[wjtowne]

Tried a new RAP module today. This did not solve the problem. Going to try to change the relays and see if that solves it

Anybody have any other thoughts?

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Semi-Educated guesses if RAP and relays don't work (hoping against GEM issues):

Let's start with what all can lock/unlock the doors. You mentioned unplugging the door rocker switches. Did you try unplug the lock switch on the left rear cargo panel as well? How about unplugging the door keypad as well to see if anything changes since it can also lock/unlock the truck.

OR

It's possible you have a frayed wire somewhere past the switches which is allowing voltage to jump (as opposed to the usual broken wire making it inoperable). Unplug both switches and start tracing with volt meter or test light. I would expect to find it somewhere near the hinges.

 

[budwich]

Here is a "guess".... as you found out a new RAP didn't solve your problem.... however, before you even went there, did you try unplugging the rap PERIOD. IF you did and that didn't solve your problem, then it ain't RAP. Odds are high you have the "standard rotted splice" problem.... a number of posts, usually result in inoperative conditions (no lock or unlock) BUT it depending on what's "rotted" you could also have your problem (a few have posted as such). Check the splice areas in the rear left passenger "cable race way".

 

[wjtowne]

I disconnected the main fuse and all the switchs, doors and liftgate. I don't think there is anything else in the system besides the relays themselves, the rap, and a GEM. I've been trying to understand the wiring diagram.

So, I'm left with the relays or the GEM. I swapped out the relay that seems to control the driver unlock and the interior lights. That seems like the most likely candidate. So far so good, but I hasn't sat very long. I will leave it all connected and see if it goes wild again.

After the first incident of the battery going dead, when I still didn't know the lights were coming on, it was fine for 2 days, so the problem is somewhat intermittent which makes it harder to daignose.

I did not try unplugging the keypad in the front door yet. That will be next after the relays.

could also be frayed wires completing the circuit. I hope not this will be harder to find.

Thanks for your help,

 

[n2epv]

There are also switch contacts on the 3 door lock cylinders (the 2 front doors plus the tailgate). Maybe try unplugging the wires to them.

I had my 97 Mounty for about a year before I realized that rotating the key in the door to the 'unlock' position twice would unlock all the doors in the vehicle via the power locks, plus turn on the interior lights. And locking one door via the key will lock all the other doors too. Possibly one of those switches is causing the problem.

 

[wjtowne]

ok, I replaced the "driver door unlock relay" This is the one that also runs the interior light. Problem still there. Then I unplugged both the other lock and unlock relays. Interior light still comes on, but doors will no longer unlock. Then I plugged both unlock and lock relays back in and unplugged the "driver door unlock relay" the one that also runs the interior lights. The doors still unlock. Appears they only unlock and turn on lights. Doors do not unlock automatically.

Next I will try the keypad. May have to wait until tomorrow getting late here to take the door panel off.

Wish I had a heated garage

 

[nathaniversen]

Did you ever check that chassis ground in the amp compartment? You did exactly the same thing I did by removing the stock amp and sub, and you've ended up with exactly the same result I got when I didn't have those grounds hooked up as well as they should have been. I mean, I'm not telling you to stop spending hundreds of dollars on replacement parts, but it wouldn't hurt to check and make sure that relocated ground hasn't corroded or worked its way loose after 3 years in the back of a bumpy Explorer.

 

[wjtowne]

Thanks everybody. I found the problem. After taking the door panels off a couple times and unpluging everthing I could think of I found it. Unknown to me a feature the Explorer has is that if you unlock any door twice in a row all the doors unlock and the interior lights turn on. Thanks to n2epv for clueing me into this. I unplugged them one by one and it ended up being the one in the tailgate. This feature had never worked as far as I know until I unplugged the tailgate switch. Then both front doors would unlock the whole truck. I plugged the tailgate switch back in and neither door would unlock the whole truck. I've left the tailgate plug unplugged for about a week now with no problems.

Looking at the wiring diagrams shows that all three lock switches come together and then send a disarm signal to the computer. This will disarm the theft system. Apparently if the computer gets 2 disarm signals in a row it unlocks all doors and turns on the lights.

I believe that the tailgate switch has beed shorted out since I've owned the truck since this feature has never worked. So it has been sending a disarm signal this whole time. Therefore the other doors could not send the two disarm signals to operate the locks. I say this because now when I lock the doors the "theft" light is on in the dash. I've never noticed this light before. The short must have gotten flakey and started to short intermittently.

Thanks everyone, hope this helps the next person with this problem.