940 '97. Automatically locks doors?
 

Any help appreciated! I get in to the car, pause for a bit ( poss 3 minutes), car doors lock. If I then unlock using remote, and try and start, the immobiliser operates i.e. no starter motor. I have to unlock, lock, then unlock.

What about if you get in and start it pretty much straightaway?

Might be worth reading your handbook to see if that's normal behaviour, also does it have an aftermarket alarm/immobiliser fitted? Some of those auto-lock the doors if there's no ignition key action on the assumption someone is trying to hotwire it or otherwise defeat the ignition lock.

It sounds as though either you're accidentally triggering the control once you're in the car (I've done that with my current daily driver more than once) or the control unit is at fault.

The logic driving the central locking/immobiliser is that the doors will re-lock if none is opened within 90 seconds or so of their being unlocked. Assuming you don't enter via a window then I'd suspect the control unit.

Try unplugging it once you're in the car, waiting a couple of minutes then plugging it back in and doing what you wolud normally do on getting in. The unit is a bright orange box that hides on the passenger-side footwell under the A-pillar, near the door hinges.

[QUOTE=loki_the_glt;2476325]

The logic driving the central locking/immobiliser is that the doors will re-lock if none is opened within 90 seconds or so of their being unlocked. Assuming you don't enter via a window then I'd suspect the control unit.
/QUOTE]

With that in mind, it points firmly at the drivers door pillar switch. If that isn't working correctly, the control unit won't sense the door is open. I know a lot of cars have a two-pole connector on the door pillar switch, if it's just one of these corroded, the interior light might still be working but the control unit won't get the signal saying the door is opened.

Worth looking at first as it's a potentially more likely culprit than the control unit.

I wasn't aware that they could be 2-pole switches but was going to suggest testing the interior light, so the other way to possibly test is to get in the passenger side & see if the same happens

That should work as well. A lot of people don't realise turning the interior light off permanently disables the alarm function on the doors on a lot of alarms. If their car was stolen and then the insurance company discovered that, they might refuse to pay out because the owner had "willfully disabled the alarm or part thereof".

Not saying it will happen, but we all know what insurance companies are like!

[QUOTE=Laird Scooby;2476327]Thanks Dave- the drivers door switch is faulty, it doesn't put on the interior light, unlike the other doors. I'll get a replacement, before looking else where for the problem.

You're welcome - things like this usually come down to something simple. ;) :D

Sorted.
 

Swapped OSF switch for OSR. Drivers switch puts interior light on most of the time. Bad earth via screw. Tightened screw. Now 100pc. Thanks to everyone for the clues. And that the interior lights switched off equals impaired alarm!

Glad you got it sorted! Always the little, niggly stuff that seems to give the most pleasure once it's sorted but takes the longest to get round to doing! ;) :D