Burning out door actuators
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=65656
Printed Date: May 28, 2024 at 3:54 PM
Topic: Burning out door actuators
Posted By: 93gt--z
Subject: Burning out door actuators
Date Posted: November 05, 2005 at 1:06 PM
Hey guys, I got a question for ya... I installed an alarm in my car back in Feb./05...My car never had power locks, but I installed door actuators into each door, and wired them up with two relays. About three months after that(they worked fine by the way), I was wiring in a varad scanner, and I thought I shorted them out, and burnt both out. Well that was fine, I got another set, and they worked, problem solved...Well just the other day, my newer set of actuators stopped working..I just ripped the door panels apart again, and both actuators were burnt out again... My question is- Why do they keep burning out after approx. three months of use? I checked the relays, and both seem to be functioning properly, but I'm not getting any power to the actuators...?I was thinking maybe a bad ground? or one of the wires that go from the relay to the actuator being bad and shorting or something? Also, not sure how revelent it is, but I had to wire my alarm scanner up using three relays, because my alarm doesn't have a "ground when armed" wire. Basically the scanner is turned on by taping into the unlock and lock wires from the alarm modual(same ones that go to my actuator relays), and the three relays function together turning ther scanner on and off...The scanner has worked perfect since I installed it, and still works how it should. So could this be contributing to my problem? I really appriciate any help given, and since my baby is going away for winter in a week or so, I really want this problem solved soon...Thanks
Replies:
Posted By: KarTuneMan
Date Posted: November 05, 2005 at 1:51 PM
Deppends on the quality of the product.....don't use "the cheapest one you can find" I personally use SPAL products. If you think about what this thing has to do.....thats alot of work....specially for a 5 dollar piece of junk. If the unit your using (the alarm) has programable adjustable lock pulses, make sure it set for the shortest poss. https://www.spal-usa.com/ -------------
Posted By: steezs
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 2:19 AM
Also some cars have a special thing in the doors that dont let the car lock unless you have the door closed. So if you try to start the car with doors open it forces the motor to try and lock but it cant sometimes if you do this too much it screws up the actuators.
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THE DUCE
Posted By: dualsport
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 10:24 AM
I checked the relays, and both seem to be functioning properly, but I'm not getting any power to the actuators...?I was thinking maybe a bad ground? or one of the wires that go from the relay to the actuator being bad and shorting or something?
Are you saying the relay contacts got burned? If the actuators aren't getting any power, I wouldn't expect them to work. Are the relays rated properly to handle the current the actuators require?
Did both things (relays and actuators) fail at the same time?
If the actuators failed, it seems unlikely that they all failed at the same time after working for a while; if that's what happened, it's more likely to be the relay control.
Maybe you should monitor the on time to the actuator as mentioned and see if they're not staying on too long; the actuators are probably only meant for a short pulse time.
Posted By: steezs
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 1:49 PM
do you have fuses on the relays for the doors locks?
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THE DUCE
Posted By: infinkc
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 4:35 PM
sounds like the actuators are staying on during unlock or lock for a longer period of time than required.
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There are 10 types of people in the world, ones that understand binary and ones that dont.
Posted By: 93gt--z
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 5:10 PM
I have my alarm set for a shorter pulse(0.8sec.)...not sure what the actuators are generally rated at. The actuators failed, but I don't think the relays have yet, cause both(relays) are clicking when they should be. Hopefully I can go over every wire to and from the relays tomorrow and see where the problem lies. The relays all have fuses, and all are still good as far as I could see. The actuators are just cheaper ones, but my idea was get them working right before I buy a good set, so I don't burn out even more moneys worth...lol I was thinking also, that they do seem to "stay on" longer then really would be required...Like it would go "unlock, quick pause of still pushing, then power released" if you know what I mean.
Posted By: ringojam
Date Posted: November 06, 2005 at 7:14 PM
Put good quality acuators in your car the cheapones are crap,I have a spal acuator made in 1995 and still going strong and use good relays such as bosch 
Posted By: dualsport
Date Posted: November 07, 2005 at 9:52 PM
Just because relays click doesn't always mean they're good, because they could get burned contacts, which won't pass the current they need to. Easy enough to rule that out, so you should check that first, especially since you mentioned the actuators weren't getting power.
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