Power door locks don't work on front and sliding doors. Any ideas how to fix this?

Asked by rhinodad Jul 09, 2007 at 03:46 PM about the 2005 Chrysler Town & Country Touring LWB FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

The power locks on our van do not work for the front two doors, and the sliding doors.  All is well with the hatch in the back.

I can't get the locks to work either from the intererior switch, or from the key fob.  If the doors are unlocked, then the sliding side doors work, but if they are locked, they will not slide open even when using the control on the key chain.

Any ideas on what to look for?  I've checked the fuses in the engine compartment, and they are all there and healthy.  

Thanks!

55 Answers

Rhinodad, I will be watching for a response as our 2007 T&C minivan is having similar problems. The automatic locks will not operate from the remote key fob, but the sliding doors will open and close with the remote. When trying to lock the doors using the key fob, the horn will honk but the locks aren't moving. Darrell

99 people found this helpful.
940

At Edmonds.com I found these solutions (as I too was experiencing the same issue): Reseat the IOD 20A fuse. This may be only a temp. solution as I have read. I just pulled the fuse this morning and everything works fine now. HOWEVER, I read that it is merely a temp. fix for a new code that needs to be programed into the BCM. Think of it as a Microsoft update that most computers "require" periodically. I canceled the appt. I had set up for Wednesday and will have them enter the new code at my next regular service appt.

94 people found this helpful.
630

Thank you to the last poster. (shni). I had the problem with the locks on my 2005 Town and Country. I just went out and reset the 20A IOD fuse, and it worked! Genius!

63 people found this helpful.
320

Had the same problem. Just rolled out to the garage, pulled the fuse and replaced it. Problem solved. Works like a champ. Chrysler T&C, a great van until 100,000 miles then the wheels fell off, engine fell out and now I get to pull and replace a fuse periodically to get my stupid auto locks and doors to work....what a POS!

32 people found this helpful.
140

I actually made it to 150,000 miles, but now I'm having all the same problems. This is the first and last Chrysler I will buy. Back to Hondas for me.

14 people found this helpful.
280

Thanks everybody for the info. I'm 2500 miles from home when the door locks stoped working. Not in one place long enough to get looked at. Did what you advised and all is well. Thanks again everybody for taking the time to leave your comments.

28 people found this helpful.
120

wonderful advice .. work like a charm... thanks.

12 people found this helpful.
90

worked for me 2 minutes after i read the edmunds article @top of page

9 people found this helpful.
260

Thank you! Just bought a 2005 Chrysler t&c Friday and realized that night that the power door locks didn't work. Should have done a more thorough inspection on the car. Went to the dealer today and they said I would have to bring it to their service station about 45 mins from my house. This discussion saved me a trip!

14 people found this helpful.
260

Temp fix only lasted two days. Guess I have to bring it in. Lame.

5 people found this helpful.
40

That trick worked for me! I thought I'd gone back to the days when cars had only manual locks...Nightmare over now.

4 people found this helpful.

Was it making sounds when you used the switches? Or Key fob , as mine is making the sound. Hell I will pull the fuse and see if that works, wont cost anything.

6 people found this helpful.
250

Is there a way to fix this without having to pull and replace the fuse all the time? This quick fix only lasts a day or two, if that.

22 people found this helpful.
260

Had to bring it to Chrysler. It was a computer thing. A computer upgrade needed to be done. That's the only was to permanently fix the problem. Thankfully my car was still under warranty so no charge.

7 people found this helpful.
60

i have the same problem on my van now will try to pull the fuse to reset as everyone recommend.to see..if it really work..

6 people found this helpful.
19,835

there is a reflash avail. through chrysler, if you get tired of pulling fuse.....this was a common problem for quite a while.

10 people found this helpful.
19,835

If you have one that tries to move but wont quite lock. the lock accuator needs to be replaced. You can buy this seperate from latch.

11 people found this helpful.
80

thejeepdoctor what is this reflash that is available through Chrysler for the door locks? appledmp@aol.com

8 people found this helpful.
100

Is this the the fuse box in the engine? Or is there another one? Thanx!!!!

10 people found this helpful.
360

Under the hood is one of your fuseboxes, for the ECM, engine control module. for most things inside the vehicle the body control module runs those, and the fusebox for those is located in the cabin, under the dash just left of the steering wheel, there is a panel there that pops out with two clips, each is marked, in both places, as to what they are fuses for

18 people found this helpful.
50

I caught this fix and it worked for me...however I just took it to the dealership and they said it was the accuator??? But the fuse was fixing it temporarily and the doors were not trying to open. Does anyone know is my dealership on crack and going for the easy answer rather then the computer/software update?

5 people found this helpful.
30

not the actuator. If the actuator goes, it make no sound. Pull the fuse, mine will work from a few weeks to months.

3 people found this helpful.
50

you guys are the best i did exactly that and it worked like a charm reseting the 20A iod fuse did the trick thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

5 people found this helpful.
10

Tried it tonight, didn't work for me. I have to take the car in anyway because the AC stopped working and recharging it lasted maybe a week!

1 people found this helpful.
70

I switched the fuse but that did not work. Maybe I need a software upgrade? Wonder how much those are?

7 people found this helpful.
10

I had the same issue with the locks, pulled the IOD 20 amp fuse wiped it off put it back in and it worked, sounds like it still needs a computer update but this temp fix worked great, appreciate all the posts I was chasing my tail trying to figure this thing out.

1 people found this helpful.
10

2000 Caravan/Voyager I have problem with power door locks not working intermittently, I pulled IOD fuse but that did not fix it, I'm thinking now that the ignition key contacts are worn as it has a feature that prevents the doors from being locked if key is in ignition so if its worn, maybe its getting wrong signal, or could be broken wire or bad contact. May take BCM out and reseat it 2-3 times to clean the contacts. I swapped the identical switches from passenger to driver side , no difference. Now I also got 2014 KIA Sedona EX loaded, except the doors unlock 100 times a day...no adjustment or preferences apparent , called 10 dealers , no luck, they are perplexed. The Deland FL KIA service dept was very rude and even yelled at me (shocking when I asked for help)... they said its unchangeable live with it> The Daytona Beach Kia dealer service dept has not called me back with any solution. May have to return car and get money back, as I can't live with this problem of constant doors unlocking 100 x day. On top of that the sales finance people flimflammed me by saying since this was a "certified preowned with low miles" that I could get the full 10 yr 100k mi "FACTORY " warranty,,, then they switched it to FIdelity a 3rd party warranty co (may be very difficult to claim any service needs). Beware, when they open their mouths out come deceptions. Ie 10yr/100k is code for 5yr/60k which in turn is code for 5 yr - your car years, same for miles so a 2014 with 7500 which they tell you has 10y/100k Factory warranty becomes a 2.5 yr/ 52.5 k mi Factory Warranty and youj are stuck with a 3rd party co for the rest of the powertrain warranty.

1 people found this helpful.
40

Had the same problem with my van -- the doors wouldn't lock. The only way to make them work temporarily was to remove a yellow fuse (under the hood) and then plug it back in. Solved the problem by taking the car to a Chrysler dealership. They programmed a new code into BCM and now the doors work :)

3 people found this helpful.
40

Programming a new code into BCM worked. It cost me about $200 in 2016.

1 people found this helpful.
20

My dealer gave me estimate of $450 plus saying the whole electronic part needs to be changed and re-programmed. Will pass and will keep driving without auto locks. Miles on 2005 town and country 155,000. Resetting is only a temp fix.

2 people found this helpful.
50

2009 Town and Country under the hood fuse box must have changed from 2007. I had the door lock problem and changed fuse M38 ( door lock ) and it worked . Old fuse was fried. There was a 10A fuse in and I replaced with a 10 A...however the schematic called for a 25 A. If it fries again, I will put in a 25A

5 people found this helpful.
50

What if both sliding doors are not locking or unlocking with the remote? They both stopped working at the same exact time, so I don't think it would be the motor or the wiring.

5 people found this helpful.
90

You should also check the chassis ground wires. I almost wore out my IOD fuse socket until I tried this fix. My 2005 has almost 200K miles so far it's only the little things that need attention. Here is a link for the ground wire fix. https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=ZSEAVnWP5X0

8 people found this helpful.
50

The problem is corrosion of the ground wire at 300A. Clean both Left and Right sides. The IOD is only a temporary fix.

5 people found this helpful.
30

Cleaning the grounding posts behind the front seats worked for me. Good call!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSEAVnWP5X0

3 people found this helpful.
60

My right side sliding door will not UN lock unless I take a pair of pliers and pull up real hard

6 people found this helpful.

Mine is a 2001 T&C and both side door switches stopped working. Pulling the fuse didn't work, but cleaning the negative battery terminal did. The black wire attached to the terminal bolt was corroded badly, probably never cleaned. Used my trusty Dremel to clean off all the corrosion, and they work. Thanks to Antman7 for that fix.

30

I am having the same problem with my locks on a 2003 T&C. I tried the yellow fuse and it worked but only for a day. I have had the BCM reflashed but I still have the problem. I cleaned the ground wires near the front seats (they were clean and good anyway) still have the same problem. Any ideas

3 people found this helpful.
90

GuruZ8HB4: If all else fails, you will need to replace the door lock actuators. Start with the drivers front door. It is the most used and wears out first.

1 people found this helpful.
10

2008 Chrysler Town and Country with 158k miles. On Christmas Day while 700 miles from home, our van wouldn't even attempt to turn over using key fob or ignition switch. Radio would turn on, lights would turn on, and key fob would even open sliding doors. However, the horn wouldn't work, door locks wouldn't work using either the key fob or internal buttons. Even though my battery was only 2 weeks old, I placed it on a trickle charger for a few hours just in case. No change. I disconnected and reconnected the battery and still couldn't start the van. I started researching my symptoms and came across this video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mweH0-lejY ). I disconnected the battery, shorted the cables together, and removed the TIPM. While the TIPM was removed, I re-validated each of the fuses and then let it sit for about an hour. Upon re-connecting the TIPM, I let it sit for another 30 minutes before plugging the battery back in. Once I did that, I noticed my door locks began working and my van fired right up! Although Christmas turned into frustration, I'm so happy to know I'm not showing up at a dealership in a desperate state to make it home. I may still replace the van soon, but at least I have time to make an informed decision.

1 people found this helpful.
20

I disconnected the battery on our 2008 and it works fine now!

2 people found this helpful.
10

I have an 05 T&C. I am interested to hear that so many people have had this problem. I figured out the fuse trick myself a few years back, figuring a relay/actuator was stuck and pulling power would release it. I one by one pulled and reseated all of the fuses and relays under the hood until I hit the right one. For the most part it keeps working. I do wonder what a re-flash would do if it was working for 90K plus miles before it started. Another lock issue is that my driver side sliding door has a lock that sometimes will not lock or unlock. As someone mentioned before I would probably have to unlock it with pliers. But, recently, for about a month it would not lock. On occasion, if I pull the fuse or screw with unlocking and re-locking the locks, it frees up and starts to work again. The auto slider opener on it has also stopped working. Once in a while it will pop the door open, but will not slide it. Yesterday all the locks stopped and the fuse trick would not work. I tried it multiple times. Last night I pulled and left the fuse out overnight and this morning put it back. The locks started working again, but the amp on my radio stopped. The radio started working after I stopped and re-started the engine. The van has almost 170k miles and I don't want to spend any money at a dealership so I have learned to live with it. Any advice would help.

1 people found this helpful.
10

I have a 2015 Grand Caravan. Right slider won't lock, manually or with key fob or power locks. It's super hard to move and I don't want to break it. About the same time the picture in the tv went out. I'll look into the fuse but any other ideas?

1 people found this helpful.
10

Mine only works for one cycle after pulling fuse what else can it be

1 people found this helpful.
30

I have a 2016 T & C and the doors would not unlock from the door panel or the key fob, so I held the unlock & lock button for a few seconds and tried it again, then “vwaalaa” the keyfob and door panels started working again.

3 people found this helpful.
10

2012 town and country chrysler driver side passenger the sliding door won’t open tru key ignition or tru top to press manually t stay lock it won’t unlock every time i press it keep saying unlock passenger door but it won’t unlock not even manually

1 people found this helpful.

i have a 2005 town and country. locks quit working with remote or button on the door. tried disconnecting the battery and that worked a few times then quit altogether. pulling the iod fuse did not work, read about cleaning the ground wire connectors at rear edge of both front seats, theres a youtube for this. the drivers side was a little corroded, cleaned the connection and wire going to connection and that fixed it for now. i hope it stays fixed but worth a try.

30

I have a 2016 T&C with the driver side sliding door locked. Will not unlock, not even budge. Can't manually unlock either, will not even budge. Why can't I unlock manually? is the linkage out of wack? The other sliding door works just fine with the manual lock working with no problems even with the battery disconnected which makes me think it's in the linkage. Any thoughts? I tried the fuse thing, no luck. All other doors work fine.

2 people found this helpful.

2005 t&c door locks quit working, tried the fuse but didnt work. i took the ground wires off behind the 2 front seats, cleaned them and that seems to be working. i hope it lasts. no more chryslers for me after this one.

Let me venture a guess. I was a similar thing in a PC Cruiser convertible. The doors have several switches in them that indicate door fully closed, fully open, and others. When the cars get years on them and dust and dirt, the switches may not indicate correctly. The body control module looks at the switches and decides there is an nonsensical ("illegal") state and stops certain functions. It's possible the factory has modified the programing to ignore certain inputs and allows the locks to work anyway. In the PT, I was able to spray up in the switch assemblies, cleaning out the gook and it all worked after that. My recommendation is to do the same on these. This kind of problem is just a result of more automation in vehicles. I do think the owner should be able to get a full report from the programs onboard without having to go to the dealer.

10

A blown fuse may be the cause of a power door lock issue that affects only one door. Using pliers, you may remove the power lock fuse, which is frequently located in the hood of the automobile. There may have been cable disconnections or short circuits inside your power door lock if your door lock stopped functioning. This might occur when performing maintenance and repairs. https://revolar.com/what-causes-power-door-locks-to-stop-working/

1 people found this helpful.

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