power lock failing on back door?

[DNDracing]

AKorn, not all that complicated as I've patched once before. Probably still be a couple weeks before I get to it, but when I do, I will post some pics.

 

[User113]

What you need is the "super fine" stranded wire. Many car companies use this in hinges and doors, but apparently not all do. When the wire in the tailgate hinge of my old Volvo broke, it looked like copper colored cotton.

http://www.calmont.com/blog/?p=809

 

[WalterJ]

Well, just after a year of my original "fix", nothing in my door is working again. Decided to order a harness to replace the defective one. Going to take the advice of a few on here and splice in some wires with more strands, instead of buying a replacement harness.

I'sd like to improve on the effort to splice good wire inbetween old stiff portions and not pay $100 for a new bad harness...thus my query...how can I identify the plug assy. obtain that for building my own harness?

 

[WalterJ]

Well, just after a year of my original "fix", nothing in my door is working again. Decided to order a harness to replace the defective one. Going to take the advice of a few on here and splice in some wires with more strands, instead of buying a replacement harness.

PRECAUTION: Local dlr. confirmed there are no "connector kits" for the door harness! Many others within the truck, but not the doors. Dlr. "fixed" my LR harness 3 years ago, but it failed again just past the splice.

I bought 'test lead' wire [from and old fashion electronics store in Kenosha @ $.78/foot] yesterday to attempt rewiring from the connector to within the door where no movement occurs. Any remaining OEM wire will crack off, so got to try replacing 100% from the connector. I've worked with pin connectors before, so am optimistic I can remove the pins & solder the test lead wires to them.

 

[WalterJ]

Dlr confirms no connector rebuild kit for this door harness. Got 18' 60+ strand, 18ga, test probe wire [w/thk silicone insul.] I took me an hour to: figure out how to remove a pin; reassemble with 12" flexible wire. I DO NOT splice the test probe wire onto any existing part of the OEM stuff, 'cause that's exactly where it will crack---again!

I thought about documenting the technique I'm using, but not if y'all figure it's a snap.

 

[seafish]

Dlr confirms no connector rebuild kit for this door harness. Got 18' 60+ strand, 18ga, test probe wire [w/thk silicone insul.] I took me an hour to: figure out how to remove a pin; reassemble with 12" flexible wire. I DO NOT splice the test probe wire onto any existing part of the OEM stuff, 'cause that's exactly where it will crack---again!

I thought about documenting the technique I'm using, but not if y'all figure it's a snap.

I am going to rebuild the three harnesses that my dealer gave back to me after replacing the originals under my extended warranty, as I would like to have a permanent replacement for when the oem ones fail AGAIN. I would love to have a link source for the wire as well as a description of technique or pic of getting the pins out and then recripmed on the new wire.

 

[Jim Brewer]

It seems I've had the same wire breaking problem as everyone else. First I noticed the dome light not turning on, then the door lock stopped functioning. Thanks to everyone who posted here, I was able to go right to the problem.

That said, here's the picture of what I found. I really don't think this is a wire fatigue problem. It looks to me like something is mechanically pinching the wire harness. I don't think this wire is so bad that it would break apart like that just from flexing - especially a bunch of wires in the exact same location. Heck, I have a couple of '67 mustangs with much poorer quality wire that undergoes flexing and it doesn't break like that.

I'm going see if I can figure out if there is a mechanical crimping that's happening when the door is opening & shutting. It's too dark out tonight, so I'll do it in the morning.

 

[seafish]

IMHO it IS fatigue only breaking these wires…my rear doors had zero wires visibly broken, but when I palpated the wire underneath the rubber loom, I easily found hard, brittle sections in almost all the wires about 1/2 to 3/4" long. I only found the broken wire UNDERNEATH the insulation. If it was mechanical in nature, the insulation would have also been broken through, as the mechanical forces obviously have to cut from the outside in, like dykes. The brittle section also reminded me of trying to break/cut baling wire without a cutter…you know when you bend it back and forth many times but unfortunately stop because your finger get sore right BEFORE it actually breaks, then try to bend it again in the same place after your fingers recover, but it won't bend in the some place because it has been hardened by the repeated heating then final cooling of the bending. IMO, that is also a sign of metal fatigue. I hope that makes sense…at last that's what it was in my truck, and based on that advice, others have found broken wires that were broken only underneath the insulation.

 

[shorthorn]

Interesting... My drivers door lock doesn't lock with either the switch on the door or the remote.. I tried to check the wires.. think they were ok. Thinking actuator is the problem.

anyone have any further pics on how to disconnect this harness? Would be 100% easier to check if I could remove it and test on a bench.

 

[p-Bar]

How about just pulling the door panel and put a VOM across the door lock switch and energize it? Easier than messing with the harness

 

[PWong]

Interesting... My drivers door lock doesn't lock with either the switch on the door or the remote.. I tried to check the wires.. think they were ok. Thinking actuator is the problem.

anyone have any further pics on how to disconnect this harness? Would be 100% easier to check if I could remove it and test on a bench.

I would check the actuator since it didn't work with switch and remote.
The harness issue is for the back door stuff.

 

[Jim Brewer]

IMHO it IS fatigue only breaking these wires…my rear doors had zero wires visibly broken, but when I palpated the wire underneath the rubber loom, I easily found hard, brittle sections in almost all the wires about 1/2 to 3/4" long.

Seafish, after repairing _all_ of the wires in the harness, I think you're absolutely right. It seems they get stressed (work hardened?) in the same location with a pretty severe bend radius. I think the stupid rubber boot covering them doesn't help either.

I cut, soldered, and heat shrunk all of the wires, then I wrapped a pretty thick layer of electrical tape around the affected area. I tapered the tape thickness on either side to try to distribute the bending along a longer section of the wire. We'll see if that works.

What a crappy design.