Hey guys,
I've got a problem with my power locks on my '85 Trans AM,
I had the dash out and had to remove parts of the alarm system that was damaged.
I've put it all back together and have a problem with the RH door lock.
The RH switch can trigger the LH door lock, and the LH door switch can lock itself, but there is NO movement of the RH door lock.
It was all working fine before, but there was a water leak in the t-tops and it fried the 2ND central locking realy (Don't ask, there was a central locking module attached on top of the GM fitted one as well as the mongoose alarm system).
I've removed it and the switches are now working with the GM relay but only one lock is.
I have 2 wires coming from the RH door, a green and blue, should they be attached to power or what?
Is the relay one for both or do they have separate ones each?
or could the actuator have fried?

 

Hmm green and blue wires.. sounds like an aftermarket actuator installed. I don't have the wiring chart here at work, but if I remember correctly the wiring should be just a standard reverse polarity system, meaning if you press the lock button a positive signal gets sent to the blue wire and the green goes to ground, and when you press the unlock button the green goes to positive and the blue goes to ground.

My guess would be a bad relay or break in the wiring to the actuator. Also listen for the relay clicking when you push the buttons. Try and find a wiring schematic as this will save a bunch of time hunting wires.

 

The locks are wired in parallel from the factory... Both door switches energize the same relay module that unlocks both doors at the same time. You should have two wires from the lock actuator in the door, one gray and one tan. The book method is to push and hold the left unlock button, measure the voltage between the tan wire and ground. It should be battery voltage. If not, check the tan wire for an open. If it's battery volts, move on and check the voltage between the tan and gray wires, again it should be battery voltage. If not, check the gray wire for opens. If you get battery voltage at both points, replace the lock solenoid in the door.

 

oh ok.
I'll try running wires directly from the relay over to the RH door and see if that makes a difference...
But are there a set of wires for the switch and a set for the actuator on each door?

Or is there 1 set of wires per door from the relay to the switch and then from the switch to the actuator?

I'm just trying to work out why both doors trigger the relay but only the LH door actuator is working.
If i take off the trim again and use a test light on the actuator and see power going to it but nothing happening, will that confirm i need a new one? or could it still be the relay?

 

After reading over what your talking about and Drews comments about the system, I would lean more towards the actuator being bad. If you get voltage at the actuator but no movement then I think we can pretty much say that it's a bad actuator. The fact that you have blue and green wires going to the actuator makes me think that the actuator was replaced before with an aftermarket unit since the factory colors are tan and gray like Drew stated in his post.

Let us know how it works out for you and shoot some pics if your still unclear what to do.

 

Why run wires anywhere? Your switches and the relay are working, judging from your passengers side lock working correctly. You've either got a wiring problem between the relay and the drivers side lock actuator solenoid, or the actuator/solenoid itself is bad. In general, the wiring in our cars doesn't have problems. While it's possible the wiring is hosed because it was hacked up for an alarm, it's a lot more likely that the lock solenoid is bad.

I'd unplug the harness from the actuator itself, and connect a test light between the two wires. If it lights when you press lock or unlock, replace the actuator.

 

Update:
Just got home from work and went to lock the LH door with the right hand switch and just as i pressed it, the relay went to make the "i'm working" sound, and halfway through...nothing, now neither lock works....
next question, could the actuator have killed the relay, or the relay was on the way out anyway, and the RH actuator wasn't getting enough power to move because of it?

 

and is there a replacement i can use as the aussie supplier is charging $100US for a relay because its a discontinued product.

 

Hmm I did a quick Google search and found this http://www.ecklerscamaro.com/product...5&dept_id=1168 looks like it's for all years from 82-02, so if you can find a one for the later 93-02 Camaro you might find a better price.

And as for actuators, when I worked as a mobile electronics installer, we would replace factory actuators with aftermarket ones all the time without issue, so don't think you have to get a factory actuator if it turns out to be bad.

Good luck mate!

 

Thanks for that.
I've got an aftermarket central locking kit, so i might try using that and see what happens.

 

Check the fuse. Disconnect the drivers side lock solenoid and see if things go back to normal. I've yet to see a bad power lock relay, but the solenoids get sticky and crap out all the time.