MatraSport Forum

We all walk away from our cars, plip the key, hear the door locks go clunk and assume it locked. Today I discovered my driver door is not locking. I have no idea how long its not been working for either! Lucky no one decided to open it and remove stuff!  All the other doors and tailgate do lock OK, just not drivers door. Car is fitted with a Cobra Thatcham Cat 1 alarm system and it seems OK. Key batteries were changed about a month ago, so they are OK too.  I am guessing the solenoid or door lock motor in the drivers door has failed. Car starts and runs fine, no other issues with alarm or anything.

I assume I will just have to remove door panel trim and look see what is wrong.  Is this a common problem? Is it easy to swap the door lock electrics? Any tips or useful hints before I go to work?

Thanks.

Before dismatling anything on the door, disconnect the door loom connector and check it for corrotion. Reconnect and see if all doors are working. Occaisonally these connectors makes poor connection, or the cable from door to the connector is broken due to tear and wear.

it probably is a common problem.
the small wires in the door opening have very hard and brittle isolation which seems to just crack and split.
My LH mirror sometimes can only be adjusted with the door open.
The LH rear door had the same problem with the lock, a broken cable in the door opening was the cause.

I agree with Tom and Jack. About 3 quaters of a year ago, I couldn't operate the right hand side window. It would only wind down. Not particuarly practical! ;)
I thought it was the switches initially, but it was the wiring to the connector on the door pillar. Here's a photo of the broken wire:

(http://gallery.dinsen.net/d/13631-2/DSC_0255.JPG)

Incidentially, Google street view caught me driving with the window down one cold day in May :)

/Anders

Thanks guys - yes thats the problem - a broken wire. Suppose buying origianl equipment parts will mean a complete new door loom? Guess I will have to try and repair

Correct, and the price for a new loom is crazy. As far as I remember, I was quoted 2.500 DKK, about 300 GBP! Repair is cheaper, and probably almost as good.

/Anders

OK. Not easy but I have managed to make a repair using wire strippers and a small connector block (screw type). Lets hope it lasts. It seems everything for the espace parts wise are very costly. You would have thought anyone sensible would have put a plug at both ends of a short wiring loom that just connected between the door and the body.

Thanks for your help guys - car now locks OK. In future I am going to check this more often!

it's possible to disasemble the female connector after removing the whole loom from the door.
then carefully open the crimps holding the wires.
re-crimp in new wires about 50 cm long, then join the new and old wires so that the joins are inside the door and not right there in the door opening.
 
It seems that another common point of wear in the door opening is the thing that stops the door opening too far. I thinks it's called "door strap" in swedish anyway. All 4 doors have the same part no. It's probably a good idea to replace that as well while you have the door apart Collin4255, they are about 40 euro.

Hi
I have the same problem with my central locking driver side door (left side) is not working. I have checked the wires in the connector and they seems to be OK but then there are many wires in the connector. Is there anybody in this forum who has the colour code for the wire going to the door lock or alternative the position in connector?

Best regards
Lars

the only notes I've made are a diagram of what colour is in what position in the yellow connector, for the left rear door.

I think it may be one of these 2 connectors, probably the white with green stripe and the orange.