I have a 1998 Honda Accord LX V-tech engine, 170,000 miles.

Whenever I go to the car and use the key button to unlock the doors, I can see all the doors try to unlock, but it stops, then goes back down.

Those things you can pull up manually from inside the car to get out, pop up about 1/2 way, then it gives up and pops back down. Maybe a year ago, only 1 did this. Now all 4 of them try to come up, but fail to follow through and stay up when unlocking the doors.

It can't be a weak car battery, because it is 6 months old. I am thinking maybe the actuators are gummy? But surprised all 4 are having the same trouble at the same time.

What should I try to do? Take the panels off and see if I can spray lubricant on the moving parts? or do I have to remove the actuators from inside the doors and clean/lube them? is this a lot of trouble?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

Symptoms suggest a common fault. They share ground so suggest starting w/ checking ground connection. I don't have my shop manuals so can't provide a location.

Also possible to have a wiring fault in the door jumper of the driver's door. This get's flexed the most and can fail.

Look at Online Manuals post in DIY forum for a download, or purchase a manual from automanualsource.com for $22.

good luck

 

When you mean "door jumper", are you talking about the wiring (inside a rubber hose) that goes from the door to the car near the hinges?

I would think if the wires of driver door gets flexed the most, that that door would have the problem first, but it was the rear passenger side was flakey in the beginning. This may be a possibility, and I will consider looking (measuring resistance) at the driver door. Do I look at the ground wire from the door to the car? or the actual ground wire from the "unlocking switches" to the actuators?

 

Yes, the jumper is the hose covered wire harness.

You need shop manual w/ wiring diagram. I suspect you will need to measure resistance from under dash on driver's side (ground location) to the control panel of the drivers door.

good luck

 

try this


set the intermittent wiper ring to the middle position and then turn the car on for 10 seconds and then turn off.

stuff should start working again.