car won't lock!

[97 Boxster]

PRSCH1 - Thanks for the comments. Anybody else having my issues and can give advice on what to try next? It has to be a connection somewhere from what I can determine. No interior lights, window not dropping when handle is pulled and doors do not lock like they should with the key. If I am patient the remote locks the car as it should but that doesnt solve the window problem or the interior light problems.

Any advice tonight would be awesome. I am cracking into it tomorrow morning.

[sb01box]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

Well, I shouldnt have jinxed myself. My door locks/window drop worked last night and this morning on the way to work. Even once I got to work the door window drop and locks worked as they should.

After work I went to get into the car and it wouldnt unlock both doors. The key in the lock just turned without resistance and when I opened the door the alarm went crazy. The window did not drop either.

This is too crazy. Has to be a short or bad connection somewhere is all i can figure. Can anybody shed any light on this?? Before you comment read my earlier post today to see what I already have done.

I want to tackle this tomorrow morning so any response is appreciated.

next time when you have the panel off, wiggle the connector body of the harness attached to the DLM. my car exhibited erratic window/interior light and window movement when the connection was wiggled.
I found bad solder joint in the printed wiring board inside the DLM.
reflowing the solder joint fixed problem.

[97 Boxster]

Originally Posted by sb01box

next time when you have the panel off, wiggle the connector body of the harness attached to the DLM. my car exhibited erratic window/interior light and window movement when the connection was wiggled.
I found bad solder joint in the printed wiring board inside the DLM.
reflowing the solder joint fixed problem.

So you took the DLM apart?? Where did you add the solder too?

[sb01box]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

So you took the DLM apart?? Where did you add the solder too?

first picture shows the pwb (green)and the connector (black to the right) where the harness is attached.
the second photo shows the pin coming out of the connector and soldered to the printed wiring board.
if you see this type of wave in the solder, it is bad.

[97 Boxster]

Originally Posted by sb01box

first picture shows the pwb (green)and the connector (black to the right) where the harness is attached.
the second photo shows the pin coming out of the connector and soldered to the printed wiring board.
if you see this type of wave in the solder, it is bad.

I see what you are saying. Problem is, I have tried two of these door lock mechanisms and both are doing the same thing. I cant help but think its something in the harness itself somewhere. Today when I went out it worked just perfect. Its almost as if when i go down the road and it shakes something in the harness and then the lock button on the dash lights up automatically and then the windows stop dropping as they should and my alarm doesnt work like it should. Its like a trifecta of issues once I am out on the road. I still cant explain why it was working perfectly today and that yesterday it started acting up again. Has to be a wiring issue somewhere. Dont think the DLM is bad since I have tried 2 different ones.

[sb01box]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

I see what you are saying. Problem is, I have tried two of these door lock mechanisms and both are doing the same thing. I cant help but think its something in the harness itself somewhere. Today when I went out it worked just perfect. Its almost as if when i go down the road and it shakes something in the harness and then the lock button on the dash lights up automatically and then the windows stop dropping as they should and my alarm doesnt work like it should. Its like a trifecta of issues once I am out on the road. I still cant explain why it was working perfectly today and that yesterday it started acting up again. Has to be a wiring issue somewhere. Dont think the DLM is bad since I have tried 2 different ones.

I was keying-off of your earlier thread where you reinstalled the old unit and it worked.
Next time when you have the door panel off, with battery connected wiggle the harness near the connector. This is what I inadvertently did when trying to disconnect the harness from the DLM. The window and the interior light started to "respond"

[97 Boxster]

Will I damage the DLM by adding heat to the part where the solder needs to be repaired? How careful should I be? Any risks in taking the DLM apart?

[sb01box]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

Will I damage the DLM by adding heat to the part where the solder needs to be repaired? How careful should I be? Any risks in taking the DLM apart?

Reflowing solder is normal soldering operation. Simple if you know how to solder.
Taking the unit apart is relatively easy . I did not take detail photo to show you.
I recall that a plastic plate had to be remove first then removal of one halh of the case. Once there, the pwb solder joint can be examined. If it looks like the photo I placed in previous response to this thread, then the problem is there.
Reassembly is little bit tricky in that there are couple of alignments of cam/plunger or the mechanical "action" will not work.
We've two threads going here... Your three DLM's, were they new? If so, cold solder joint does not seem likely.

[97 Boxster]

OK, I took apart one of the DLM's and it appears like the points you are talking about liik like a Hersheys Kiss with a little of a wave to them. It this the problem area? Can you send me your email so I can forward this photo to you? THanks for your help.

[97 Boxster]

OK, I re soldered the joint as discussed in earlier posts and this did NOT work. The short seems to be in the harness going into the door lock mechanism. When the battery is plugged in all I have to do to get the window to drop and the light to turn on is touch the harness where it goes into the door lock mechanism. This is the same with both mechanisms that I have tried. I have spent hours trying to resolve this issue. Can anybody help please? I have noticed a little wiggle room in the harness where it plugs into the door lock mechanism and when I wiggle this it works as it should. As soon as I let it go it shuts off (the light) and the window goes back up like the door is closed. Could this be a reset issue? When I say reset I mean could I have to do the memory up and down with my windows to get it to work properly? Of course when I am working on all this my door is opened so I am not sure how to best test this. Its a pain to put the door panel back on just to find out its still the same. Thanks.

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

OK, I re soldered the joint as discussed in earlier posts and this did NOT work. The short seems to be in the harness going into the door lock mechanism. When the battery is plugged in all I have to do to get the window to drop and the light to turn on is touch the harness where it goes into the door lock mechanism. This is the same with both mechanisms that I have tried. I have spent hours trying to resolve this issue. Can anybody help please? I have noticed a little wiggle room in the harness where it plugs into the door lock mechanism and when I wiggle this it works as it should. As soon as I let it go it shuts off (the light) and the window goes back up like the door is closed. Could this be a reset issue? When I say reset I mean could I have to do the memory up and down with my windows to get it to work properly? Of course when I am working on all this my door is opened so I am not sure how to best test this. Its a pain to put the door panel back on just to find out its still the same. Thanks.

All you need to do is trace which wire it is in the harness that is having the issue.
Use either a circuit light, or a DVOM, and test each wire's continuity to ground to see if its one wire in particular that is having the issue, then back track it through to the car body, and see if the harness was pinched somewhere between.

If it's just one wire, you can easily splice in a new wire to fix it.
Enough testing, and you might even be able to find the break point, and fix it there.

BC.

[97 Boxster]

Originally Posted by Bladecutter

All you need to do is trace which wire it is in the harness that is having the issue.
Use either a circuit light, or a DVOM, and test each wire's continuity to ground to see if its one wire in particular that is having the issue, then back track it through to the car body, and see if the harness was pinched somewhere between.

If it's just one wire, you can easily splice in a new wire to fix it.
Enough testing, and you might even be able to find the break point, and fix it there.

BC.

BC

Thanks for the input. I was thinking of that, but all I have to do is put a little pressure with my finger on the harness where it plugs into the Door Lock Mechanism and it works until I take my fingers off of it. Its such a "minor" short that I cant believe I cant fix it. Since I have tried 2 door lock mechanisms I think that is out of the question. Any other advice? Thanks for the quick response.

[97 Boxster]

Originally Posted by Bladecutter

All you need to do is trace which wire it is in the harness that is having the issue.
Use either a circuit light, or a DVOM, and test each wire's continuity to ground to see if its one wire in particular that is having the issue, then back track it through to the car body, and see if the harness was pinched somewhere between.

If it's just one wire, you can easily splice in a new wire to fix it.
Enough testing, and you might even be able to find the break point, and fix it there.

BC.

I was thinking if the harness was a little more snug at the connection that this would solve it. Any ideas??

[sb01box]

Originally Posted by 97 Boxster

I was thinking if the harness was a little more snug at the connection that this would solve it. Any ideas??

if wiggling or applying pressure at the connector has influence on the behavior/fault of the problem, then the root cause should be there and not some distance down the harness.
the electrical connection within the connector is with a pin and a socket. it is possible that one socket have become "larger" so that the pin/socket is not making good contact. I think this is not likely. connectors for use in harsh environment is designed to have the body of the connector take the load so that the pin/socket do not. by the time the connector body is locked in place, pin/socket should be making per-design contact with no mechanical stress.
it is possible that moisture has gotten into the connection and making one or multiple contacts dirty. but since you have mated/demated this connector many times, it should have rubbed the rust off.
it maybe that one socket at the harness end is not fully seated in the connector. Take a look at the harness connector and see that all electrical connections (sockets) are at the same level.
I still think the problem is with the connector pins/DLM PWB solder joints. These pins at the PWB also functions as a mechanical anchor for the DLM side connector; so wiggling the harness will wiggle these pins.
any chance you can take apart the DLM and post close up photo of the solder joint?