Hyundai Repair: Door Lock Problem 06 Sonata, fuse panel, three doors


Question
I'm having some problems with my automatic door locks. Mainly the drivers door and the passengers door behing the drivers. I read that maybe one of the relays might need replacing. I'm having trouble finding the relays. I've taken off the plastic cover below the steering wheel and can see the back of the fuse panel, but I don't see ant relays. I do see a sort of cream colored rectangular box that is attached to a bracket(I can read Kia on the ouside)but I've been unable to take it off. It has two sets of wires running into it. It also seems to be the source of a clicking sound I hear when I try and activate the locks. Is this where the relays are located?
Thanks

Answer
This is indeed where the two main door lock and unlock relays are located.  In addition, the driver's door unlock relay is located in a separate relay box behind the driver's side of the dash.  Unfortunately, these relays are not serviceable individually as they are in the 1999-2005 Sonatas.  If one of them fails, you're left with little option other than to replace the junction block or the relay box.

On the positive side, I've never seen these relays have an issue on a 2006 or newer Sonata.  Nearly all the issues I've seen have been with the door lock actuators themselves.  If you have an issue with one of the three non-driver's doors and the other non-driver's doors are not exhibiting the same condition, we can eliminate the main door lock and unlock relays as the potential culprit, since these relays actuate these three doors identically.  If you have an issue solely with the driver's door, then the driver's door unlock relay can potentially be the issue, but keep in mind that I've never seen this occur.

A simple test to confirm that the issue is in the door lock actuator is to observe/feel the door lock as you depress the lock/unlock button on the driver's or passenger's front door.  Place your finger on the mechanical lock knob on the door in question and manipulate the power lock switch you can reach.  If you feel or see the mechanical knob move at all, even a slight amount, you've just learned that the electrical circuit is in good condition.  If it weren't, it wouldn't be able to move the lock knob at all.  Once you've observed this movement, it's a safe assumption that the issue is in the actuator itself, which is serviced as part of the door latch assembly.