Re: [doc] Lock, stock and two smoking solenoids.

[Martin Gutkowski <webmaster@xxxx>]

Hi James - replies inserted

james_hartshorn_uk wrote:

> Martin, I believe you're the chap who upgrades the central locking 
> module units,
Well so far I've done two, with another waiting and one in the post....

> After removing the trim and getting the passenger solenoid off, it 
> seems to be dead on the return, It'll lock, but not unlock, a meter 
> shows that it's faulty on one side.
> I was talking to Dave at the weekend (still waiting for my bits...) and 
> he said that there's a close matching solenoid that could be used, 
> now I'm tempted to take this around to a couple of scrap yard dealers 
> and ask whether they've got any solenoids that are similar to this.
> (Doe's anyone know off what car?)
Not me.... mine bother work. I tend to learn about things that have 
happened to me :-)

> Now I've took my Central locking unit off and wondered if I can still 
> connect the battery ok as there seems to be a live connecting to the 
> module on the Aux Short stop relay or whatever it is, 
It's the factory installed circuit breaker which trips when your lock 
module fails short. You're correct, there's a permanently live, unfused 
connection to it, but as long as you don't earth the open connections, 
there'll be no fires :-) If you like, just unplug the brown wire. The 
connector is one of those which you can't accidentally short. I've found 
that breaker to be immensely useful, since you can pull either a 
protected or a strait 12 V feed for testing purposes

> an unused 
> connector on the other side of the Aux, a Live off the main loom on 
> to the Batt side of the short stop thingy and a Negative running off 
> into another relay somewhere else.
Sure that's not just the connection to the lock module?

> When I removed the cap off the module and operated the locks I 
> noticed that only one switch side (nearest) worked, the other was 
> redundant, is it ment to be like this.
Nope - sounds like the tranny is blown on that side.

> Also on the subject of electrics, Dave said it would be a good idea 
> to replace the 20amp fuse that sits in the centre with a separate 
> fuse holder and upgrade it to a 25amp. 
That fuse is for the high beam headlights. Mine popped on me and sure, 
it melted a bit. I checked the current drawn by the lights and it's 16A 
or so. I replaced the fuse after cleaning the contacts in the box, and 
it's been fine ever since - I have been keeping an eye on it, and I have 
left the lid off the fuse box, to keep the fuses cooler.

> (snip and replace with a new standalone holder)
> He said that this fuse can cause fires and he's seen loads of cars 
> with melted sections around where this fuse sits, I've checked mine 
> when I took each one out to clean and check and mine is perfect 
> without a mark.
>
> Do I need to sort this? after all I'm just replacing a fuse with a 
> new fuse holder and fuse?
Yeah, it's up to you though. The electrics in this car are truly awful 
in places.

> I've also sent a pic (in the Photos section) I took it at the weekend 
> to show you the current state of the module and to ask your opinion 
> if it generally looks ok on the surface, layout etc.
I have yet to see one which didn't LOOK fine - send it to me to test it 
- my address is on the website

> If you could send me your details on where to send my module and how 
> much, I'd be most pleased. (do i just send the module or do you need 
> the connecting short stop relay device along with it?)
Nope, just the relay, thanks.

Martin