Do your car doors lock and unlock on their own? It can be particularly uneven when your vehicle’s doors start locking and unlocking while you are cruising. Cars with manual locking systems will not experience this problem, since once manually locked, a car manual door will remain locked until the key turns in the reverse direction.
The car door locking and unlocking is a common problem with electrical locking systems. Modern cars offer the opportunity to lock or unlock all doors at once. In this article, we will be covering the solutions and answer for why my power locks keep locking and unlocking.
Table of Contents
Why Do Power Locks Keep Locking And Unlocking?
All of a sudden, the electrical locking system fails with doors either failing to open/lock. Below are the reasons why this could happen.
1. Key Battery Not Functioning Properly
Every electrical component to work and function properly needs a power supplement. If you use your key fob to open and close car locks and it doesn’t work properly, check the key battery. The most common problem with the key locking system is the battery. Therefore check your car battery to see if it is functioning properly or not.
Fix:
First, check if the key battery is the culprit and is improper. Replace the car battery with the help of a manufacturer. Usually, car keys are of four buttons and the battery is also easily available. If changing the battery doesn’t do anything to remedy the problem these are the other steps that you can take. Try taking the key fob apart and carefully checking to make sure that none of the buttons seem to be out of place or broken.
2. Faulty Door Lock Actuator
The function of a door lock actuator is to turn an electric signal into a mechanical movement. All the central locking systems, no matter how simple or complex the structure is face these problems when they lose the signal. A weak or failing door lock actuator may still be operating the door lock, but you may experience sluggish or intermittent operation from the door lock. The power door lock operates unpredictably. 
Fix:
Car door locks are designed to lock and unlock a door without the effort of pulling on a cable and rod. Replacing a door lock actuator is not an easy task. Replacement cost is very high, however, aftermarket prices are a bit cheaper.
For doing it yourself, you will need to remove the door cover. The access inside the door is limited and you would need a small flashlight to see inside the door. In many cars, the window regulator or the outer door handle may also need to be removed, which is a bit tricky. The most difficult part is to properly connect all the cables and levers after the new door lock actuator is installed.
3. Replace The Key Fob
If you have a faulty key fob, then you might face key improper locking and unlocking problems. You can visit the dealer and they will be able to check with the help of a computer and program it properly. Nowadays key fobs are programmed with codes that the vehicle has to read before it unlocks the door or allows starting the engine. So if the program is deleted or a minor change has occurred, the key fob will not function properly.
Fix:
You can do two to three things in that. The first is to replace the key fob. You can buy a key fob online and then have it programmed at a dealership or by a locksmith. But they might not guarantee you that the keyfob might continue to function. And that’s obvious because they aren’t suppliers. The second thing you can do is program your key again provided you have the metal key in your hand. The dealer will charge a small amount of fee for it, but you can even get into your car and start it.
How Can The Key Misfunctioning Be Avoided?
Power locks keep locking and unlocking, key fob not working, car getting locked itself, car sensor not working are the common problems that are related to your key. These are examples of key misfunctioning. So here are a few things to avoid car door-related problems.
1. Maintain Your Keys
Ensure you keep your car key in a safe place always. It’s always better to store them in the same place every time. This way you can easily locate them and no dents or scratches will spoil your key. Never leave your car keys in the car when you exit. Put them in your pockets when you have them. Use a bright-colored key chain can also help you keep track of your keys. Some other colorful items to use to help you keep track of your keys.
2. Make Sure Your Car Door Is Closing Properly
Keep it noted that a lock functions correctly if the door is properly installed and correctly prepared for the lock. If your car takes a lot of pressure to get closed then this can also be a sign that your locks are improper. Never slam your doors. It can make the screws and hinges loose of the car.
3. Body Controller Should Be Proper
The body controller is like a computer in your car. It takes care of a lot of things that will make your car friendlier. In the case of power locks the body control monitors all of the possible sources of an “unlock” or “lock” signal. When it receives a signal from any of the sources, it provides power to the actuator that will lock and unlock your door. So this can be a one-word answer for why my power locks keep locking and unlocking.
Conclusion
Once you go through all the reasons and if you have understood what’s wrong then you can easily fix it. You should be able to feel more informed. One of the above reasons can be the cause of your issues. However, power locks keep locking and unlocking problem can be easily fixed by installing a new part or replacing the battery. But unfortunately, some of the problems are more complex and might require personal assistance.
If you don’t have basic knowledge of the car lock mechanism then DIY should not be tried to fix the central locking problems. The electrical system of a car is intricate and knowledge is needed to repair it without damaging the system.