I have a '95 Mazda MPV. Sometimes - not always but often - the door locks will suddenly snap down by themselves. Then when I try to unlock them they will snap down again right away. The car seems possessed and I feel trapped as I lift the lock up over and over again until the car finally gives up and I can get out.
My mechanic said it is probably the switch and said it would be pricey to fix. He suggested just pulling the fuse and using the locks as manual locks. I know the car is 15 years old but I hate to start loosing functions like this. I’ve always taken good care of the car and the mechanic said it probably has another 100,000 miles in it. On the other hand I picture myself or members of my family getting trapped in the car.
Does this sound like a switch problem?
Is pulling the fuse a good solution?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Pulling the fuse will cut power to the power door locks. The locks will have to be manually operated without the fuse. If you have a remote lock system, like the key fob to unlock the doors, it will not work after you pull the fuse. You will need to use your key.
The other alternative is to pay a mechanic or auto electrician to track down the problem. This can get quite pricey. It may be a bad switch, bad wiring, or bad control module, if this truck uses them. Hunting electrical faults is a time consuming task.
Losing functions like this are a part of 10+yr old cars. The electrical modules they make for these cars are designed for a 8 to 10 yr life cycle. This means that for 90% of them, they will last to the 10 year mark. After that, reliability drops. You managed 15 years for the power lock module. This is not bad. Other things, especially ‘creature comforts’ will also begin to start failing.
I’m always helping friends and friends of friends keep their rides on the road. Losing creature comfort features are a part of it. A lot of these things can be expensive to fix or replace, and just not worth the effort on such older vehicles.
I think this was what my mechanic was trying to tell me. Even though I have a lot more miles to put on my car it is getting old. Guess it’s time to track down that fuse.
Thanks for the information!
If you look at the wiring diagram you will probably find that the lock switch simply grounds the voltage from the lock relay to lock the dors
When I had the same problem on my 97 Explorer i found a short to ground in the lock wire between the switch & the relay.
I would guess the trouble is being caused by a dirty switch also. Pulling a fuse out may not be the real answer as the fuse is most likely powering other things also that you may not want to disable. You may have to disconnect the power to the door lock controller. Having these kind problems is expected with older vehicles. Purchasing a service manual for the car is a wise investment for owners that can do their own work on problems like this.