ELECTRIC DOOR-LOCKS....TROUBLE-SHOOTING

[micah202]

My '86 electric locks -just- stopped working,,

........I checked the fuse diagram, but it doesn't list the doorlocks,,
...checked the search here,,couldn't find anything under 'electric locks',,,,so here I am :wave2:

hoping someone can give me a clue,,,is there a breaker for these?...or do they piggyback on a circuit.


....and beyond fuses,breakers,,,,what might I try next??


me's a bit desperate on this,,my key only works on driver door,,the electric locks are kinda essential:doh:

[timsrv]

Here's a schematic from the 87 factory service manual.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/electrical/van%20lock%20schematic_zpsatqses6t.jpg


The door locks get their power from the circuit breaker on the top right (see figure below)

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/electrical/van%20breakers_zpsxun5vfnc.jpg

Good Luck! Tim

[micah202]

.
...thanks for the details Timsrv,,,,(un)fortunately all was working fine yesterday when I went back out,,and still is.....not much to fix when it's working :dizzy:

It makes me wonder if the circuit breakers can 're-set' themselves?

[timsrv]

Not sure if you have the master lock switch on the door or on the dash, but if it's on the door, a weak spot, is the wires where they go between the door and the body. Over the years the strands inside can fracture/break from all the opening/closing of the door. This type issue can result in intermittent problems. FYI, These type circuit breakers do not reset themselves. If blown they need to be manually reset. Tim

[micah202]

...hmmm,,strangely the master switch is on the dash,, so there shouldn't be that flex issue.

Seems like the mystery continues for now.



While you're here,,,another item that's stopped working is the front window washer. I've got the simple type of control arm on the steering column,, push towards column to activate washer, but not working,no 'whirring' sound from the pump,, yet the pump sounds-off when I activate the rear washer.
....There's no label on the fusebox for the washer pump,,do you know which fuse it rides with?
.....I assume there are 2 separate pumps on same fuse,, so likely not a fuse issue anyways.
....I'm guessing there could be a stressed wire issue in the steering column?
...Any idea which wires I'd grab to create a bypass switch?? ...or other suggestion?


...many thanks again for your assistance!! :wnk:

[timsrv]

Wipers/washers are different subject and should be posted in a different thread. A quick search will bring up results. Try "washer motor" and I think you'll find what you need. If not, please post your question in one of those threads and I'll be happy to answer questions or assist you there. Another thing worth mentioning is there's a free downloadable PDF of the 87 Factory Service Manual HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q4u_5zlshRsVDv5v86CiukP7wOD7nKyF/view. If you go to PDF page #1015 you will find electrical schematics for the van start there. Wipers/Washers are covered on PDF page #1019. Have fun. Tim

[Wrench]

My power unlock switch has stopped working. Hoping it's just cause it has been sitting in the sun. Lock switch works just fine, could there be any other cause of this than the switch itself? If it's the switch, can I fix it or will it need to be replaced? I've sprayed a contact cleaner in the switch (unplugged ofc) within the last couple months so I'm not confident that will help

[originalkwyjibo]

On mine the wire broke in the harness in the door jamb.

[Wrench]

On mine the wire broke in the harness in the door jamb.
If that were the case wouldn't the driver's door unlock but not the others? Or does it have to complete the circuit before it unlocks all the doors?

[originalkwyjibo]

The wire that broke on mine is the main ground to the switches.

[Wrench]

Wipers/washers are different subject and should be posted in a different thread. A quick search will bring up results. Try "washer motor" and I think you'll find what you need. If not, please post your question in one of those threads and I'll be happy to answer questions or assist you there. Another thing worth mentioning is there's a free downloadable PDF of the 87 Factory Service Manual HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q4u_5zlshRsVDv5v86CiukP7wOD7nKyF/view. If you go to PDF page #1015 you will find electrical schematics for the van start there. Wipers/Washers are covered on PDF page #1019. Have fun. Tim

Hey Tim, have you got any experience rebuilding power lock switches? I was having a problem where my power lock switch would lock the doors but not unlock them. At first I wasn't sure it was the switch but I ended up finding a switch from a parts van to replace it and that fixed it... for awhile. Now suddenly on this new switch the unlock button works but not the lock button! I'm planning on taking the old one apart to clean it and see if I can fix whatever broken or dirty contact is preventing it from working, (I've already given it a good dousing in contact cleaner,) then once I figure it out giving the newer one the same treatment. Do you have any tips? I'm worried because it's spring loaded I'll have a hard time getting it back together. Thanks!

[timsrv]

Fixing switches is tedious at best and somewhat of a "hail Mary". I guess it depends on why the switch doesn't work. If there's a particle or hair or something on the contacts, you might get lucky. If the contacts or other parts are damaged then it might be a lost cause. I wish you luck. Tim

[Wrench]

Fixing switches is tedious at best and somewhat of a "hail Mary". I guess it depends on why the switch doesn't work. If there's a particle or hair or something on the contacts, you might get lucky. If the contacts or other parts are damaged then it might be a lost cause. I wish you luck. Tim
I took a crack at it! For anyone looking to repair your switches, I posted some short videos on my Instagram that might help although I had somewhat limited success. I couldn't figure out for the life of me how to remove the child lock switch and the head of it gets in the way of disassembly. Probably would have been best to cut around the head with a hot knife to make space for it to pass through the housing (no reason not to do this that I can see ) but I was impatient as always and ended up breaking It, and unfortunately it seems like broken means it's stuck in the engaged position so I currently can't open my passenger side window. However, I figured out that the little metal pieces that act as both contacts and springs had bent a little and that, combined with some corroded terminals was the reason the power lock switch wasn't working. Must be a fairly common mode of failure as it seems to have happened on both the original switch, and the one I got from a parts van a little while ago (it starts out as an intermittent problem.) Luckily for me, spraying contact cleaner on my back-up switch without disassembling it was enough to get it working again! I'm doubtful it'll last though. Next thing I'll do is try to rig up the original switch so that the child lock is permanently disengaged rather than engaged, reinstall it and take a little more time reassembling the replacement. Would you figure bridging the two contacts that seem to correspond to the child lock switch would do that?
Anyhow, Here are some stills that give you an idea what's in there.
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