Central Locking Random Failure On Signle Door - Focus 08

[jimimaseye]

Recently I have began to suffer from a random failure of the central locking on the driver side door only (when operated by remote key fob). If I single press to unlock, the SOUND of all doors unlocking is heard but in reality the driver door stays locked. Sometimes it takes two or three 'unlock' presses to successfully to get it to unlock.

Yesterday however it became more urgent because I discovered that not only is it failing to unlock correctly, it is also failing to lock correctly. ie, I single press 'lock', I hear the mechanism fire on all doors, yet I can then still open the drivers door (and consequently of course the alarm goes off). So now it is more urgent as I didnt realise I was leaving my car exposed/open in this way (believing that when I pressed 'lock' the car was LOCKED!)

I THINK that doing the double-press (for dead lock) does lock the door, but this is not guaranteed to happen just in case I forget to do it (nor am I 100% sure anyway as I havent properly checked it is successful every time without fail).

So, the question: does anyone have any advice? Is it a common problem that is fixable with a spray of WD40? Is it DIY fixable at all (If so how? How does one get to the solenoid or whatever its called)? Or is it 'take to a Ford garage with a large bank account and blank cheque book' fixable only?

TIA

Jim

[Stoney871]

If it does occasionally lock/unlock it's not the mechanical link from the solenoid to the locking mechanism so I would suspect the solenoid is playing up.

It could be corroded contacts from water ingress.

To get to the unit you need to remove the door card and dismantle the door.

Here is a link to a pdf Haynes manual for a mk2 Focus.

The procedure will be the same on your car-

https://www.dropbox.com/s/29gw7sebz6fddj7/Ford%20Focus%202005%20to%202009%20Haynes%20PDF%20Manual.pdf?dl=0

[jimimaseye]

Cheers Stoney, thanks for that. Ive been googling around for help with this removal and all I see are poor youtube videos for ford focus's in the USA which are completely different cars. (not that it would help anyway becuse they are so poorly made). Be sure I will report back.

[jimimaseye]

Crikey! "Dismantle the door", you say. Youre not wrong, are you?!

A quick read of the procedure from Haynes:

(10) Remove door trim and panel

then

(12): Remove inner panel:

Remove door window (as in (11)

Remove exterior door handle (13)

Remove the DOOR (14)

REALLY? The DOOR?? Just to give a squirt of WD40?? Ive got to be reading this wrong.

Oh eck! (Sometimes, there is a realisation as to why Ford garages charge a !Removed! fortune to do menial tasks. Its because THEY know YOU cant be arsed or able)

Surely,cant I just remove the outer plastic panel, undo 10 bolts and remove the inner panel or do I REALLY have to remove door handles and wing mirrors etc?

Grrrr.....

(Im just venting but if someone DOES read this and offer some words of comfort then that too would be nice)

[Stoney871]

Door card, glass (window motor is attached to back of inner panel), outer handle and inner panel, then you can get to the mechanism.

No need to remove door from car and you shouldn't need to remove the mirror (just the speaker/casing).

It is a faff and a coiple of hours work but will save you loads on labour costs.

[jimimaseye]

Unfortunately, I chose to take the safe but expensive route. After looking at the work involved, I concluded that with MY luck I would cause more damage (I know me and my luck): maybe I drop the window glass when removed, or it doesnt go in straight or close properly again, or I snap some plastic whilst trying to lever things off. And anyway, I didnt fancy DRILLING out pop-rivets to remove the inner panel as I didnt have the tools to replace them.

So reluctantly I took the choice to trust it to the Ford garage. I got a quote from them before starting: apparently it takes 1.4hours work (according to his system) + the 'door catch' (they knew it would be that before starting the work - and that it isnt the solenoid). So they gave me a fixed quote for the work: £231.70 !! Thats £90 an hour labour (+ £106 parts). No wonder they are a big business charging that money! Anyway, they did the job and the problem seems to have gone. Although I still cant help but wonder if a few drops of 3in1 in to the door catch would have achieved the same job.

Now, unrelated, but here is a rant.... as if charging £90 an hour wasnt enough for them, they went on to skin me more. The very night before it was due in to the garage all of a sudden I heard a new 'sucking' sound every time I accelerated. It was dark, so I couldnt look, and the next morning I had to go and deliver the car to the garage so had no time to look myself.

I concluded, and they confirmed from description and *lifting the bonnet*, it was a pipe connected to the turbo. He said it had a split although he failed to show me it when he was diagnosing it. Anyway, to keep things right, I agreed they change it. It was the 2inch thick 6inch long 90 degree rubber pipe visible at the top of the engine on left hand side (when you lift off the cover) bending round just close to the bulk head. But I didnt know this BEFORE the work started. Here's the thing. They said "but it comes connected to a metal pipe" so you must buy the complete thing (another way of saying its going to cost even MORE than you think you were going to pay). I thought he meant the rubber pipe was MOULDED on to the metal pipe.

And yet.... after they changed it (all of 20 minutes apparently!) I looked at this pipe. It wasn't moulded on to the connected metal pipe at all. It was simply connected by a jubilee clip (as most rubber air/breather pipes are on the engine). In fact I wasnt even sure it was split and think it was simply a case of tightening a jubilee clip (on the original pipe)!! And funnily enough the old pipe they remove never materialised so you couldnt even see the evidence of 'the split' they said they were fixing. And this cost me another £105 for the privilege of not giving me the time to view the problem and tighten a jubilee clip myself.

I guess I'll now never know but have the future of THINKING Ive been wronged. Grrrr!

[Stoney871]

Sounds like the intercooler hose.

You could have bought a silicone one off eBay for about £15 and swapped it yourself.

[theredfox]

you learned a real hard lesson bud keep clear of the main dealers unless your car is under warranty

[iantt]

Quite a common hose to split and yes it only comes as a whole pipe assy from ford.

[jimimaseye]

Sounds like the intercooler hose.

You could have bought a silicone one off ebay for about £15 and swapped it yourself.

Indeed. In fact I have a private mechanic friend that does all my work for me and I would have normally referred to him but the timing of the noise materialising and my schedule didnt allow me to - I was somewhat forced to accept the Ford Garage at the time. Doesnt mean they have to lie and rob me though!

As for 'main dealers' instead of other independent garages: I was never comfortable with non-ford garages knowing the specific methods of doing something such as carefully taking apart a ford door in the way ford want you too. Anyway, who says they would do it cheaper and be more honest on anything anyway (I simply dont trust the honesty levels of garages full stop).

[iantt]

I can do those door latches in 30 mins. and no I dont take doors off .lol

[jimimaseye]

Quite a common hose to split and yes it only comes as a whole pipe assy from ford.

Rob dogs! The lot of 'em.

[Goodkat]

And here I was, irritated that the garage that did my MOT charged me for a 'Pre-MOT check' and all they found was a defective bulb... That was the most expensive bulb I ever bought! C'est la vie.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP