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

Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2026 8:12 pm
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:

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

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2026 7:50 am
by Ronin
I would start with drivers door as it's used the most.

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

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2026 3:42 pm
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?

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

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2026 7:11 pm
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.

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

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2026 7:57 pm
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: )

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

Posted: Sat May 16, 2026 11:31 am
by HPsauce
Strange, all working normally for several weeks until yesterday when unlocking I could hear the pump running for far too long again.
Sod's law, I was going to pick SWMBO up from the station so no time to investigate and by the time I did all was working normally. :?

From now on every time I go to the car I'll try to carry a pair of mole grips and open the boot before unlocking the car.
I presume the boot unlock from the remote is an electromechanical/solenoid operation? I've never studied the boot lock operation in all its complexity of different modes and mechanisms. :ugeek:

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

Posted: Mon May 18, 2026 11:46 am
by MikkiJayne
yeah its a solenoid

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

Posted: Tue May 19, 2026 12:00 pm
by HPsauce
MikkiJayne wrote: Wed Apr 15, 2026 7:11 pm Its usually the boot lock which causes the pump to run on
Sure is! Thanks MJ. :mrgreen:
Misbehaving today and clamping the pipe to the boot lid IMMEDIATELY stops the pump. I do love a clear/consistent symptom. :lol:

As noted above some "noises" from the mechanism, sort of "poorly-lubricated sliding" and it's been wet overnight. When dry it's generally been OK.
So my suspicion is some old grease/lubricant or other grunge that's getting damp and slowing down the mechanism, mainly when unlocking.

Definitely a problem for another day that hopefully will be simple to fix with cleaning and lubrication.