Locked out

[Tomcat]

I got home from work tonight and locked the car with the fob, I also put the alarm on. Just been out now to nip to the shop and the damn thing wont let me in,I tried the spare fob but didn't hold out much hope as I've never tested that one. Neither fob works(surprisingly), I've tried swapping the batteries over(stupid thing to do) but no results. The strange thing is that the battery in my everyday fob wasn't changed that long ago really and it's never made much of a difference. The fobs always been a bit hit and miss, sometimes it works from a distance, other times you have to be right on top of the damn car before it'll do anything. It actualy refused to let me in the other day, then after a couple of minutes it changed its mind and all went back to normal.

As I don't have the old door handles I can't just open the door with the key, I will have to climb in through the boot. So.....if I pull the fuses for the central locking etc.. will I be able to put the central locking one back in and lock the car with the boot lock?, or will this start the alarm going off again?...

[MIKESC70T5]

Have you had any good luck with this car since buying it, sorry cant give any advice on the problem lol.

[CONDYBOY]

It will prob set the alarm off again.

[Tomcat]

Well, things get stranger...

I thought being as I'd tried everything else I'd try and unlock the car with the key, being as I never connected the door handle locks up when I swapped them I used the boot lock. The car unlocked, and the alarm de activated!, I got in the car drove to the shop, got out, tried the fob and it locked ok... came out of the shop, unlocked the car..with the fob. I drove home, got out and the damn thing wouldn't work again!, I've locked the car up with the key and I will try new batteries tomorrow, but I doubt it's anything to do with batteries...

[nobananas]

Have you got a Preist living near by ?

[gazbak1]

is there a phone mast near by as these can affect the remotes as you say it was ok away from your house.

gazbak1

[cameron]

Well, things get stranger...

I thought being as I'd tried everything else I'd try and unlock the car with the key, being as I never connected the door handle locks up when I swapped them I used the boot lock. The car unlocked, and the alarm de activated!, I got in the car drove to the shop, got out, tried the fob and it locked ok... came out of the shop, unlocked the car..with the fob. I drove home, got out and the damn thing wouldn't work again!, I've locked the car up with the key and I will try new batteries tomorrow, but I doubt it's anything to do with batteries...

££££in hallelujah, im not the only person with the same problem, my car has started exactly the same thing, i unlock the boot and lo and behold the fob works again, then all the doors lock but the boot doesnt, lock it with the key and everything is back to normal, if there is a normal with an 850 LOL.

Id love to know whats happening as its doing my head in, ive tried batteries, different fobs i even changed the relay from my 96 T5 with the fobs and it works exactly the same except now the indicators flash and the doors lock again after it hasnt been opened after about a minute. if anyone has a remedy apart from grin and bear it or fire please help us, Me and good old T.C.

[dooby]

Hiya TC,

it's an estate right? Wires breaking in the shell to boot loom crossover point? That might explain the intermittent bit perhaps? Assuming I remember rightly the sensor or control logic is in the tailgate...

HTH, Pete

[cameron]

Hiya TC,

it's an estate right? Wires breaking in the shell to boot loom crossover point? That might explain the intermittent bit perhaps? Assuming I remember rightly the sensor or control logic is in the tailgate...

HTH, Pete

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMMMMMMMMMMM interesting, i think i'll check that tomorrow, good suggestion, cheers Pete!

[CONDYBOY]

have you got a preist living near by ?

lol

[Tomcat]

Hiya TC,

it's an estate right? Wires breaking in the shell to boot loom crossover point? That might explain the intermittent bit perhaps? Assuming I remember rightly the sensor or control logic is in the tailgate...

HTH, Pete

I've heard something like this before....a long time ago on the VOC, do you have any more info??.....

[Tomcat]

££££in hallelujah, im not the only person with the same problem, my car has started exactly the same thing, i unlock the boot and lo and behold the fob works again, then all the doors lock but the boot doesnt, lock it with the key and everything is back to normal, if there is a normal with an 850 LOL.

Id love to know whats happening as its doing my head in, ive tried batteries, different fobs i even changed the relay from my 96 T5 with the fobs and it works exactly the same except now the indicators flash and the doors lock again after it hasnt been opened after about a minute. if anyone has a remedy apart from grin and bear it or fire please help us, Me and good old T.C.

After a little bit of research it turns out that yours could well be broken wiring, it's where the wiring runs into the tailgate from the body(L/h hinge). Not sure if this is what's wrong with mine as I don't seem to have any problems locking the boot(as far as I know), I'll double check tomorrow.

[Dangerous Dave]

Hi TC, do the indicators flash when you use the fob but the doors don't unlock?

Thats what mine started to do, and to stop it, I use the key in the tailgate lock (lock then unlock it a few times) and its fine after that. I haven't traced the problem, but I know its something to do with the tailgate lock.

[Alan M]

My 96 model was doing the same thing and I couldn't get in. I reprogrammed the fobs and all has been well so far. Maybe give that a whirl.

[Tomcat]

Mines a 95 so no flashing of indicators when you lock it, it has however been fine today.

While it's been behaving I checked to see if the boot is locking when I use the fob and it is, so er.....hmmm?..

[Tomcat]

Ok....the plot thickens..

I went out tonight to finally fit my rear spoiler(Yaaaay!), having fitted it, I drove the car the short distance back to the front of the house. When I tried to lock the car with the fob....nothing, so I went to the rear, locked and unlocked the car twice using the tailgate lock and then tried the fob again. Lo and behold it worked so i'm now pretty confident that the fault lies in the wiring to the tailgate.

[ShadeTek]

I think you'll find the fault is the switches in the motor servo unit. I bought one off eBay for the same symptoms which you have. Instant successs. It's not always the wires.

[Tomcat]

Which motor servo unit?, what year is your car too?

[ShadeTek]

Mine is a '96. It's the rear hatch motor lock servo. It has switches in it which go open circuit and can be "cleaned" by locking and unlocking the lock mechanism. You'll find this action re-synchronizes the central locking system and allows the remote to work all the lock motors again.

[gtiteen]

Nor sure if this helps or is relevant, but my 440 is exactly the same. The fob is so tempremental... tbh though i havent locked it for about 4 months now lol!

[Tomcat]

To be honest I've never had a problem unlocking or locking the rear tailgate, it's always locked when I used the fob, at the moment I think I'm going to go with the wiring. The fault listed on the VOC previously said that disconnecting the rear lock mech will stop the fault with the fob but obviously I loose the ability to unlock the boot with the key. It's all related to the wiring....apparently.