Door problems!

[Javiatrix]

Hello all!

I've had my Mk. 7 Fiesta for a couple of weeks now, and just passed 1,500 miles. All in all I'm so happy with the car, and the luxuries of having a nice healthy battery that starts the engine first time every time!

However...!

Since the second or third day of ownership, an intermittent problem has been poking its head up every now and again... I'll be driving along, and get an alert on the center display telling me either the Driver door is open, or the Driver rear door is open... despite the fact they are firmly shut and all locked! Disappeared for a few days before returning, but more insistent this time. I'll be driving along, having the map lights and footwell lights flashing on and off intermittently together with the annoying warning sound.

After taking it into the Ford garage, they told me they'd fixed the problem. They hadn't, but they were right about one thing - the initial diagnosis... and please listen carefully because this is most bizarre...

I've realised now that the problem occurs when I 'bounce' up and down on the driver's seat (innocently, I might add - the back seats are more than spacious for out of hours activities!).

I then took this one step further, stood just outside my car and pressed very lightly down on the driver's seat. Result! Same thing happens. It's worth adding at this point that the problem is caused by the doors trying to lock and unlock themselves, and this is caused by the movement on the seat.

THEN I took it one step further... try to imagine the driver's seat. You have the lap supports either side, and this is where I'm pushing. Now, follow the righthand support forward, off the seat and trace a line directly forward towards the accelerator. About a foot in front of the seat is a flap in the carpet which can be lifted up, and I've found that pressing anywhere on this flap or along a longitudinal line between there and the seat also causes the doors to lock/unlock themselves! There's no doublelocking etc, you can just hear the 'clicking'.

I am positive it is nothing to do with the car moving up and down on the suspension - the lightest touch causes it to play up - sometimes you can go over a small bump in the road and it will set it off, sometimes I've hit a pothole and nothing's happened!

Sorry for the essay, but it's such a perculiar problem! Booked in again for a few days, but any ideas in the interim?!

I'm a bit baffled by this one!

Cheers ;)

[Javiatrix]

Just to add... problem is only on the driver's side front and rear doors. Never had the same indication for the nearside/passenger front or rear doors... :)

[Javiatrix]

Anyone? Any ideas whatsoever?! :P

[queeg]

Anyone? Any ideas whatsoever?! :P

From what you are describing it sounds like there is a broken wire or wire with damaged insulation in a loom under the carpet, as you apply movement the wire is make/break or earthing to the chassis. Sounds like the wire for the door switch. Should be simple enough for the garage to diagnose, just tell them what you have found, or even better, talk to the technician who will be working on your car. Sometime, faults are not fixed as the person at reception has to condense the customers "ramblings !" into a 3 line box on a form, and usually some of the important detail gets lost.

Demo the findings you have to the technician when you drop the car off and you have a good chance of it being fixed first go !

Derek