Chatteringing door locks...and the tale of the tail gate switch

[Hoges]

Much has been written about chattering door locks and mysterious tailgate button... the following is another "tale" illustrating how complex these beasts are!

couple of weeks ago, the door locks were going crazy...vehicle had not been driven for a month:( so I put the battery on float charge...
That seemed to quieten the locks only temporarily .... then the tailgate button ceased to operate and the door locks also became quiet:eek: A couple of sharp slaps on the tailgate in the area of the switch caused the door locks to 'bounce' but the tailgate switch stayed mute...

The micro switches inside the button assembly were clean and functional. The 12V feed to the actuator was "hot" and responded to button pushing... I removed the actuator and tested it with a 12V battery...it worked!

Noticed the pins in the actuator had a black tarnish on them ...like the tarnish which develops on silver spoons. A quick clean with "Deoxit" (and also the plug) plus a minute dab of the 'gold' stuff and "bingo"...working tailgate switch and door locks no longer bouncing and chattering ...

Note: I had fully intended to remove the driver's door card and examine the lock assembly etc. for a poor earth point and /or broken wire as per others' experiences... but being pushed for time checked out the tailgate first...

Thought I'd post this to add yet another "option" to the list of possible causes for chattering locks and unreliable tailgate switches!;)

[mtb_gary]

Hoges, what is the "gold" stuff you refer to?

Gary

[Hoges]

Hoges, what is the "gold" stuff you refer to?

Gary

Hi Gary
sorry..I should have explained...got carried away...:wasntme: The "Deoxit" kit from Jaycar has two bottles of "stuff"...red and gold. The red stuff removes the contamination while the gold stuff puts a layer of highly conductive substance between the contacting surfaces and reduces further corrosion. Well that's the theory! Seems to work well. I found out about it through other posts on Aulro IIRC in relation to protecting BECM terminals and door lock micro switches...
The amount needed is minute...
Here's the reference:
DeoxIT Contact Cleaner & Rejuvenator - Solution Kit - Jaycar Electronics (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=NS1436)

[TheTree]

I use it on every connector I disconnect, great stuff!

Steve

[garybrook]

Yes, I've been using the kit for the last few years when I was rebuilding laptops - but over the last three months or so I've been working through all of the electical connectors on my 'newish' P38, including stripping out all the full fuse board, battery cables and most, but not all of, the earth points. While doing that I developed of a problem with the driver door locks chattering out of the blue. Later I found that I had corrosion in one of the battery cables and lost voltage, about 12.7V instead of 13.8 - 14.3V. In the end I had to trim the cables to get rid of the corrosion. Later on I intend to make new cables but I don't know whether I should solder them. Any opinions?

[TheTree]

Y Later I found that I had corrosion in one of the battery cables and lost voltage, about 12.7V instead of 13.8 - 14.3V. In the end I had to trim the cables to get rid of the corrosion. Later on I intend to make new cables but I don't know whether I should solder them. Any opinions?

Personally I am slowly replacing mine and if the connection is a crimp type I solder them, if it is the type where the wire is held down by a bolt or screw i "tin" the wire with solder before I clamp it in.

I notified the new earth straps and cable (0 B&S) I bought are much more flexible and I am sure lower resistance, then the original 20 yr old ones

Steve

[garybrook]

Thanks Steve. Pardon my late reply but I've been at the Phillip Island Classic m/c race for the last week.

[Ghind]

Back in 2015, before Hoges passed, I purchased his P38. I'm reviving this thread as it is about the same car.

The door locks have been bouncing for a couple of years and have gotten worse. I need to replace the drivers door lock. The rear tailgate button is also quite unreliable, sometimes it will not open.

I have three choices that I know of. $566.67 from dealer, bring it in from overseas and wait ages for about $400 or remove the lock from my parts car. My main p38 is a 99 bosch which uses the twin plug door lock. My parts car is a 2001 which uses the single plug lock.

Is it just a matter of cutting the wires off both locks and mating the old plug up to the newer lock? or must I get a twin plug lock?

[TheTree]

Hi mate,

I would stick with the correct lock to save any pain!

Steve

[Ghind]

Hi mate,

I would stick with the correct lock to save any pain!

Steve

Thank you but I'm looking for experience. $600 when I have one sitting right there is a lot of money to burn if all I have to do is join and waterproof some wires. Does anybody know if they are interchangeable as long as the connectors are changed over?