The devil has taken over my door locks - Page 2

BrianW · 02-07-2017, 10:48 PM

Some of us have found that SMB actually hid the stock rear door lock button behind the door panels they installed. If you don't have a rear button showing, chances are it's in the door cavity of the passenger rear door. Check that out first.

86Scotty · 02-08-2017, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arctictraveller

That would be great, thanks. I wonder if it's in the same place on my RB? If I could be certain of the location, I might cut a hole in the back of the cabinet. Thanks again...

Yes it is. They're all in the same place, or at least I've never seen or heard of one relocated.

Good plan by Brian and CarringB. I would eliminate that rear door button as the culprit first. Maybe just diconnect it entirely if you don't use it and make sure you don't have any bare wires or connectors floating around. MUCH easier to start there than taking that cabinet all apart.

pjpvi · 02-08-2017, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carringb

Does your rear door have a power lock button? Every time mine have gone possessed its because something was pushing the rear door button.

Yes, on the passenger side rear door (very back of the van, not side door).

DerPo · 02-08-2017, 09:04 AM

Mine did this in very heavy rain. Before you get all bugged out, let the van dry out and see if it goes away. That's assuming that it's been raining

rallypanam · 02-08-2017, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerPo

Mine did this in very heavy rain. Before you get all bugged out, let the van dry out and see if it goes away. That's assuming that it's been raining

It's February in Alaska, I'm sure it's been raining.

larrie · 02-08-2017, 10:13 AM

Here is the location of the RKE module, black box with TRW on the blue label, on my 2002 EB. The way the body panels are indented in that area I would think it would be close to the same location on all the vans.

Vertical location taken from the top of the 1/2" insulation on the floor.

Horizontal location from seatbelt opening.

Horizontal location from the body cutout.

**daveb** · 02-08-2017, 10:57 AM

I had a similar experience at home. The Van doors opened up, then the alarm tripped. The doors kept opening and closing in no particular order. Scratching my head my home alarm went off??? I figured it was some kind of high power radio RF causing it. Nope that's what happens when your laundry (and alarm fobs) are tumbling in the drier.

I do wonder if reprogramming the door locks might knock out a glitch if that is the problem.

arctictraveller · 02-08-2017, 08:34 PM

Thanks for the photos, that really helps. If I decide to go after it, I'll try cutting a hole in the back of the cabinet based on your measurements. First though, I'll check the rear door lock button, that makes total sense. As far as rain, it's been too cold for rain, but when I picked up the van after leaving it parked for two weeks, there was enough frost on the inside of the windshield that when I scraped it off, there was a big pile of snow on the dash, so obvously, there is a lot of moisture inside. One odd thing I noticed is that when the locks did move it was very slowly, like I had a dead battery, so I'm hoping when things warm up, they go back to normal. Thanks again everyone for the ideas. I'll be back to the van in a few days and will report back my findings.

wadewaydo · 02-09-2017, 10:33 AM

Larrie's image might be really helpful, if GTRV didn't have the foresight to move the RKE module from behind the cabinet to a more accessible spot, say behind the drivers seat belt trim.

Here's a story about my RKE module that happened to me. When building my cabinets I thought to move my module to a more accessible spot just in case. My fridge was to cover the module, which was going to be directly behind the drivers seat. So I moved it and screwed it to the side of the cabinet that housed the fridge, right behind the driver's seat. Great place, nice and accessible.

We went camping with my girlfriend's uncle, at the Grand Canyon. Them in their Dodge Roadtrek, us in the Econoline. It was dark by the time we had gotten back to the campsite, and we were set up in adjoining sites. I had just started cooking dinner when they opened their door with the key and not disarmed the alarm. Their horn started honking, and it took them a number of minutes to figure how to disarm and shut the horn off. I remarked "City Slickers!" after the noise stopped. We all got a little chuckle, and I went back to cooking and preparing some adult beverages. It wasn't but about five minutes later that I spilled my beer on the counter. I thought I had caught it in time but a little beer made it's way off the edge and down behind the driver's seat. Right into the RKE module. Then the horn started off. I tried everything to disarm the alarm. Frantically pushing the remote buttons, unlocking and locking the doors, starting and stopping the engine. Another five minutes of horn noise at night in the campground, irritating anybody in earshot, ensued. Finally I disconnected the module, to achieve silence. Then I heard from the uncle without missing a beat "City Slicker, huh?"

The next morning of course the van wouldn't start without the module, I cringed, and plugged it in, hoping the beer had dried enough that it wouldn't go off again. It didn't. After that incident I decided to install the module behind the drivers seat belt trim panel, and I put it in a plastic bag, just in case the window on that side was accidentally left open and water got in there.

I won't be called a City Slicker again.

Anyway long story short check to make sure the window on that side isn't leaking, or beer spilled in there....

arctictraveller · 02-09-2017, 11:08 AM

[QUOTE=wadewaydo;196456]Larrie's image might be really helpful, if GTRV didn't have the foresight to move the RKE module from behind the cabinet to a more accessible spot, say behind the drivers seat belt trim.

I have no doubt they didn't move it, but once I cut a hole in the cabinet in the original location, I'll probably find that they did. Perhaps I'll give them a call.

Finally I disconnected the module, to achieve silence. Then I heard from the uncle without missing a beat "City Slicker, huh?"The next morning of course the van wouldn't start without the moduleQUOTE]

So, if I disconnect the offending POS, now the engine won't run? Great. And, yes there is a window directly above the module. I guess I'll be tearing into it next week, but hopefully it's just the rear lock switch.