Power Door Lock Issues (resolved)

[KilgoreTrout]

Ok, so this was odd.

I had posted before about fixing my power windows, but my locks still didn't work and it was driving me nuts. I had no power to the actuators. Now I know why.

First I swapped lock switches and got the relay to click. Yay. Still no lock action.
So I pulled the relay.
The relay is above the brake pedal tuck way up there.
It looks like this:

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It's grounded through the bolts that hold it up there, so remember that it won't energize/click if it's not mounted or you aren't getting a good ground connection on it. (Unfortunately, that wasn't my issue).
To troubleshoot with it not mounted, you'll notice I used an alligator clip on the mounting plate and screwed the other end in to a dash panel screw to ground it.

Anyway.......this is how the relay works:
The blue wires on one side of the relay go to the lock switches. Hit the switch, it energizes the relay, which sends power from the power pole on the relay (orange wire) to either of the side poles (gray or tan wires) that go to the lock actuator to make it go up or down.

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The relay was working as it should and I had power everywhere, so that wasn't my issue.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Next, I traced the lock wires further up in the dash. I already had my cluster out, so that made it easy.
I still had power at the next harness.

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From here, the tan and grey wires either go to the top of the dash and across to the passenger door, or straight out the cab wall to the driver's door.
WHY THE HELL IS THERE NO POWER TO MY DRIVERS DOOR LOCK CONNECTOR!?!

 

[KilgoreTrout]

So I decided there HAS to be a break in the wire between the cab and door.
No power, no continuity on EITHER wire (grey or tan).
So I cut in to the the rubber piece where the wires run between the door and cab.

You've gotta be ******* kidding me.

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At first I thought I cut them, but nope! They've been cut for a long time.
Look at the oxidation on the end of the wires!
I've heard of wire breaks in this location before, but that's like no break I'd ever seen.
And nothing else looks like it's been touched.
Wtf?

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Anyway, time to run new wire.
All I had was 10ga stranded from an old control panel wiring job.
And yes, I wire nutted it together. Lol...
I may go get some connectors and thinner wire today and do it cleaner, I don't know.

But feed some new wire through where the old wire was, connect the the grey and tan wire below the harness to the grey/tan wire on your door lock actuator harness, and pray.

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[KilgoreTrout]

Bwahaha.....

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[gmachinz]

That break inside the boots are the most common problem.

 

[gmachinz]

The problem is the OE wiring jacketing is acrylic-so it cracks easily with extreme cold weather-then oxidation attacks the embrittled copper strands from repeated opening/closing of the doors-eventually breaking the strands off one at a time while corrosion keeps building up...gets to the point where it makes a complete break.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Yep, once I started pulling **** out, I could see insulation cracks on the wire between the boot and cab.
The other wires don't look like the grey and brown set, though.

 

[gmachinz]

Those are a marine grade acrylic bonded pair-different class of jacketing but still junk compared to todays wire.

 

[ramirezsl]

Kilgoretrout… I’m having basically the same issue windows have no power can’t seem to get it working. Or to find the relay or where to start.. did you fix your issue… I have the same relay for my door locks it’s an 1982 c10

 

[UNCLECHAD2021]

THE POWER WINDOWS do NOT run on RELAYS like the locks, they use a silver 30AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER in the Fuse Panel. They either run with REVERSE POLARITY or the motors have built in relays that you don't see. Depends on the year and/or if the motors where ever replaced. Each Door runs off of the power from the FUSE PANEL. There are two spots on the TOP of the FUSE Panel that says "W" (the TOP "W" is power for the DRIVERS DOOR and the "W" directly below it is the POWER for the PASSENGER DOOR. Then, look down at the bottom the FUSE panel and there is a SILVER 30 AMP CIRCUIT in a spot called "WDO". This CIRCUIT BREAKER is connected to BOTH of the two power source "W"s and gives them their power. (You won't SEE the power wire, (PINK) from the two "W"'s to the circuit breaker because it is ran BEHIND the FUSE BOX). Attached is the power window schematic. Hope this helps

 

[UNCLECHAD2021]

Ok, so this was odd.

I had posted before about fixing my power windows, but my locks still didn't work and it was driving me nuts. I had no power to the actuators. Now I know why.

First I swapped lock switches and got the relay to click. Yay. Still no lock action.
So I pulled the relay.
The relay is above the brake pedal tuck way up there.
It looks like this:

You must be registered for see images attach

It's grounded through the bolts that hold it up there, so remember that it won't energize/click if it's not mounted or you aren't getting a good ground connection on it. (Unfortunately, that wasn't my issue).
To troubleshoot with it not mounted, you'll notice I used an alligator clip on the mounting plate and screwed the other end in to a dash panel screw to ground it.

Anyway.......this is how the relay works:
The blue wires on one side of the relay go to the lock switches. Hit the switch, it energizes the relay, which sends power from the power pole on the relay (orange wire) to either of the side poles (gray or tan wires) that go to the lock actuator to make it go up or down.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

The relay was working as it should and I had power everywhere, so that wasn't my issue.

Where do I get the POWER FROM? (I do NOT have the original HARNESS under the dash I have run ALL NEW WIRES using the SAME factory color WIRE). Do I just need to plug a SINGLE Power WIRE (orange) from the ACCESSORY PORT on the FUSE BOX to the RELAY and then RUN ORANGE OUT to each switch? I have 3 wires on EACH SWITCH, (ORANGE w/Black strip, PWR) BLUE and BLAKC with White Strip). I assume I can run either ONE POWER wire to get power to the MAIN ORANGE WIRE at teh RELAY and another ORANGE WIRE in that I have RUNNING all the way across into BOTH the DRV and PASS Switches and power will run to BOTH the DVR and PASS locks OR do I need to run POWER INDIVIDUALLY from the RELAYE to DVR switch and another POWER from the RELAY to the PASS SWITCH t?

 

[Ricko1966]

Where do I get the POWER FROM? (I do NOT have the original HARNESS under the dash I have run ALL NEW WIRES using the SAME factory color WIRE). Do I just need to plug a SINGLE Power WIRE (orange) from the ACCESSORY PORT on the FUSE BOX to the RELAY and then RUN ORANGE OUT to each switch? I have 3 wires on EACH SWITCH, (ORANGE w/Black strip, PWR) BLUE and BLAKC with White Strip). I assume I can run either ONE POWER wire to get power to the MAIN ORANGE WIRE at teh RELAY and another ORANGE WIRE in that I have RUNNING all the way across into BOTH the DRV and PASS Switches and power will run to BOTH the DVR and PASS locks OR do I need to run POWER INDIVIDUALLY from the RELAYE to DVR switch and another POWER from the RELAY to the PASS SWITCH t?

O.P. has not been on here since 2019.

 

[Radiohead]

O.P. has not been on here since 2019.

Hate when that happens. Admittedly, the dates on threads aren't the first thing I check. Although it should be.