Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Did it go poof?
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HPsauce
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Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2025 4:24 pm
Location: South Bucks UK

Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Post by HPsauce »

That's it really, don't use the car very often and unlocking today I could hear the pump running for maybe 20 seconds?
Locking is fairly quick.
Unlock/lock a few times and it's quicker, so I'm assuming a small leak "somewhere".
Where do I start? :ugeek:
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Ronin
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Re: Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Post by Ronin »

I would start with drivers door as it's used the most.
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HPsauce
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Location: South Bucks UK

Re: Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Post by HPsauce »

Thanks, though I don't know enough about how it works in detail to start looking for symptoms/issues.
I know there's an air pump, but is it increased or decreased air pressure or both?
e.g. I can envisage two pipes to each lock, one for open, one for lock OR a single pipe with blow for open and suck to lock (or vice-versa).
Presumably there are also microswitches for each lock to signal back to the controller.
So problems could of course be at loads of places including locks, pipes, pump and wiring.

As far as I can tell ALL the door buttons raise and lower reasonably promptly, though not EXACTLY at the same speed. And currently the system seems to be working normally, though experience tells me not to expect that to last! :twisted:
I've also NEVER noticed any delay in the alarm chirp on locking (yes my alarm horn works! :o ) which I think indicates locking is fully complete.

A couple of things occur to me to help narrow it down when it happens, the first being to change from "global" open/close to drivers door first.
And I'll do a VCDS scan too. :ugeek: That showed just the expected "Run time exceeded, likely leak" on the pump.

But it's currently behaving and not throwing an error, that suggests to me something else, maybe a faulty sensor?
MikkiJayne
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Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2023 6:26 pm

Re: Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Post by MikkiJayne »

Itsa single pipe system, push and pull, although I can't remember whether push / pressure is lock or unlock & vice versa.

Its usually the boot lock which causes the pump to run on I believe, I have the same problem in Big Red but never fixed it. The boot lock is easy enough to block off as it runs through a rubber hose on the boot lid hinge so you can easily block it off and see if it changes.

Could theoretically be the diaphragm in the pump as well, that is known to fail although I don't know if it would cause this fault. Rebuild kits do exist as far as I know.
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HPsauce
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Location: South Bucks UK

Re: Central locking, bodywork or electrics, pump running for 20 seconds!

Post by HPsauce »

Thanks MJ, that's very useful :ugeek: Just had a quick play and it's the soft pipe on the left side.
If I pinch that hard the lock doesn't move while pressing the remote buttons but does immediately if I then release it, so there's no big leak.
Operating the system with the boot open I can hear movement in the boot lid and it does sound a bit "graunchy" so maybe part of the mechanism just needs a bit of lubrication, I'll have a look when the weather improves. Hopefully nothing is broken.
(I'm pretty practised at getting the boot lid trim off for other purposes so it shouldn't take long to investigate :lol: )
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