Door Lock Problem

amanda_h · 03-11-2009, 02:09 PM

Those of you who might have the "older" model doors (with the remote control feature), I wonder if you could diagnose our problem.

We've always been able to manually unlock the lock from either the inside or the outside after it's been locked whether it has been locked manually or by the remote. We've also always been able to lock and unlock the door from the inside lever (the one with red plastic tip).

However, suddenly this problem has arisen out of seeminly nowhere. It only locks and unlocks by the remote only and can't be unlocked manually either with the key or from the inside lever.

We now hesitate in using the remote because if the remote becomes misplaced or inoperable (batteries dead, etc.), then we can't unlock the door with the key manually. So we're just using the dead bolt and not using the remote at all right now.

Does anybody know why we're having this problem?

Thanks!

fun time · 03-11-2009, 06:16 PM

Yep, just experienced that problem this month on the way home from Fl. I am still trying to figure it out. I did get it to go back to normal by pushing the unlock button by the drivers side (the electric one). All seems normal now....go figure?

David K · 03-11-2009, 08:57 PM

I have noticed on my Ultimate Advantage that if I lock the door with the switch on the dash, that I can not manually unlock the door from the inside -- have to use the switch again. We no longer use the lock switch on the dash just to avoid this issue. I don't know if the dash switch activates some type of "child lockout" and the dash is the only way to unlock after activated or not.

Paul T · 03-12-2009, 11:42 AM

Suggest the lock on dash is to prevent the grandkids from leaving enroute just like your car. Flip it.

amanda_h · 03-12-2009, 10:10 PM

Thanks for the responses!

Yeah, we've fooled around with the both the switch on the driver's console and the one located near the door and it hasn't returned the door lock to the ability to have the lever manually unlock the lock.

I know this isn't normal because we can't use the key from the outside to lock or unlock the door. Only the electronic locking works. If we try to use the manual lever or the outside key, it just won't budge.

We'd like to be able to have the ability to use the key if we wish but we don't know what we did to disable the ability to manually unlock the door.

SCVJeff · 03-13-2009, 12:20 AM

You're a week too late. I had the skin off the door last weekend and could have done a close-up recon for you. It's obviously not related to the electric lock since that's all that's left working.. :(

PDI · 03-14-2009, 04:05 PM

I had the problem a few months ago on my 04 chieftain. I was locked in when a friend pushed the elect lock button by the side door. The remote would not unlock it. We had to call someone to come over and get a ladder from the garage and go out the window. You can force the lock open from the inside door by just lifting on it with a lot of force. (The factory told me to do that) The elect ram in the door is pushing the lock to the lock position because the elect button at the inside door is sticking. I took it to the dealer after calling the factory and the service tech replaced the button at the side door on the inside. It would not toggle off so the rams in the doors just keep pushing the locks to the lock position.