rjh
10-03-2010, 07:45 PM
G'day everyone,
As you can see, I'm a new member. I've read a few threads here before but only just joined up. (Comprehensive joining process... I guess you must have had some serious problems with idiots creating multiple flaming accounts or something.)
Anyway, onto my question. I have had a 1999 TH Magna Exec. for over three years now and it has never let me down. I'd always used a fob to open the doors, until one day it stopped working. I found a description of the most common fault with the fobs and how to fix it, but I saw one cheap on eBay and picked it up for a touch over $30. While I was using the key to unlock the doors (until my fob arrived) I noticed the key didn't go in as smoothly as it could, but it was never a serious problem.
Recently my new(er) fob stopped working too. The first one that broke was beyond repair, but I fixed the newer one using this process (I'll post the link because the site is hard to find and I haven't seen any references to it on this forum yet.)
http://martybugs.net/magna/remote.cgi
Before I fixed the fob, I was using the key for about a week. It often took a bit of jiggling to get the key in; nothing forceful, but it was difficult every time. After a few days, even when I got the key in the driver's door, it wouldn't turn no matter what I did. I ended up having to unlock the car from the passenger's side, which I'd rarely used. The passenger's side lock was fine, but after a few days the same thing happened to it, although it happened much faster. It went from fine, to needing a jiggle to get it in, to not turning at all. Luckily it stopped working in the driveway (not at the shops) and I opened the boot, pushed down the rear centre seat and unlocked a back door with a timber stake. (As an aside, the boot has always needed that jiggle to get the key in, although it hasn't deteriorated over time. Neither the glovebox button nor the grey fob button work; it makes a click noise but doesn't open.) When both doors ceased to function with a key, I finally thought I'd better find that site again and get out my soldering iron.
So now, I've fixed the fob, but the doors still don't work with the key, so if something ever happens to it, I'm screwed. (Losing it is probably the only way; it has a brand new battery and a big dollop of solder on each join, so I doubt it's going to break again.) The key slides smoothly into the ignition so I don't think it's the key. It was rather wet recently when I had to use the key. I thought that might be a factor and tried some WD40 in the locks but to no avail.
Is this a common problem? Does anyone know the cause? I Googled a fair bit and searched this site, but haven't seen anything regarding this kind of problem with the door locks. The speed at which the passenger's door lock deteriorated surprised me, given the drawn-out death of the driver's lock. Is there something inside the lock that can get in the way of the key, which I've possibly broken by forcing the key in?
Apologies for the lengthy first post.
As you can see, I'm a new member. I've read a few threads here before but only just joined up. (Comprehensive joining process... I guess you must have had some serious problems with idiots creating multiple flaming accounts or something.)
Anyway, onto my question. I have had a 1999 TH Magna Exec. for over three years now and it has never let me down. I'd always used a fob to open the doors, until one day it stopped working. I found a description of the most common fault with the fobs and how to fix it, but I saw one cheap on eBay and picked it up for a touch over $30. While I was using the key to unlock the doors (until my fob arrived) I noticed the key didn't go in as smoothly as it could, but it was never a serious problem.
Recently my new(er) fob stopped working too. The first one that broke was beyond repair, but I fixed the newer one using this process (I'll post the link because the site is hard to find and I haven't seen any references to it on this forum yet.)
http://martybugs.net/magna/remote.cgi
Before I fixed the fob, I was using the key for about a week. It often took a bit of jiggling to get the key in; nothing forceful, but it was difficult every time. After a few days, even when I got the key in the driver's door, it wouldn't turn no matter what I did. I ended up having to unlock the car from the passenger's side, which I'd rarely used. The passenger's side lock was fine, but after a few days the same thing happened to it, although it happened much faster. It went from fine, to needing a jiggle to get it in, to not turning at all. Luckily it stopped working in the driveway (not at the shops) and I opened the boot, pushed down the rear centre seat and unlocked a back door with a timber stake. (As an aside, the boot has always needed that jiggle to get the key in, although it hasn't deteriorated over time. Neither the glovebox button nor the grey fob button work; it makes a click noise but doesn't open.) When both doors ceased to function with a key, I finally thought I'd better find that site again and get out my soldering iron.
So now, I've fixed the fob, but the doors still don't work with the key, so if something ever happens to it, I'm screwed. (Losing it is probably the only way; it has a brand new battery and a big dollop of solder on each join, so I doubt it's going to break again.) The key slides smoothly into the ignition so I don't think it's the key. It was rather wet recently when I had to use the key. I thought that might be a factor and tried some WD40 in the locks but to no avail.
Is this a common problem? Does anyone know the cause? I Googled a fair bit and searched this site, but haven't seen anything regarding this kind of problem with the door locks. The speed at which the passenger's door lock deteriorated surprised me, given the drawn-out death of the driver's lock. Is there something inside the lock that can get in the way of the key, which I've possibly broken by forcing the key in?
Apologies for the lengthy first post.