Honda Repair: 97 Accord lock actuator/power locks, poor fuel economy, actuator power

Question
Hi Bill,

My power locks keep locking and unlocking over and over again. I've looked online and read that it could be the lock actuator? I have a alarm/door opener and when I press the unlock button it quickly locks the doors back up and then keeps locking and locking even though the doors are already locked. Also, my chcek engine light came on so I brought it in, the mechanic said I need to turn the gas cap 3 clicks and sent me away. The light came on again the next day. I haven't been getting very good gas mileage (only about 15-20 miles a gallon). I have a V-4 automatic if that helps. Thanks so much!! I'm broke as heck so I thought I'd see if anyone could give me pointers first.

Sincerely,

Jeressa OLeary

Answer
Jeressa:
I would have the remote checked to make sure it is good. It could be the lock actuator. As for the check engine light coming on, your mechanic is correct in telling you to click the gas cap at least 3 times, but I would look for a new mechanic. Some things that can cause poor fuel economy would be plugs, distributor cap, rotor, air filter or fuel mixture. You can read the engine code and that would be better than just replacing a bunch of parts. Auto Zone or most large auto parts store chains will rent the code reader for free. Get the code and I can see if I can give you more insight to the problem. At $2+ a gallon it won't take long for you to waste a lot of money at the pump, you should be getting close to 30 MPG. Let me know if I can assist further. Good luck.
Bill