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Had a couple of issues with central locking lately - doesn't do the lock/unlock thing as if a door is open, it just doesn't work & all doors have to be unlocked manually. Strangely enough, bith times it's happened, it fixed itself a few hours later, but it has highlighted a problem with the boot lock - I can't open it with the key!

At the moment the lock is in the horizontal position - don't know if that is relevant - but it will not turn at all. Doesn't feel stiff, it just won't physically move at all. Doesn't even do the spin thing that I've read happens when you try to use the wrong key in it. It locks & unlocks on the central locking, but it does mean that when the central locking is pi**ing about, I can only get into the boot through the back seats.

Next time it happens, I'll see if it opens from the inside, but until it does, has anybody got any ideas?

Sounds like it could be two things - either the lock has seized solid because it's never been used or it's been changed at some point but nobody's bothered to make the key fit 'cos it's got central locking.

Fill it with WD and see if it frees up, if not you'll have to have it out & investigate.

At least your family has a lock button on the inside... (hmm, something I should check on mine I guess )

steve_earwig wrote: At least your family has a lock button on the inside... (hmm, something I should check on mine I guess )

Pretty sure it's only on the 7 seaters as passengers would need to be able to escape the boot in an emergency. Probably a fairly easy mod for a normal estate though.

No, I mean check that my tailgate locks with the key, I know it doesn't have any buttons on the inside

Bit of an update on my weird locking. Planning on having a word with the local specialist (as Southgate has now gone belly up leaving us without a main dealer) when the holidays are done & dusted to see if he knows what's going on. I'm now having problems using the key in the drivers door lock - it's very stiff & when it does turn, it does the spinning in the lock thing as if I have the wrong key. Passenger side still works though, but not sure how long that'll last.

Before I go see the specialist though does anybody have any ideas on what could cause this & what may fix it affordably?

Have tried both my keys & they both spin the drivers door lock & do nothing in the boot.

The remote weirdness didn't happen for a while, but it has now done it 3 times in the past 2 days.

Would replacing the door actuators help? They seem to be readily available & I should be able to change them myself as I managed to pop the rears out of the car in the scrappy with minimal hassle.

If replacing actuators won't help, what's the best option for fixing the locks themselves? Would prefer not to have to start buggering about with key, lock & BSI sets, but new ones will be ridiculously expensive - the boot lock is nearly £200!

Keep soaking the driver's door lock in WD. I don't know if you can take the locks on these to bits but if it's still spinning after a week of WD you'll have to pull it out & see if you can take it to bits, or at least stand it in a bath of oil.

We've no idea if your tailgate lock is the original lock, you could try pumping WD through it as well but if it ain't the original lock you'll be doing that until doomsday. Pull off, take to bits (personally I wouldn't bother - at least you can unlock the thing from the inside, most of us can't...)

The main issue seems to be the central locking, the fact that it's not even trying to lock/unlock most of the doors makes me think it's the control unit - you know which one I'm talking about

You could check the fuse - it's fuse A on the BSI:


This is also fed off MF1 on the engine fuse panel.

Here's a schematic:

Note the relays

That all looks very complicated.

As it turns out, I can't open my boot from the inside. It played up when I picked the family up from the airport & I couldn't unlock it from inside so had to fold the seat down, put the bags in & then put the seats back up.

Don't think the boot lock will have been changed. Seems the sort of thing that people wouldn't be bothered to do & if it was a tailgate swap, I doubt if the person swapping would have bothered to change it to Family spec with the blind & internal button.

Reckon the central locking problem is linked to the super stiff drivers lock. Seems too coincidental. Will try the WD40 soaking over the next few days, but have a feeling I could be looking at dismantling the drivers door lock & boot lock when (& if) I get a clear day.

You make a persuasive argument Ok, so you need to keep soaking the back door lock with WD and see if that frees it, otherwise you'll have to take it to bits.

Incidently, I was just looking at the part's diagram and I didn't realise before that it has a lock barrel on the inside too - it's the same barrel as the glovebox...

Not having had one of these locks to bits I don't know if a stiff lock will make the barrel do the roundy roundy thing but I guess anything's possible. Spray WD into the lock mechanism itself, I'm just not sure if you'll be able to get enough into it from the outside, you may have to strip the door panel off to get to it properly

steve_earwig wrote:No, I mean check that my tailgate locks with the key, I know it doesn't have any buttons on the inside

my local; car lockie swears by wd40 to free locks even when it spins with the right key
it sorted mine in a couple of hours
I just puit on the key and left it in place for 5 mins so it could drip in

Archangel wrote:

steve_earwig wrote:No, I mean check that my tailgate locks with the key, I know it doesn't have any buttons on the inside

my local; car lockie swears by wd40 to free locks even when it spins with the right key
it sorted mine in a couple of hours
I just puit on the key and left it in place for 5 mins so it could drip in

Not tried that way. I've just been using the nozzle to push the lock open & spraying through the gap. Might try soaking the key blade next time I know I'll be out there for a while.

As long as I remember to bring the key back in with me...

ijust use the straw on the Wd40 tin and push it in the lock,
and spray half a can in there, it ends up running down the side of the door tho, so worth having a rag or two handy,

i know i`m prob a bit late on this but just found out so......... locks spins (with right key ) wd40 it and that SHOULD resolve problem (my car lock guy has had experience of this before and it worked for me )

waue1978 wrote:Bit of an update on my weird locking. Planning on having a word with the local specialist (as Southgate has now gone belly up leaving us without a main dealer) when the holidays are done & dusted to see if he knows what's going on. I'm now having problems using the key in the drivers door lock - it's very stiff & when it does turn, it does the spinning in the lock thing as if I have the wrong key. Passenger side still works though, but not sure how long that'll last.

Before I go see the specialist though does anybody have any ideas on what could cause this & what may fix it affordably?

Have tried both my keys & they both spin the drivers door lock & do nothing in the boot.

The remote weirdness didn't happen for a while, but it has now done it 3 times in the past 2 days.

Would replacing the door actuators help? They seem to be readily available & I should be able to change them myself as I managed to pop the rears out of the car in the scrappy with minimal hassle.

If replacing actuators won't help, what's the best option for fixing the locks themselves? Would prefer not to have to start buggering about with key, lock & BSI sets, but new ones will be ridiculously expensive - the boot lock is nearly £200!

i know i`m prob a bit late on this but just found out so......... locks spins (with right key ) wd40 it and that SHOULD resolve problem (my car lock guy has had experience of this before and it worked for me )

waue1978 wrote:Bit of an update on my weird locking. Planning on having a word with the local specialist (as Southgate has now gone belly up leaving us without a main dealer) when the holidays are done & dusted to see if he knows what's going on. I'm now having problems using the key in the drivers door lock - it's very stiff & when it does turn, it does the spinning in the lock thing as if I have the wrong key. Passenger side still works though, but not sure how long that'll last.

Before I go see the specialist though does anybody have any ideas on what could cause this & what may fix it affordably?

Have tried both my keys & they both spin the drivers door lock & do nothing in the boot.

The remote weirdness didn't happen for a while, but it has now done it 3 times in the past 2 days.

Would replacing the door actuators help? They seem to be readily available & I should be able to change them myself as I managed to pop the rears out of the car in the scrappy with minimal hassle.

If replacing actuators won't help, what's the best option for fixing the locks themselves? Would prefer not to have to start buggering about with key, lock & BSI sets, but new ones will be ridiculously expensive - the boot lock is nearly £200!

Got them all working now anyway. Boot took a bit of gentle persuasion, but now locks & unlocks with the key when I want it to & the drivers door lock just needed a bit of use.