Door unlock buttons

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Stacy Waldrep

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I have a 2004 Sport Trac 4x4 XLT. One day about 2 years ago, both unlock buttons on the doors quit unlocking the doors (on the same day at the same time). The lock part of the buttons work just fine. The only way I have to unlock my doors now is with the key remote. If I have back seat passengers, this is a pain since the back doors have to be unlocked for them to get out. Everybody always starts jerking at the handle before I can get to my key remote to unlock them. I've done some research on the internet and I think the problem is a security feature (that has messed up) that prevents people from using a coat hanger to unlock the doors by hitting the unlock button after the key has been turned off. I've heard that all it takes is for the dealer to disable this feature by hooking it up to the computer and my door unlock buttons should work again. Has anybody else heard of this or had this happen? I talked to my local dealer on the phone and they had never heard of it. I haven't ever taken it by there because I didn't want to pay their excessive rates for hooking it up to the computer. I'm just curious if anybody has had this happen or heard of it.
 
My '04 driver door unlock wont work. Key on or off. It will lock though. The front pasenger door is ok. I have taken the switch apart it is ok. Ran a voltage out test to the unlock wire. 12vdc is there but, No unlock.

My opinion is it is in the harness in the door hinge area. I just havent worried with it.
 
Very common door latch spring failure. The lock actuators also tend to get intermittent and sluggish

over time. If the actuator is functioning, the unlocking issue is usually caused by a small broken spring

inside the latch. Some have used an external spring instead of replacing the latch. See link below.



[Broken External Image]:[Broken External Image]:
 
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I say its most likely a wiring issue. All power goes thru the drivers door switch before going to the passenger OR if a wire breaks in one door, it affects the other as they use reverse polarity for the locks. Nightmare to explain and worse to work with. Try a '92 Dodge Dynasty 4 door!!
 
both unlock buttons on the doors quit unlocking the doors on the same day at the same time
Click to expand...

Oops, just re-read that. Definitely sounds electrical.
 
So, nobody is aware of the security feature that deactivates the unlock buttons after the vehicle is turned off, keys removed and vehicle exited? I actually found a TSB that talks about the feature and deactivating it at the dealer through the computer but wanted to see if anyone else knew about it. I just think it's too much of a coincidence that both door unlock switches stop working at the same time but everything else works fine. I'm thinking a broken wire or something would likely take out more. I printed the TSB but can't find the link to it again. I don't remember where I found it before.
 
"Autolock" maybe? If so, the procedure is in the 2004 manual. (Page 70-71)

More threads in the 2006 and earlier archives. Search "Autolock". Good luck.
 
BTW, owners manual procedure may be wrong. See link below.
 
There is a feature that does prevent the doors from being unlocked with the door lock switch but it gets activated 20 seconds after receiving a command from the remote transmitter, door key cylinder or the security pad and the key has to out of the ignition. It is very possible something in the security module has gone wrong but unless you have the Ford scan tool you won't be able to access the module to look at the information....and yes it can be disabled but if somehting is wrong with the module it may need to be repalced before the system will function properly.
 
Im sure my driver door unlock switch is a wire. I ran continuity on the switch. Good both ways. I jumpered 12vdc to the unlock wire. NO unlock. I even switched the wireing on the switch. It locks but no unlock. So my bet is a broken wire in the hinge area.
 
l1tech, that's the security feature I'm talking about. I'm thinking since both of mine went out at the same time that it is much more likely to be a malfunction with that feature rather than something electrical. I could be wrong but if I was betting money on it, I would pick the security feature malfunction. Maybe when I get some extra money, I'll swing by a Ford dealership with the TSB in hand and let them look. Hopefully they won't charge me an arm and a leg for it. That's my fear.
 
Eddie



If you tried to test at the switch wiring you have to supply ground on the wire not power. The door lock switch wiring goes to the security module and that module looks for a ground signal on the appropriate wire, then the security module sends the power and ground to the door lock actuator to operate.
 
Scott,

That is strange though. The feed wire to the switch was +12vdc. So when I used a +12vdc source to the lock wire. The doors locked. Bypassing the switch.



When I used the +12vdc source to the unlock wire. No unlock.



The fob and the pasenger door switch and the driver door number pad works to unlock.
 
Eddie.



I just reread your last post so I'm gonna edit this. At first I said that you must not have factroy installed keyless entry becasue of the way you got the door lock to work by supplying power which is the system that does not go through the security module because it isn't there but then you said that you have the keypad on the door and that is part of the factory system that has the security module. What is confusing though is that the wiring diagram is very clear in that the system with the security module receives a ground signal from the door lock switch to operate so by you applying power to it to make it work doesn't make sense unless something is really whacked.



There should only be one wire at the door lock switch that has power and that is a light green wire with an orange tracer and that is for the switch lighting
 
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I have the exact opposite problem from my 04 sport trac... The drivers side door switch will unlock all the doors, however will not lock the doors. However the passenger door works fine.
 

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