rear doors don't open from outside??

[oswestryalex]

Hi all,

progress with my 'new' Jaguar S type -  3 L v6 SE model of 2002... just had a full service, and check over, and got a new alloy wheel as spare, put a new tyre on it... new battery to come...

but - if I open the car, either with the key or the fob button, the front doors unlock, but the back ones don't seem to do so. Not from the outside handles - you have to put your hand inside and pull the handle in the car door inside to get either back door to open. It is not too convenient - especially with shopping... - any ideas how to overcome that?  Cheers,  Alex

[Old Peter]

Hi Alex,

Have you checked if the child lock is switched on  --  it could be that simple.

Let us know if that is successful.

Regards,

Peter.

[oswestryalex]

I checked the car Peter, but the doors are set to the 'child unlocked' position right now. I would be wary to turn the child lock on, as if it disables the inside handle, I shan't be able to open the door at all - right now it is only the inside handle that works to open it up, the outside one seems to be locked - on both sides rear doors only. I saw another 2001 S Type that had the same issue when I looked it over a few weeks ago, but never thought about it then. i was wondering if it might be an issue of a dying battery perhaps? Kwikfit said that the battery could do with being changed when they tested it and checked my tyres and wheels etc.

[Old Peter]

Hi Alex,

The battery on the s type has to  look after a lot of electrical bits, and should last about 5 years.

I had some minor electrical issues when my battery was 4 years and 11 months old which were cured instantly with a new battery being fitted.

Regards,

Peter.

[oswestryalex]

Thanks Peter - I shall be doing that soonest. The new battery has arrived and I can get my spanners out and go look. I even have my radio code! I will post what happens when the new battery is fitted and if it does cure these niggles, that will be worth knowing. So, 5 years for a battery? That too is good information to have. Cheers, Alex.

[Silver Wheels]

Hi Alex,

I had a 3 Litre 2000 model until I traded it last year, and had a similar problem with mine affecting eventually the F/N/S, R/N/S, and R/O/S locks. The problems initially started when the car just refused to lock either by fob or key in the lock. Eventually, I found the doors would lock but the rear doors would refuse to open, then would, then wouldn't. It turned out that the electrical mechanisms in all the doors (except Driver's) needed replacing. From memory these are really expensive, over a hundred a throw, and so I took pot luck from eBay and bought second-hand from scrappies. Luckily all but one worked well, and I replaced that, again with a pot luck eBay find. Thereafter it was fine for the two years I had it before replacing the car. It's a fiddly job so I got my local garage to do it, he charged an hours labour for all the doors. It might not be in anyway connected to your issue but may be worth looking at.

Mark

[oswestryalex]

Hi Mark, 

Thanks for that - worth knowing if that turns out to be the problem. I imagine I'd just live with the door problem for the time being as we hardly ever use the back seats, being two people normally using the car. Right now, I am more concerned to find someone to flush out my auto box and replace the fluid...

[oswestryalex]

The solution for mine was quite simple once I found it - I had the door open and waggled the door opener from outside and then used some WD40 to loosen it up. Turned out that the mechanism was just a bit stuck from non use! Kept waggling the mechanism from inside and out and used more WD40 and it worked a treat. Both doors were given the same treatment and they've been behaving now for the last 3 years with no hassle.