Good morning Mk1 enthusiasts 🙂 

 

About a year ago the R/H rear door lock mechanism started playing up. I managed to get it open by running the engine and banging the handle which operating the switch on the drivers door. Having read loads of posts about people experiencing the same issue I got a new unit off fleabay and replaced it.

 

Unfortunately on this year of fabia (2006) the inner door panels are riveted on, so what would have been a fairly straightforward procedure turned into a nightmare of broken drill bits, bleeding knuckles and lots of swearing. I eventually managed to source the right size rivets and a new rivet gun, and then applied copious amounts of plumbers gold all around the edge thinking that I would never need access to it again.

 

All was well until about a month ago when the same door would not unlock from the inside or outside, and despite thumping 7 shades out of it, charging the battery up fully and running the engine while pressing the button 100s of times it would not yield. 

 

I have checked the wiring in the rubber tubing and cannot see any broken wires, also when the lock / unlock buttons are pressed I can hear the mechanism operating in that door. My Fabia does not have the plastic pop up buttons in the top of the rear door cards, although the panels are moulded in such a way as to accomodate these in earlier models.

 

This morning randomly the door has unlocked itself. I am now reluctant to ever lock the car again 😆

 

I am wondering now about the possibility that a wire could be broken inside of its outer plastic coating. I have the haynes manual and have looked at the wiring diagram, but it does not show specifically which colour wire is responsible for triggering the unit to unlock. Does anyone have any clue which wire this is please? 

 

It is entirely possible that the new unit is failing, given its a cheap fleabay job probably made for pennies in china, however the thought of spending hours drilling all of the rivets out again and trying to unstick the inner panel from the plumbers gold does not seem very appealing.

 

I did wonder if there was a way to disable the lock from deadlocking itself, and still allow it to be opened from the handle inside the car, but having spent half an hour on google I cannot see that this has ever been done before. 

 

I probably clutching at straws to be honest trying to put off the inevitable strip down of the door again 😒

 

Cheers! - Simon.

 

 

9 hours ago, Piescoffer said:

This morning randomly the door has unlocked itself. I am now reluctant to ever lock the car again 😆

 

Mine did the opposite and locked the whole car with the engine still running after I got out to get something out of the boot. Had to smash a window as I was away from home. Also, one morning I went to the car and the passenger front window had fully opened itself. I swear these bloody cars are possessed.

 

You can indeed get wires that are broken inside the plastic insulation. The locks are a pain in the arse to get to, whoever designed the door panels wants shooting.

 

Not much fun.....

 

Edited 5 February, 20233 yr by TMB

1 hour ago, TMB said:

I swear these bloody cars are possessed.

 

Agreed. Although I think it's just mine going senile with age now!

i had this issue after the cold weather and it was the boden cable had slipped and needed a pair of long nose pliers to grab and readjust it and now its fine. If you hold the door handle open and take a close look you will see the end of the boden cable looks like a black plastic triangle and it may need grabbing hold of and slightly pulling outwards and repositioning. check this video if your not sure which part i mean but thats all i did and it worked https://youtu.be/3dXRGsWHduQ

On 06/02/2023 at 13:13, Stewartasb said:

i had this issue after the cold weather and it was the boden cable had slipped and needed a pair of long nose pliers to grab and readjust it and now its fine. If you hold the door handle open and take a close look you will see the end of the boden cable looks like a black plastic triangle and it may need grabbing hold of and slightly pulling outwards and repositioning. check this video if your not sure which part i mean but thats all i did and it worked https://youtu.be/3dXRGsWHduQ

 

Thanks @Stewartasb I have been subscribed to Hat Boy Harvey for some time and had seen that video as my front drivers side door, I have to push the handle in firmly after unlocking until it clicks otherwise the door wont open. It has been like that for some time and I need to make that adjustment. 

 

I never thought to check that adjustment on the rear door but will have a go at the weekend and see what happens.

 

I have presently disconnected the lock at the B Pillar connector with it open as did not want to risk not being able to get into it again, with it having stayed locked for a couple of months. The rest of the doors still lock but it's not ideal from a security perspective. 

 

I have inspected the A and B Pillar looms that I can see by peeling back the rubber gaitor and cannot see any broken wires, and as mentioned the solenoid unit was replaced less than a year ago so hopefully the adjustment will work, if not I might need to bite the bullet and order another solenoid unit, they are only about £20 on fleabay.

 

Cheers - Simon.