37 replies to this topic

[rweddy]

The door locks on my 96 outback do not work correctly. The drivers door works great but the rest of the vehicle works spastically.

I have to either close the drivers door with it locked or press on it very hard and it will sometimes unlock the rest.

I took the drivers door panel off and does not look to be any issues with any thing hanging up.

Any ideas??

[Subaru X]

Does the keyless entry remote work alright?? asuming it has one.

[Cougar]

Try cleaning the driver's door switch. It sounds like it is has dirty contacts.

[rweddy]

Does the keyless entry remote work alright?? asuming it has one.

Yes is works great but will only open the drivers door, it will sometimes open them all but only spartically.

??

[rweddy]

Try cleaning the driver's door switch. It sounds like it is has dirty contacts.

I tore into it last night, took it apart, cleaned and lubed it. Same issue, could the passenger door cause the issue?
Where can a get a FSM for a 96? I have one for my 91 but that is a layout on the locks.

[Cougar]

I have a manual for a '97 so assume this info will be the same for your model year.

The manual shows that there is a door lock timer module that passes the voltage on to all the doors. Since the drivers door works that means the module is ok. There is a 8 pin connector shown in the upper far left side of the dash that the module plugs into. The wires that tie to the door actuators from the module are colored red/green-pin 2, and blue/green-pin 3. These same colored wires that tie to the doors are tapped off somewhere and go to a connector that is located behind the passenger side kick panel. The connector is a 24 pin and shows the wires tied to pins 19&18 respectively.

It is not clear where the tap to the other doors is made. The two wires may go through the drivers door jam and I would suspect that there is intermitant break in the two wires at that point if it does. If they don't go through there then you should check the connector on the right hand side behind the kick panel.

[rweddy]

I have a manual for a '97 so assume this info will be the same for your model year.

The manual shows that there is a door lock timer module that passes the voltage on to all the doors. Since the drivers door works that means the module is ok. There is a 8 pin connector shown in the upper far left side of the dash that the module plugs into. The wires that tie to the door actuators from the module are colored red/green-pin 2, and blue/green-pin 3. These same colored wires that tie to the doors are tapped off somewhere and go to a connector that is located behind the passenger side kick panel. The connector is a 24 pin and shows the wires tied to pins 19&18 respectively.

It is not clear where the tap to the other doors is made. The two wires may go through the drivers door jam and I would suspect that there is intermitant break in the two wires at that point if it does. If they don't go through there then you should check the connector on the right hand side behind the kick panel.

Ok I have check all conections still cannot find the issue?
Anyone else ever see this issue on thiers??

[Wayne Boncyk]

I have had exactly the same issue on my power doorlocks, and they've been that way for about 2 years. Since I used to live in Colorado, where it got truly cold in winter, I noticed that the locks work better when the temperatures are cold outside (as in below 45F). Now that we're in Southern California, I am resigned to the fact that my door locks (except for the driver's side door) are manual only. I've tried all the things you all have suggested here (cleaning contacts, looking for broken wires, etc.) to no avail. At least I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. Anyone else out there have any ideas as to why this may be temperature related??

Ok I have check all conections still cannot find the issue?
Anyone else ever see this issue on thiers??

[rweddy]

I have had exactly the same issue on my power doorlocks, and they've been that way for about 2 years. Since I used to live in Colorado, where it got truly cold in winter, I noticed that the locks work better when the temperatures are cold outside (as in below 45F). Now that we're in Southern California, I am resigned to the fact that my door locks (except for the driver's side door) are manual only. I've tried all the things you all have suggested here (cleaning contacts, looking for broken wires, etc.) to no avail. At least I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. Anyone else out there have any ideas as to why this may be temperature related??

There is a contact issue, when it is cold the wires contract and you have a good contact, when hot they expand and the contacts do not touch. I think it is the power door module it self, the part in the drivers door. I am going to take it out, put in the fridge/freezer for a bit, and test the theory.



Wish me luck!

[Wayne Boncyk]

Good luck! Hope you're right -- then we'll both know what's really going on!!

Wayne

There is a contact issue, when it is cold the wires contract and you have a good contact, when hot they expand and the contacts do not touch. I think it is the power door module it self, the part in the drivers door. I am going to take it out, put in the fridge/freezer for a bit, and test the theory.



Wish me luck!

[rweddy]

Good luck! Hope you're right -- then we'll both know what's really going on!!

Wayne

OK found the issue, I am fixing mine right now, I will post pictures and how to fix later.

[Wayne Boncyk]

Well, Richard! Now my curiosity is piqued (or given that you're in Colorado, should I say peaked?? ). I look forward to the description of your fix and the pictures; maybe I'll find that something similar went wrong with my pwr locks!!

[rweddy]

Well, Richard! Now my curiosity is piqued (or given that you're in Colorado, should I say peaked?? ). I look forward to the description of your fix and the pictures; maybe I'll find that something similar went wrong with my pwr locks!!

OK here is the link.

The part in question is actually a Nissan part!!
The reason this goes good and back when cold, it the arm contracts when it is cold, gets smaller and the contacts work good until it gets hot again.

http://www.rweddysol...com/Subaru96fix

[Wayne Boncyk]

Wow! What a pain!! I guess I'll get around to trying this when I get all the other more pressing problems solved on my Outback. So there's no replacement part available, eh? Seems like a lot of work to re-enable a "convenience" feature, but I have a hard time living with things that only semi-work, so I'll have to give your fix a try!

OK here is the link.

The part in question is actually a Nissan part!!
The reason this goes good and back when cold, it the arm contracts when it is cold, gets smaller and the contacts work good until it gets hot again.

http://www.rweddysol...com/Subaru96fix

[rweddy]

Wow! What a pain!! I guess I'll get around to trying this when I get all the other more pressing problems solved on my Outback. So there's no replacement part available, eh? Seems like a lot of work to re-enable a "convenience" feature, but I have a hard time living with things that only semi-work, so I'll have to give your fix a try!

There are replacment parts, I am sure. I found the issue on Sunday so just took the extra 5 minutes to fix the part rather than wait for a part and replace it on monday. I would think the part is under $50, but I am confident my fix will last at least a few years if not longer.

[later, Peter]

OK here is the link.

The part in question is actually a Nissan part!!
The reason this goes good and back when cold, it the arm contracts when it is cold, gets smaller and the contacts work good until it gets hot again.

http://www.rweddysol...com/Subaru96fix

One year later & I hope this is the anwer... a question for you RWEDDY:
after step 7:
"you can NOT replace the unit with a new one or fix the old one"
I'm guessing here, you left out "IF" you can not replace... but (obviously) you can repair the old one... you are the master that did that, right?
Later,
Peter

[rweddy]

One year later & I hope this is the anwer... a question for you RWEDDY:
after step 7:
"you can NOT replace the unit with a new one or fix the old one"
I'm guessing here, you left out "IF" you can not replace... but (obviously) you can repair the old one... you are the master that did that, right?
Later,
Peter

Typo on my part! Dooo, thanks for pointing that out!
I just fixed the page, now says.
"you can NOW replace the unit with a new one or fix the old one"
I opted to fix the old one, with the jbweld fix I am sure it will last a very long and time and cost nothing to fix it. I would guess the part is $60-$100??

[lmdew]

I have a complete drivers door for $50+shipping and the locks work. I think it would be quicker to pull the 4 bolts holding the door. Let me know if you need it. Lmdew@hotmail.com Dark Red/marron is the color.

[BigMattyD]

Thanks to rweddy for posting the solution to this problem. I had been experiencing the intermittent door locks for several years. It is very annoying when you have to keep cycling the door locks until you finally get them to unlock.

It was very easy to get the part out of the door. I did not need to do anything but unclip the control rods, and remove the three screws holding the assembly in place, as well as the electrical connector. I was then able to remove the assembly through one of the access holes in the door.

I disassembled the switch and placed a small drop of epoxy on the same part of the switch you did. It is important that it is a relatively small, flat drop, that will serve to slightly thicken the piece, allowing for greater pressure on the spring contacts.

It works perfectly now, even in the 95 degree heat. Previously, the heat would cause unreliable performance.

Matt D.

[rweddy]

Thanks to rweddy for posting the solution to this problem. I had been experiencing the intermittent door locks for several years. It is very annoying when you have to keep cycling the door locks until you finally get them to unlock.

It was very easy to get the part out of the door. I did not need to do anything but unclip the control rods, and remove the three screws holding the assembly in place, as well as the electrical connector. I was then able to remove the assembly through one of the access holes in the door.

I disassembled the switch and placed a small drop of epoxy on the same part of the switch you did. It is important that it is a relatively small, flat drop, that will serve to slightly thicken the piece, allowing for greater pressure on the spring contacts.

It works perfectly now, even in the 95 degree heat. Previously, the heat would cause unreliable performance.

Matt D.

Glad I could help!!

[Sweden]

Wow!
I'm been searching for years for the solution to the 'ghost' in my 96's lock system--to the point where I even ripped out the keyless system in anger. I will be taking apart the door again tomorrow...

Thanks beforehand!

Sweden

[rweddy]

Wow!
I'm been searching for years for the solution to the 'ghost' in my 96's lock system--to the point where I even ripped out the keyless system in anger. I will be taking apart the door again tomorrow...

Thanks beforehand!

Sweden

Great, this is a pretty strait forward fix.

[BigMattyD]

It's so simple, it's upsetting. Basically, it is just a poor quality switch.

Matt

[Sweden]

I finally got around to pulling the door apart and checking things out. I disassembled the 'Nissan' switch as instructed. As far as I could tell, both contacts were touching but things were a bit dirty. I cleased evetything with alcohol and reasembled. NO LUCK. No change...

The is no lock movement on the other doors, not with the key or manually. Could it be that some other part (e.g actuator, lock timer, etc) went belly-up with prolonged switch problems? I haven't tested enough to see if I get the ghost in the system again (meaning lock movement by itself). Is there a way to test (easily) where the problem might be (I don't have a multi-meter, but an excuse tyo buy one is ok by me...

Thanks beforehand!

Sweden

[Cougar]

I would definately get a meter and a test light probe to check the connections with. You just can't look at things and say they are good and know for sure that they ok. With a meter and test probe to check with you will know for sure.

One thing you can try Sweden is use a jumper wire to manually bypass the switch to see if that helps. If that doesn't do anything then I would suspect there may be broken wires in the door jamb harness that tie to that switch.