Central Locking bouncing back

[chevrons2]

Hi. My 2002 (pre-facelift) Multispace 1.9D Forte has an intermittent fault with the central locking. I was just wondering if anyone might have come across this before?:
About one time in four, it unlocks immediately after you lock it (with the remote or the key or the internal button). Sometimes it will then work ok if I try again, sometimes it takes a few goes. Sometimes opening and shutting the driver's door will help, sometimes it won't. It doesn't always do it immediately: Sometimes it waits until I've got to the front door of the house before it unlocks again. Sometimes I come back to the car to find that it's unlocked itself while I've been away. Also, sometimes when I start the car, the interior light (which normally should go out when you turn on the ignition) stays on and the 'door open' light on the dash is on. When this happens, I press the door lock button down: usually it will bounce back up at least once, but then it will then turn off the interior light and the dash light. I assume it's a fault inside the driver's door lock mechanism, but could it be anything simple or will I have to replace the whole assembly? I thought I had cured it by adjusting the door striker in slightly, (in an attempt to make it realise that the door was actually shut!), but it did it again a couple of days later. It started just after I had the car valeted and they got it absolutely soaking inside, so I was wondering if there might be a connection (earth or otherwise?) under the carpet somewhere that might have been affected. At the same time the rear wiper stopped parking and the heater control illumination stopped working, but I'm assuming that they're just coincidences, (but who knows with modern car electrics?!). Any ideas? Thanks

[User10]

I think this problem has been covered. Im sure someone will know so wait for a reply!

Good to see ya

[steve valentine]

It could be the switch in the a pillar that operates the internal light, prone to intermittent failure, about 4 quid each, easy to replace.

[chevrons2]

It could be the switch in the a pillar that operates the internal light, prone to intermittent failure, about 4 quid each, easy to replace.

Thanks Steve. I'll have a look at the switch tomorrow.
(I did a search before posting my question, but the only central locking posts I found were for it not working at all).

[Chris]

let us know how you get on, and if it's the switch that's faulty

[chevrons2]

It could be the switch in the a pillar that operates the internal light, prone to intermittent failure, about 4 quid each, easy to replace.

Sorry I've taken so long to get back to you about this.
My Berlingo (2002, pre-facelift) does not have pillar switches, so I assume the switching is built into the lock mechanism (???). If so, is this repairable or do I need to by the whole mechanism? (or could there be some other cause of the fault?).
Thanks.

[steve valentine]

My Berlingo is a 2002 pre-facelift and has door pillar switches, but, If yours are built in to the lock it's a possibility that it will all come as one unit! It does on my Jag.

[Mike]

I think mine is pre-facelift too (although not sure), however it certainly has door switches.

[chevrons2]

Update (Temporarily solved):
The fault appears to be inside the driver's lock mechanism as suspected. I found that if I pushed the swivelling part of the catch (in the back of the door), sideways, towards the front of the door, it would temporarily cure the fault. As this was an intermittent fault, I did this many times over several weeks, to make sure it wasn't just a coincidence. Then I took it apart, inspected the lock mechanism and couldn't see any sign of wear etc, so I greased everything and put it back. It was absolutely fine for a couple of months and then gradually started doing it again, more and more often. I sprayed white-grease into mechanism as much as possible through the hole in the back of the door, which cured it again for a while. next time it came back, I tapped the part of the door that covers the catch, a tap with a hammer in an attempt to permanently push the swivelling part of the catch sideways towards the front of the door,(as that made a difference at the start: see second sentence above). This cured it again for a few months. However, about two weeks ago, it did it again, twice in one day. Despite doing nothing about it, it hasn't done it again since.

My conclusion is that the mechanism is worn and needs replacing. I'll carry on living with it for now.

I'm surprised (and a bit disappointed) that despite 2139 views over 20 months, nobody came up with any suggestions other than saying it might be a pillar switch, which my 2002 Berlingo does not have. Surely there must be other Berlingos with the same problem?

[ron]

Hi chevrons2.I viewed your post but had no ideas to help.Bear in mind that a lot of our members have no mechanical expertise.I follow threads out of interest so I could have viewed it 9 times.I am sure that if someone could help,they would,but bad info is worse than none.