Electrical Power locks not working

Espo720

Member
May 4, 2016
55
3
8
So my car was missing the passenger side lock actuator and the drivers was just sitting in the bottom of the door all nasty and corroded. Just replaced em, cleaned the switches and nothing is happening.

I’ve checked everything with a test light and so far the pink/black and pink/orange wires that go to the actuators aren’t getting juice on their way to the driver’s side.
I’ve got switched power coming out of the harness to the passenger side actuator. I’ve read some posts where people say power needs to be getting to both actuators for everything to work and some that say it doesn’t, so which is it?

Also is there a common spot in the dash that the wires could be chafed? They seem so buried under the dash, I can’t see many people :leghump:ing with em.

Thanks in Advance!
 
  • Sponsors (?)


What year is this car? Have you checked the switches on the doors? I think you need power on both sides. I dont know for sure though. When you engage the switch it dictates the path of the ground to either make it lock or unlock. If everything isn't connected right I dont think it will work. I went through some similar issues with my car. I'm not an electrical guy so it took a lot for me to figure out what the system was doing from the diagrams. Once I got it fixed I promptly forgot it all. Not sure if you have this diagram, sounds like you do as you mentioned wire colors. Good luck! I'll be following along.

1594675316026.png
 
What year is this car? Have you checked the switches on the doors? I think you need power on both sides. I dont know for sure though. When you engage the switch it dictates the path of the ground to either make it lock or unlock. If everything isn't connected right I dont think it will work. I went through some similar issues with my car. I'm not an electrical guy so it took a lot for me to figure out what the system was doing from the diagrams. Once I got it fixed I promptly forgot it all. Not sure if you have this diagram, sounds like you do as you mentioned wire colors. Good luck! I'll be following along.

1594675316026.png
Sorry! It’s a 90 Lx with power everything. Yep ran through this diagram. Last checkable spot that had juice was coming out of the passenger door then it disappears under the dash. I pulled a bunch apart and got ahold of it under the driver side speaker grille, no power when I hit the driver side lock switch.

Just focusing on the pink/black and pink/orange since everything else seems to check out at the switches. I did take the switches all apart and cleaned the contacts.
 
Update: I’ve got power going to both actuators from the passenger side switch but the drivers side doesn’t do anything at all.

While I was digging around under the dash, I noticed a cut gray wire attached to the trunk pop wiring. Pulled it apart and now the trunk switch works with no issues. I’m assuming this means someone ripped an alarm outta the car at some time. There is a little hole drilled on the gauge trim for one of those little red lights.
Does anyone know where they would have tied into the lock system? I’m thinking thats where things are getting stuck.
 
Looks like you are on to something.
They cut the wires and left the circuit from the drivers side switch broken. Ripped the :poo: wiring out and cleaned it all up, everything works as it should!

I appreciate the help, @Olivethefet I ended up finding one of your old posts about the alarm stuff and that got me thinking about that wire I found off the trunk switch. Only gremlin left to chase is the map light but I think thats the light itself.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
What brand lock actuators did you use? Where did you get them? Both sides on my 87 are dead. The switches do not look the best either, which could be a problem for me as my car has manual crank windows so I believe the door lock switches are different?
 
Hopefully he'll chime in. Are you thinking about the fix using actuators for other Ford models of similar and using the linkage for the mustang on the new OE actuator?

I've heard the replacements offered by LMR are not very good.
 
My experience with door lock actuators has been strange, the two sets I bought and installed then failed in a short period of time were from a mustang parts specialist, not sure if they were from LMR or not, the stock actuators in the dump truck have never failed, over 23 years use :shrug: