locking system

[Anothertransit12]

Hi Lads. I got my hands on a low miles 2.2 2008 transit a few weeks back. Great little van as tight as the day it was made but the locking is annoying. The key fob mostly failed to open the doors when i got it first and i put it down to a failing battery in the key, However as time goes by it is getting slowly better and i now feel that it is not a low battery problem as after a long drive it can still fail to open the rear doors as soon as you get parked up when you would imagine the battery should be well charged even is it is was a poor battery. i now see that after a long drive if it fails to work and i restart the van again and run it even for a few seconds and then use the key buttons it will more often than not open the doors. there seems to be an auto lock system for the rear and side doors which does;nt help things. This was a one owner from new van which had a very easy life and i doubt the van was locked very often as it only ran around a small airport. given that it is slowly working a bit better i wondered part of the system just need some lube and that it may be starting to free up now in a problem area? it also sometimes fails to open the front doors using the key buttons which is really great as the key itself will never unlocks the door. When i am far from home and the button fails to open the front it takes a lot of swearing to get it to work. Also where on the van is the best place to point the key at? Has anyone got any suggestions? Thanks

[knobby1]

Hi Lads. I got my hands on a low miles 2.2 2008 transit a few weeks back. Great little van as tight as the day it was made but the locking is annoying. The key fob mostly failed to open the doors when i got it first and i put it down to a failing battery in the key, However as time goes by it is getting slowly better and i now feel that it is not a low battery problem as after a long drive it can still fail to open the rear doors as soon as you get parked up when you would imagine the battery should be well charged even is it is was a poor battery. i now see that after a long drive if it fails to work and i restart the van again and run it even for a few seconds and then use the key buttons it will more often than not open the doors. there seems to be an auto lock system for the rear and side doors which does;nt help things. This was a one owner from new van which had a very easy life and i doubt the van was locked very often as it only ran around a small airport. given that it is slowly working a bit better i wondered part of the system just need some lube and that it may be starting to free up now in a problem area? it also sometimes fails to open the front doors using the key buttons which is really great as the key itself will never unlocks the door. When i am far from home and the button fails to open the front it takes a lot of swearing to get it to work. Also where on the van is the best place to point the key at? Has anyone got any suggestions? Thanks

Do you have twin batteries under the seat..?? If so, check the front one...it controls all the van's electronics when the van isn't running...and usually fails first....get both properly load tested.

The lock mechanisms can get tired over time, they may need lubing or the connections are poorly...the van is 18 years old now. Also check the RCL receiver and it's wiring in the roof lining near the front interior cab light....this is where the key fob sends the signal.

Lord Knobrot (Smithy)

[Anothertransit12]

one battery under the seat. Thanks very much for the help. It is great to know where the receiver is located. Would you have any idea why the drivers door never opens with the keys? I have 3 different keys and all of them lock it no problem but never open it.

[knobby1]

one battery under the seat. Thanks very much for the help. It is great to know where the receiver is located. Would you have any idea why the drivers door never opens with the keys? I have 3 different keys and all of them lock it no problem but never open it.

You can lock with any Mk7 Transit key...but only the proper one will unlock via the doorlock.

Lord Knobrot (Smithy)

[Altransit]

Would you have any idea why the drivers door never opens with the keys? I have 3 different keys and all of them lock it no problem but never open it.

You can lock it with any Tibbe key, but only the correct key will unlock it.

Assuming that the three keys you have all fit the ignition, fuel cap, and bonnet lock, then the drivers doorlock could have been changed at some point, or is simply worn out or damaged

[Anothertransit12]

Thanks very much lads. I see what you mean about any key locking the drivers door. i tested this out using a key from another transit here in our yard. Regarding the 3 keys i have well i checked them all in the bonnet and fuel cap and they all open and close these locks perfectly. This morning while doing some tests i found out that with the drivers door opened out i can hear the actuator working both when i try to lock and also unlock everytime but as soon as i close in the door i can only hear it when i lock the van but no sound when i try to unlock it. This leads me to believe that my 3 keys must be a match for the drivers door lock.