I installed my autolock shaved door handle kit and I cant get the solinoid to pull the cable. The solinoid pulls hard when there is no resistance on the cable, but as soon as there is the slightest resistance on the cable, like even holding it with your fingers it just clicks. I tried several different tensions and double checked my power and grounds. Anyone got any ideas?
Sounds to me like you're not getting enough power, or have a bad ground. Are you using a relay? If not try that. HTH, ~ Paul aka "Tha Driver" Pardon my driving, I'm reloading.
Yes im using the relays with the remote, I have a 10 guage ground to the battery and I tried going directly off the battery and it gets the same results. Battery volts are good, wire is in good shape and a heavy enough guage. I worked on it for like 3 hours and it still wont pop when there is resistance on the cable, with out the cable the solinoid pops really strong.
thats wierd cause mine is currently doing the opposite on my chevy full-size. It broke the cable after a few years of rubbing on something and it would not do a damn thing until I pulled it tight. I also had one on a trunk for my caprice stop woking once and it had just loosened its mounts and stopped working Is yours mounted already? If not, mount it in place and pull a little tension on the cable, then hit the ****on and see if it pulls. I have been dealing with these things for years but still cant understand them for some reason.
the solinoid kicks *** if the cable to the latch is not hooked up, maybe I should try alot of tension and see if it changes anything. cause it just clicks with "normal" tension. yes they are already installed in the doors and the mounts are tight.
With my autoloc solenoids I had to have a tiny bit of slack on the calble. That way it could start moving before it had to pull. You may want to try that.
Not sure about autolock solinoids (never used that brand) but make sure that the plunger is not pulled out to far when hook up as that will make them not pull Plunger should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the way in when set up to pull..... MM64
Is the rod to the inside handle still hooked up? I had an issue that the solenoid was not strong enough to pull the latch when it had to work against the inside handle spring. The solenoid has to pull the latch, and push the rod strong enough to physically move the inside handle up. I replaced the rod from the latch to the inside handle with a cable. That way, the cable is pulled when I use the inside handle. When I use the solenoid, it just pushes slack in the cable. I used bike hand brake cables from a sporting good store. Hope this helps.
thats a good idea with the cable and the inside door handle, but its not even trying to pull, the only thing that changes when the solinoid pulls or not is if there is tension on the cable, so if the cable not connected to the latch , pop it works, then I attach the cable around the door latch and push the ****on, click no pull, the cable just kinda wiggles doesnt even try. I just called auto lock and they said to exchange the solionoids with new ones, he said they might be defective so i will try that in a few days when i can bring the car down to the shop I got them at, so they can see it cause im sure it totally sounds like an odd ball problem.
well I had a pretty big financial break down this week, car wasnt done cant make it to the hamb drags total bummer of a week, so Ive not been able to get to the shop and have them check it out, I should be able to finally drive the car next week. I appreciate you asking though.
what guage wire are you using from the relays to the solonoids? This is a common problem on setups with a smaller guage wire that limits the current to the solonoid.
I have a 12 guage power and a 10 guage ground I had thought about getting a thicker power wire. It might be something I try before I take it and have some one else look at it. Maybe 10 guage power and ground? Should I change all the wire for the relays, even the small jumper wires inbetween the relays or just the maint wire to the solinoid?
12 gauge should be plenty if its from the relays to the poppers, unless its a long run, I've seen some people have to go larger gauge on certain vehicles. My advice is grab a spare battery and jumper cables and test the popper right on the door itself, if it pops the door open that way then its obviously a current/voltage related problem... if not it may be a bad solenoid on the popper.
ok problem solved this weekend. I learned that the tension on the cable has to be just right to get it to pop. I had used a 1/4 inch copper tube to route the cable from the inside of the door skin to the latch. I was able to bend the copper tube around to adjust the tension and it started working, also I had the car running when i was adjusting it cause the battery has to be full power, even with three or four pops it would drain the battery down and it couldnt do it any more. So I learned that the battery has to be strong and the cable tension is really important, finally something on my car works the way it should.
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