Question about door locks

[Chaos2084]

On my 2000 xterra the power door lock switch's dont work they never have since I got them. I figure it's just a relay switch but can't seem to find it. I know there is one for the Keyless entry which is by all the other relays by the battery but is there one under the driver side kick panel or something? I went down and got a new door lock relay switch from Napa but its not the one for the keyless in the engine compartment. Thats why I was wondering if there is a different one somewhere else. I tore the dash apart and none of the other ones by the steering column seem to match. Either it's the wrong part or I am just can't find it. I don't have the remotes for it, just kind of wanting to get the switches to work. I hate electrical stuff.

[Sully4x4]

When I would take my door panels off, the soldering broke and the window switch wire was completely off. I know it's different, window vs door lock, but have you taken the door panel off to check anything back there??

[Allen Cox]

The locks are controlled by the Smart Entrance Control Unit. The only power type of device in the circuit is the circuit breaker for the SECU itself.

If you take the SECU apart, you might find a solder joint has come apart inside the unit. Or you might just try unplugging it and plugging it back in. I did that to fix my wife's windows on her '02 Xterra. Just had a bad connection at the connector itself.

Also, if you unlock the driver's door with your key, and then turn it to unlock the lock again (basically unlocking the driver's door twice), will the rest of the doors unlock? Most folks don't know that the Xterra will do that. Like the Pathy's do.

With the key inserted in the front door key cylinder LH or the back door key cylinder, turning it to LOCK
locks all doors; turning it to UNLOCK once unlocks the corresponding door; turning it to UNLOCK again
within 5 seconds of the first unlock operation unlocks all other doors (signal from door key cylinder switch).

Anyway, if they all unlock (I quoted that from the service manual) then the SECU is at least getting that signal. If the locks then lock when you lock the driver's door with the key, again, the SECU is getting the signal. If you're good with electrical diagrams, you could hotwire the circuit and see if the switch itself is bad.

Otherwise, a trip to a junk yard to get a cheap lock/unlock switch might be in the near future to see if the switch is bad, or if you indeed need an SECU.

[Chaos2084]

I tried locking them and unlocking them locked all the doors manually then locked the drivers door with the key then unlocked it and unlocked again and nothing happened. So does that mean my SECU is toast? And what does this thing look like anyways? Is it that black box by the steering column? or something different.

[Allen Cox]

Sounds like your SECU is probably out.

It's located above the hood release cable mount, at the left kick panel (above) by the driver's left foot. Part #28595-7Z000 should cover it, but if give your local parts department your VIN, they'll nail it down for you. You can also take your apart and see if you see a loose solder connection. You could possibly find one in a junk yard too.

By the way, if you put in KBRASTU15 in eBay, it will pull up the remotes for our X's. It's the FCC ID # that we need. Just don't get the one with the trunk release, it's for the others that also use the same FCC #. I've seen them on there for as little as $5 and for as much as $24. Beats the dealer's price of over $100!

[Packman5280]

allen, you kick ass. seriously.

[Sully4x4]

He's pretty good at figuring out/knowing what is wrong. He's helped me out with a really dumb miss on a radiator fan problem and a high pitched annoying squealing sound, which did fix it Allen. Thanks.

[DamnHippie]

All that behavior Allen described for an Xterra SECU applies to a Frontier as well.

My SECU is the same place Allen described it. As I remember it, it's a white plastic box roughly the size and shape of a small paperback book. In my 99 the beeper for door open and left your lights on and all that is inside the SECU box. I wired a switch into mine so I can turn the beeper on and off. (I need that headlight warning in the city, but I hate the chime when my door is open on the trails.)

[elementalvoid]

All that behavior Allen described for an Xterra SECU applies to a Frontier as well.

My SECU is the same place Allen described it. As I remember it, it's a white plastic box roughly the size and shape of a small paperback book. In my 99 the beeper for door open and left your lights on and all that is inside the SECU box. I wired a switch into mine so I can turn the beeper on and off. (I need that headlight warning in the city, but I hate the chime when my door is open on the trails.)

Heh, I just disconnected the switch on the door frame to make my beeper stop. Now it always thinks the door is closed : ) Your solution is a bit more elegant...

[Stubby~CC]

Huh, That double key turn thing doesn't seem to work on my truck. I've always just used the factory remote, that way I can't lock my keys in the truck. Weird.

[Allen Cox]

You might take your door panel off and look at your lock cylinder sensor (lever with a magnet on it I think?) and see if it's still on there Stubby. Sometimes it gets knocked off when someone either tries to break into your truck or a 'slim jim' is used to get into a door.

Let us know what you find out Chaos.

[Packman5280]

Sometimes it gets knocked off when someone either tries to break into your truck or a 'slim jim' is used to get into a door.

or when you roll it on the drivers side?

[Allen Cox]

Yep, that would do it as well. You talking about me or Stubby? :D

The PhoeniX's locks still work like that! As do my remotes and lock switches. She just doesn't have the pretty factor. Not yet. ;)

[Chaos2084]

Wow thank you Allen, for all the information. I guess the black box is the security system or something not too sure. I think I will tear into that box and see if there is a loose wire in it tomorrow morning if it isn't raining. Again I really appreciate all the information and part numbers.