car won't lock!

[97 Boxster]

Hmmm. I agree with Randall. It sounds like you have done everything to solve the problem that you can do.

I had issues with mine a few weeks ago and so I took the door lock out of the drivers door and looked at it for anything I could see out of line. These mechanisms are too well sealed up to inspect for any breakage so I ordered a new part.

Well, guess what? That part came yesterday and I spent the evening out in my garage taking the door off and replacing it with the new part. This should have only taken 30 minutes or so but when I put the new part in ...... ta da - It didnt work at all. No response from the window at all and the door was not locking like it should. I tried resetting the windows and following the Bentley manual but no luck. I took it out and compared it to the old one and there were a few things that looked a little different but nothing major. When I say a little different, I mean some of the markings were not the same and stuff like that.

So I put the new one back in again. Keep in mind that you have to hook everything back up to make sure the door handle in and out work right?? Still not working. At least my old unit would work on occasion. This new one was not working with the locks or the window drop at all.

So I looked at the original unit and put it back in and guess what???? Door lock and windows all work like they should. I wonder now if it is a microswitch in the convertible top? Could that be a possibility??

Anyways that is why it took me all night and now I have an extra door lock mechanism. I will keep it for later. I know someday I will need it.

[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.

[prsch1]

hi boxster 97, i truly appreciate your response and certainly hope I did not do anything to cause cause you any concerns. i actually felt better when i received your initial post as i exactly experienced the same thing - working the whole evening on the car - trying to determine what may be amiss.
i would defer to the experts on the board, but for what it is worth, from what i have learned first hand so far from working on the car and what i gather from the forums (and again the experts may know better), when turning the key and you feel no resistance, it could be a loose connecting rod between the physical lock and the lock mechanism - believe it can work itself loose and you check it by removing the door panel.
On the alarm, as I understand it (again the experts may determine otherwise) if you unlock the car with the key you have to place the key in the ignition within several seconds or the alarm will go off (I am not sure if your alarm went off right away when you used the key but it is possible because presumably you locked the door with the remote).
On the doors, from my experience, if one of the doors/door mechanisms is amiss, it affects the other one so if one is amiss, it may affect the other door as well.
On the window drop down, I understand there is an inside door handle microswitch (which may be bad if window does not drop when opening the door from the inside); an outside door handle microswitch (which may be bad when window does not drop when opening the door from the outside); a door larch mechanism microswitch (which may be bad when the window raises back up when either door handle is released) and a convertible top latch microswitch (which may be bad when both windows do not drop when using the convertible top).
I continue to work on mine, and will let you know if I determine anything that may be useful to you. Please let me know as well.

[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"