Power Door Lock Switch on Driver Side Locks but won’t Unlock

[2000co]

Any quick fix for it or do i need to change the switch?

 

[BigRondo]

Any quick fix for it or do i need to change the switch?

Recently my driver's door lock quit working all together. I know that you have an '05 Mounty and that yours lock but won't unlock, but a lot of this info will be relevant. Having said that:

I had similar electrical issues with my '02 XLT. The dome lights would stay on until the battery saver feature turned them off, the accessory delay wasn't working, the driver side puddle light didn't work, the keypad on the door would set off the alarm when I pressed it, the door ajar light would flash and beep at highway speeds, the radio would shut off as soon as I turned the key off, the delayed accessories didn't work, etc. The alarm would beep twice when I armed it. Recently all 4 windows stopped working. Most recently the driver door lock actuator stopped working.

A lot of electrical issues can be traced back to broken/damaged wire(s) in the boot between the body and the driver's door. I found 3 broken wires and repaired them. The thin black ground wire was broken and after repairing it all was back to normal. When the windows stopped working, I repaired the thick black ground wire and the windows now work like a champ. I had to repair the pink/black wire to fix the driver door lock actuator.

Here is the thread for removing the door panel: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=303524

Here is a great thread for checking for broken/damaged wires, thanks to synyster for this awesome write-up: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=270081

Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

Here are some wiring diagrams. I apologize for the size, but I wanted you to be able to read them.

This is from my '02 shop manual wiring diagrams. As you can see, the Pink/Light Green wire is for unlocking:

Here is the diagram for the '03 and later from my Haynes manual. As you can see by the yellow arrow, the Pink/Light Green Wire is for unlocking:

I guess what I am trying to say is that if it were me, I would be looking for a broken/damaged Pink/Light Green wire in the boot. While you are in there search for all broken/damaged wires. Like I said before, Be sure to take your time when looking for broken/damaged wire(s). Check all the wires for breaks/damage. When you think you're done looking, look again, and again, and again. A bright flashlight can be very helpful.

If all else fails, here is a great link for troubleshooting the power locks. It's for the '02, but should work: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14896076/2002-Explorer-Power-Locks-System-Diagnosis

Hope this helps out!! :biggthump

Please keep us posted as feedback helps others reading this post looking for a fix to the same or similar issue!

 

[2000co]

Thank you for the detailed answer!! I'll give it a try and keep you posted on the fix.

 

[2000co]

Thank you for the detailed answer!! I'll give it a try and keep you posted on the fix.

 

[swshawaii]

Could also be a broken door latch spring or sluggish actuator.

 

[Sogsnakebite]

mine did the same thing a 50c spring fixed it

 

[swshawaii]

Two repair methods IF you have a broken door latch spring:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207373

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170619

 

[2000co]

Thank you for your suggestions everyone!! After reading the replies I realize I forgot to mention one think about my problem, sorry about that.

All the doors will not unlock using the driver switch. All the doors unlock using the remote, the keypad and the passengers switch. Do you still think it’s a wire in the door or is it the switch itself?

 

[BigRondo]

Thank you for your suggestions everyone!! After reading the replies I realize I forgot to mention one think about my problem, sorry about that.

All the doors will not unlock using the driver switch. All the doors unlock using the remote, the keypad and the passengers switch. Do you still think it’s a wire in the door or is it the switch itself?

Checking for broken/damaged wires can't hurt, and the only thing it will cost you is time.

Have you checked out the link I posted for troubleshooting the power locks?: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14896076/2002-Explorer-Power-Locks-System-Diagnosis

Good luck with the fix.

 

[dhvaughan]

Sorry to post the same thing multiple times, but I wanted to post my solution in all 3 of the threads that helped me. Also - many thanks to all the people that provided the power lock info, wiring diagram, and repair tips. I would have never figured it out without your help.

My problem- drivers side power door lock switch would lock all doors, but not unlock any. Passenger side door lock switch and cargo area switch both worked fine, locking and unlocking all doors. I assumed it was a bad switch, and bought a replacement from an ebay junkyard for $15. I installed it, but it did not change anything.

I tested the switch wires inside the drivers door and found the following:
Pink with Yellow stripe (lock wire) had 12 volts.
Pink with Green stripe (unlock) had 0 volts. <<---problem
2 black wires were ground.
Red/Black wire was ground.

In the cargo area, I opened up the jack storage door under the door lock switch and had access to its wires. I think there were only 3 wires:
Pink with Yellow had 12 volts. (lock)
Pink with Green had 12 volts. (unlock)
Black was ground.

At the drivers door switch, where I had no power, I tried jumpering power from the Pink with Yellow over to the Pink with Green. That allowed the switch to get a "thunk" reaction from the door lock actuators, but they still didn't unlock.

I tested the 2 Pink with Green stripe wires in the jack well by piercing the insulation with a pin and testing for voltage with a multimeter. both had 12 volts.
I opened up the sill plate along the drivers side, and opened up the black plastic wire chase, and found two pink with greens in the trough. I test both at several places, including under the rear seat AFTER the splice point, and along the side at rear seat and drivers seat. both wires had 12 volt at all points except inside the drivers door. I did open up the splice point. Mine was just as it turned from the sill plate to go under the rear seat. It was fine, with power in both wires on both sides of the splice.

I read another thread that described how the wires feed into the door, through the black barrel looking connector. I removed the drivers side kick panel and found the Pink with Green and tested it for power by piercing it. It had power. There were actually two, one going into the door and another continuing towards the firewall. I disconnected the barrel, and then disconnected the rubber boot at both ends. Followed the Pink with Green into the boot - and BINGO! broken wire inside the boot.

i used a piece of wire about one foot long, and fed it through the boot. i spliced it in with butt connectors and each side of the boot, and pulled the excess wire into the kick panel. reassembled the boot and barrel connector and tested it and it worked!!!

in another thread someone described how to open the barrel connector. I'll repeat that here:
disconnect battery...
on the top of the barrel, find a plastic plug and remove it. under it is a 10mm bolt head.
unscrew the bolt and see the plug begin to drop down. unscrew it until the bottom section comes completely loose from the top section. cut the wire tie around the boot, and then pull the boot from the door jamb opening. you can slide the boot back and forth on the wires a little, enough to tug on the one you are interested in and see if it falls out broken like mine did.

thanks again to all previous posters. my drivers side unlock finally works again.

 

[Redwoodwalker]

Just ran mine down. It would lock, but not unlock. Only from the controls on the front left door. Everything else worked fine. Broken pink with green in the boot between the door and the body on the FL door. Soldered in a piece of wire to patch the break together. Fixed!

 

[ShawnR]

Just ran mine down. It would lock, but not unlock. Only from the controls on the front left door. Everything else worked fine. Broken pink with green in the boot between the door and the body on the FL door. Soldered in a piece of wire to patch the break together. Fixed!

I just had this same problem. Drivers door switch would lock all, but not unlock. All other doors worked and remote worked.

I pulled back the little rubber boot between the door and the body and there it is! A little pink wire with a green stripe with a clean break in it. 5 minutes with the soldering iron, tape it up and I'm good to go again!

It's a quick & easy thing to check.

 

[2000co]

I just had this same problem. Drivers door switch would lock all, but not unlock. All other doors worked and remote worked.

I pulled back the little rubber boot between the door and the body and there it is! A little pink wire with a green stripe with a clean break in it. 5 minutes with the soldering iron, tape it up and I'm good to go again!

It's a quick & easy thing to check.

Did you took the door panel off or you just pull the boot?

 

[ShawnR]

Did you took the door panel off or you just pull the boot?

I did take the door panel off, but in hindsight I would not have needed to in order to find the problem. It was kid of a tight squeeze to solder things back together, but it worked.

 

[RotorDemon]

This forum is awesome! Drivers door wouldn't unlock but would lock. Cut the zip tie off the boot and pulled it back to find the pink with green stripe wire broken clean off. Quick and easy fix!

However I did find a larger gauge wire (white with black stripe) broken too. Re-connected that and noticed when I lock the door using the 7/8-9/0 buttons on the keypad the theft light turns on solid. Is this normal and if so what was the white with black stripe wire for?

 

[DickyDanger]

i had a similar issue with my mountaineer the interior lights would not shut off, cause was a broken wire in the boot. i took my door panel off and fed the entire harness out of the hole for the boot so i could place the harness in my lap and work on it with a good amount of room instead of being restricted to working between the door and the body

 

[lobo411]

Mine has the opposite problem...driver's side switch will unlock, but not lock except intermittently. I just finished pulling off the door trim, removing the switch, disassembling it, and cleaning it with contact cleaner. No improvement.

This thread makes me glad I didn't drop $30 for a new switch on rockauto.

I guess I'll have to check the pink/yellow wire. Is the "boot" where the wiring passes from the body to the door near the hinges?