How To Unlock A Car Door With Power Locks
Some cars today have four or five different methods of unlocking the doors between keypads, keyless entry systems, and conventional locks. What happens when the doors unlock, and how does the car keep track of all those different methods?
Your car’s door unlocking mechanism is quite interesting. Your car’s doors will be opened tens of thousands of times over the course of its life, so it needs to be reliable.
In this article, we’ll discover how to unlock a car door with power locks. In order to force the lock open, we will take apart the actuator that is responsible for doing the work. To start, let’s see how the car keeps its signals in order.
What Is A Power Lock?
Many kinds of motor vehicles come with power door locks that allow the driver of the vehicle to control the locks on all of the vehicle’s doors and, sometimes, the lock on its trunk. This type of lock is also referred to as an electric door lock in addition to being a power door lock.
Controlling all of the locks within a vehicle is sometimes referred to as a central locking system. On the driver’s side of the car, the control panel that allows the driver to operate all of the locks can be found on the inside of the door.
How To Unlock A Car Door With Power Locks
You can unlock a car door in several different ways:
- Using a key
- Using the unlock button inside the car
- You can use the combination lock on the outside of the door to gain access
- By pulling up the doorknob on the inside
- Keyless entry with a remote control
- Through a control center’s signal
Some cars with power door locks send power to the actuators that open the door through the lock/unlock switch. However, in more complicated systems, the body controller determines when the doors are unlocked.
In your car, the body controller acts as a computer. In addition, the system ensures that the interior lights stay on until you start the car, and it beeps if the headlights are on or the keys are left in the ignition.
Power door locks are controlled by a body controller, which monitors all the possible sources of “unlock” and “lock” signals. When the right code is entered, it monitors a touchpad mounted on the door and unlocks it.
As it monitors the radio frequency, it unlocks the doors after receiving the correct digital code from the key fob, as well as monitoring the switches inside the car. The actuator is powered when it receives a signal from any of these sources to unlock or lock doors.
Now that we have a clearer idea of how the power locks work, let’s take a look at how everything is connected inside a car door.
How Power Locks Work From Inside a Car Door
Your car’s actuator that controls the power lock mechanism is located beneath the latch. It is connected to the latch by a rod, and the latch is connected to the knob using another rod on the top of the door.
By moving the latch up, the actuator connects the outside door handle to the opening mechanism. By the time the latch is lowered, the handle on the outside of the door will be disconnected from the mechanism and it will be impossible for it to be opened.
The body controller periodically supplies power to the door-lock actuator to unlock the door. Now let’s take a closer look inside the actuator.
Inside the Actuator On A Car Door With Power Locks
An actuator can be used to move the metal hook in a car door left and right. It is vertical, so it can move up and down when mounted in the car. It mimics your movements when you pull up or push down the knob.
Power lock actuators are pretty simple devices. In a gear reduction system, a small electric motor turns spur gears. Lastly, there is a rack-and-pinion gearset that drives the actuator rod. By using the rack, the motor’s rotation is converted into linear movement.
It is interesting to note that while this mechanism can turn the gears and move the latch, moving the latch will not turn the motor. Through a centrifugal clutch attached to the gear, the gear is engaged by the motor.
While the motor spins the gear, the clutch swings out, locking the small metal gear to the larger plastic gear, allowing the motor to drive the door latch. When you move the door latch, all of the gears turn unless the plastic gear with the clutch on it is moved.
How To Unlock A Car Door With Power Locks When You’re Locked Out?
Accidents happen on a daily basis, and we all hate when we end up locked out of our vehicles. But, what do you do when your modern car comes equipped with power locks?
Here are a few tips that should help:
Tip #1 – Check All Your Doors & Windows
You should always check every door before attempting to circumvent the power windows and locks. With your car’s controls, you have several options that could mean all the doors are not locked.
Also, if you’re traveling with a passenger who opened the door as you’re locking the car or after you have locked it, there’s a good chance it’s not locked. As such, you should check all the doors before you resort to other solutions.
Tip #2 – Contact A Trusted Locksmith In Your Area
You can get assistance from a locksmith through the American Automobile Association (AAA) if this happens to you. AAA membership offers free lockout services.
Alternatively, you can contact a locksmith directly; some will deal with lockouts of cars, but you will need to pay them directly.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, you can contact the professionals at Best Buy Locksmiths for lockout assistance, installations, or reprogramming the locks on your car. The Best Buy Locksmith team is not only highly trained; they have over ten years of experience in the field as well as all the right tools to get the job done. You can contact them via phone at 267-506-5702 or email at [email protected].
