Chrysler Repair: 94 Chrysler LeBaron Door Locks, chrysler lebaron, shutting the doors

Question
My doors will not shut, lock, or unlock.
The locks are stuck in the "lock position" and will not budge with the key or the electronic system.

What can I do?
This problem developed suddenly. I had been having a  problem with the driver's side for a couple of days.
It would shut but stick a little.
Last night, I was out with my daughter and we could not shut the doors.

Answer
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for the very kind evaluation and feedback. I am curious to know exactly what worked to fix your problem with the door latches so I'll know even better if someone else has the same problem in the future. Feel free to respond to this message or email me at rfinston@pacbell.net
Roland





Hi Patricia.
In regard to the possible fixes it would probably be easier to try that 'ADL relay' exchange-out approach first because you just have to pullout out the old relay and substitute another one, if there is one, with the same part number printed on it. Then if that didn't work you could try the body computer plugs cleanup.
Roland




Hi Patricia,
I picture the situation as being that the door latches are stuck in the closed and locked positions when the door is open and that is what is blocking you from shutting the doors. I would begin by attempting to move the latch in the door to the open position by hand, using a tool like a phillips head screwdriver, just gently moving it inward to clear the latch from the groove; or in the other direction if that doesn't work. If the latch won't move, don't force it.
Then if that won't clear the way I would check the circuit breaker in fuse position #3 in the fuse block under the dash. The power seat and power top motors also use that circuit breaker so if either of those items are o.k. then the power for the door lock systems is present so you would pass that test.
There are then two other possibilities:
First is the body computer which mediates the door locks. It is located to right of the passenger's shin on the side wall called the "cowl" hidden from view. Look up on that panel for an electronic module that is secured to the panel and if you remove the nut that holds it in place you can then release it from the other fastener and it will drop down so that the two plugs on the top of it are accessible to you. The location of those plugs on the top makes them subject to water intrusion falling on them and shorting out the pins of the sockets. I would look at both of the 25-pin plugs paying particular attention to the black plug (both its pins and its socket to see if they are wet or dirty. A spray can of 'electronic circuit cleaner' (from a Radioshack or similar electronics store) would be useful to spray the contacts and sockets which will evaporate any water and help clean away any dirt. See if that causes any improvement.
The other possibility is the automatic door lock relay is stuck in the locked position. If you look on the driver side at the mirror image location to that of the body computer you will find a relay array mounted. In rear-most vertical column of 6 sockets, in the next to the top position, is the door lock relay (it may by labelled ADL). Look at the part number printed on that relay and see if you can find another relay in the array that is identical. If so, try pulling them straight and switching them one for the other. Then see if the door locks will function in the usual way. If so, then the relay is bad and you will want to exchange it for a replacement from the dealer or perhaps a good auto parts store. Just keep track of which one was originally in that next to top position so you exchange away the bad relay and not the one that you substituted for it. If you use the bad one somewhere else in the array, then whatever position you put it into will fail.
Those are the things I would try. Short of that it means some elecrical wiring troubleshooting or working inside the door to find the problem. But the above approaches may pay off and you can do them yourself.
Roland