How long does the door lock relay work?

If you have a new model car, there's a good chance it has power door locks. While they can certainly make life quite convenient, they still have drawbacks that can "wear out" or break. As a rule, in order to unlock or block ...

If you have a new model car, there's a good chance it has power door locks. While they can certainly make life quite convenient, they still have drawbacks that can "wear out" or break.

Usually, to unlock or lock your car, you press the appropriate button on your keyless remote or on a button inside your car. Now, when you're in the car and want to open the passenger door, you don't have to reach across the seat trying to push the button. Instead, you will have a button on the driver's side that controls all the doors. When you press the button, it completes a circuit that runs through the door lock relay. This relay is actually a switch, if you will, and it turns on the power needed to unlock the doors.

From time to time, this door lock relay can break, which means that you will not be able to complete this circuit and open the door. There is no set lifespan for this particular part, but it is clear that the more it wears, the less time it will last. And keep in mind, since it's an electrical component, something can go wrong even if it's fairly new.

Here are some typical signs that a show might not be working properly:

• You press a button on a keyless remote (FOB device) and nothing happens
• You press the button inside your car to unlock the doors and nothing happens.
• They can lock but not unlock, or vice versa. In other words, they are unreliable.

The good news is that even though your power door locks may stop working due to a faulty door lock relay, you can always open them manually. You can lean across the seat to open the passenger door and get in and out of the car by inserting the key into the lock. In this matter, it all comes down to the convenience factor. There is absolutely no safety aspect here, as it will not affect the performance of your vehicle.

If you experience any of these symptoms and suspect that the door lock relay needs to be replaced, you can get a diagnosis or have a door lock relay replacement service from a professional mechanic at your convenience.