central locking switch in armrest

[xebruce 50]

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me. I have an XE ghia, central locking has never worked with the key or switches in the front armrests. I have recently had an alarm installed and now the central locking works off a remote . When you use the armrest switch the interior lights will flicker and the volt gauge will also drop. I can here a relay sort of noise somewhere in the dash but it will not operate the central locking. Have tried different switches in the armrest as i have spares? Maybe a simple fix just unsure where to look. 

Thanks for any help Bruce

[Outback Jack 6,352]

The guys that put in your alarm have somehow messed up or pulled on your loom if you didnt have a prob before.... get em to fix it. Probably using connectors instead of soldering.

Look for a bad earth or a wire shorting... but Id get them to do that.

Warranty. .. such a lovely word.

Could be a simple relay, but sounds like a short.

If you had the prob all along then usually a stuck or siezed door actuator or shorting switches.

 

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[deankxf 20,266]

4 hours ago, xebruce said:

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this for me. I have an XE ghia, central locking has never worked with the key or switches in the front armrests. I have recently had an alarm installed and now the central locking works off a remote . When you use the armrest switch the interior lights will flicker and the volt gauge will also drop. I can here a relay sort of noise somewhere in the dash but it will not operate the central locking. Have tried different switches in the armrest as i have spares? Maybe a simple fix just unsure where to look. 

Thanks for any help Bruce

from memory the key didn't operate all 4 doors, only the locking buttons did(i had a few XD and ZK fairlane and XE ghias way back)

i would assume to make them work off a remote they have at minumum put a generic  "master" locking solenoid in place of the ford one(or attatched to it?)

i'd be asking what they actually did... i don't recall them having a relay (never had issued at least) i'd assume they probably would make the volt gauge move as it's very sensitive, same for the interior light for that matter

 

[bear351c 10,270]

Weren't there 2 relays mounted on the door, behind the door card.?  

[ESPSIX 143]

Key doesn't unlock all doors, armrest switch does, but tired actuators and nearly broken wiring between door and car all pull volts, but not much else.

i haven't seen a XE with the relays in the door, maybe later ones had them, had a ZL that had them.

wouldnt surprise me if the alarm people disconnected your original actuators and fitted aftermarket ones to get the central locking working with the alarm.

 

 

im after a relay setup if anyone has one, or the wiring diagram to make one.

[Banno 479]

From Factory for central locking never had a relay. But I’d say a relay would’ve been put in for central locking with alarm and remote. The key never unlocked all doors at once which was kinda stupid only the arm rest switches. Alarm is probably power directly straight off battery but original factory wiring didn’t. So either bad earth, or wire is tapped into the lock loom after the switch so when remote used it gets direct battery voltage but when switch used your getting voltage dropped due to 30 plus year wiring and everything else that is tapped onto the battery feed wire through the dash. I would look for the noise and then test for voltage drop and earth .The loom is set up is very basic just very long for all doors with connectors


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[bear351c 10,270]

Yeah,  you're right..... I was thinking of the ZL.

D'oh !

[xebruce 50]

All the original door actuators still working so will check earths for a start. They look like they want to move with the arm rest switch but not enough grunt. But plenty of power if using the remote. They have never worked off the armrest switch as long as I’ve had the car but they have always made the actuators move a little.


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[Outback Jack 6,352]

Try some dielectric grease in the switch first....over time they wear thin on the plating the switch moves on or scratch up. The grease will give a moisture free nice contact.
Sounds like you narrowed it down... or bad earth at switch.

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