all doors automatically unlock, can only emergency lock from passenger's side
 

I have had this problem for a while now. I will try to describe this in detail. The car is a 97 Tip without alarm or remote modules.

Initially - and I don't know if this is related - the driver's side window will not stay slightly lowered after the door opens. But pulling on the door handle both inside or out does lower it so I have been pulling on the door handle to lower the window to close the door to avoid hitting the window against the top frame for a few months. That problem is gone spontaneously now. And at about the same time, the new problem started:

Driver's side:

I can't lock the doors from the driver's side.

If I try turning the key once on the driver's side, the doors (including the fuel door) would lock, and then all three doors would automatically unlock straight away within the same mechanical sequence (I hear the mechanism's locking sounds, straight away followed by unlocking sounds).

If I try to emergency lock on the driver's side by turning the key three times, the driver's side and the fuel door would stay locked, but the passenger side is not locked at all. Also, the doors can be opened from the interior door handle if locked with the triple turn like this (I don't know if this point normal, never did it when the car was working fine).


Passenger's side:

If I try to single turn lock from the passenger's side, all three doors would lock and then straight away unlock much like if I tried to lock from the driver's side.

I can, however, lock all three doors successfully if I emergency triple turn lock on the passenger side. If locked this way, I can unlock all three doors normally from the passenger's side. But if I unlock from the driver's side, the passenger door would stay locked from the outside and the central locking switch light would stay lit as I drive the car. The passenger door can be unlocked via the interior handle.



I am completely baffled. I need some thoughts as to the logic of what is happening. I can't think of a sensor or actuator failure that could single-handedly lead to such symptoms...

What exactly is emergency lock anyway? I assume it was designed to bypass some circuits or mechanism which may be faulty to make locking possible in an emergency situation in case of component failure. But what exactly is bypassed?

Also, the fact emergency lock works on the passenger side would seem to suggest that the actuators on boths sides are working properly (unless emergency lock doesn't actually use actuators?).

The fact that emergency lock on driver's side doesn't work may suggest some sort of one-way communication failure between the driver's side and passenger's side, but what could that be?

I think it may well come down to the mechanism that'is actually involved in emergency locking. Part of it may have failed. If you guesstimate the emergency lock to be a "skeleton system", the most basic system, the simplest electromechanical pathway to lock the doors then this would account for the higher functions of normal single turn lock not working on both sides too. The question then remains, which electromechanical parts are actually involved in the emergency lock pathway?

Anyone have any thoughts on the situation at all?

I plan on opening up the doors to have a lock, but it would help if I know where I should be looking at.

me too
 

I'm not trying to hijack this thread but I've got a 97 that has pretty much the same probs except I have no outside lock on the passenger side. In order to lock my car with a key I have to hit the lock button on the dash, get out of the car and then lock the driver's side door with the key. Also, my driver's side window will not lower for me anymore when I'm opening the door. I've been lowering it using the center console switch in order to keep it from hitting the door frame. If I have the door open and jerk on the door handle the window will drop but when I let go it raises again. Anybody have any clue what's happening here?

Ok, it seems like nobody knows the answer to this.

Can someone with a working central locking and preferrably without the alarm or remote features test their doors for me?

I would like to know, if you can still open the doors from the internal door handles if you emergency triple lock the doors from both the driver's and passenger's side. This would need to be done with the top down and windows lowered for easy access, obviously.

Im not sure if the 97 model gas door has a lock on it , but the motor on my gas door lock was stuck and keeping my doors from locking.

reviving an old thread, but I have the exact same problem right now with my central locking system. Does anyone know the culprit? I am suspecting driver side door latch/microswitches, but does anyone know for sure?

HELP GUYS...

Just bought a 1997 Tip 986 Boxster- upgrading from my SLK 230....

Great drive love everything about it, althought I am having the same problem

The passanger side door will not lock at all

Can anyone help please..
I have spent $600 changing the locking part (actuator) with no success.