Central Locking Dilemma.

[Morganboy1]

Hi, can anyone of you guys offer some advice?
We have a C/L Problem with our 2009 Swift Bolero. Went to lock the MH using the remote and was unable to lock the habitation door. ( a Hartal door). Upon close inspection I discovered the wiring loom at the bottom of the door had broken, probably due to the times the door had been opened and closed over the years weakening the wires. (4 of them). I need to remove the complete interior door panel to access the wiring, and I guess I need to extend the wires as they have severed right at the bottom of the door. Has anyone ever had to remove the door panel for any reasons. Any advice would be wevolmed.

 

[ramsthom]

Not the same problem as you but the blind on mine needs replacing. Not doing this myself but I have removed the dark brown panel. Its removed by removing the handle and then gently prise the panel off the Velcro pads holding it on. The other beige panel is more difficult. According to the dealer I approached the panel is held to the door with strong double sided tape and has to be prised off very gently with a thin wide tool. Hopefully this will expose the wiring to be replaced. Hope this helps.

 

[suavecarve]

Sounds like very good advice. I would use 2 tools so you could overlap them and give consideration to something like a tennis ball or but of 2x2 or 3x3 to keep the gap available whilst you do the work if youre not going to remove the whole covering

Question. Was the wiring loom too big or too small ?

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[Feltwell]

I've had a similar problem on a couple of cars now, where the wires flex as they enter the tailgate, the copper core breaks and sometimes leaves the insulation intact, giving an intermittent fault which is a pig to trace! The only way to deal with it properly was to chop about a foot out of the loom and then splice in a new foot of wiring, joined either side where no flex happens, using decent quality cable. These butt connectors work really well for joints that never need to come apart - you crimp them shut, then heat them with a hot air gun and they shrink around the cable and release an adhesive inside, to give a totally weatherproof joint.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adhesive...hash=item1c38f0ccbe:m:ms-tuZd_cx37dmSH7VXSzZg

I reckon you'll need to take the panel off completely - sets of plastic car trim pry tools are cheap on Ebay and work well for separating bits without damaging them. I've got some air wedges as well, little mini airbags that you can push into gaps and pump up to gently push things apart, useful for all kinds of things.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Air-...484977?hash=item238e6edab1:g:FPEAAOSwQm9ZxSEx

 

[Morganboy1]

Not quite sure about the length of the loom, there was some slack when the door was fully open, possibly too much which may have caused the problem because it was squashed when the door closed. It’s a pain it has broken almost inside the bottom of the door as there is no way I can repair it without removing the door panel. Thanks for your input.

 

[hilldweller]

and the splice in a new foot of wiring, joined either side where no flex happens, using decent quality cable.

And if you want the best try to buy Robotics Cable. You see the robot's arms wagging about, that needs proper job cable, hundreds of hair like strands, it would last about 2765 years on a hab door.

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[Feltwell]

I don't think the length of the loom makes a lot of odds - it has to flex somewhere and it will always settle to be at one spot, and a hab door opening 180 degrees, so much more than a cab or car door, must make it worse. It's a shame they don't build contacts and retractable pins into the door and frame instead - so no cable to flex - after all, it only needs to work when it's shut! More cost I guess.

Robotics cable sounds like a good shout, not seen that myself.

 

[WillH]

Our 2008 Bessacarr door panel is secured with a few dozen very small self tappers. The only double sided tape is round the window.

 

[Gellyneck]

As said above if you need panel removal tools I got a set of these and found them fairly robust (and useful)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11pc-Car...312504?hash=item21340ee678:g:ZS8AAOSw3ZNZduo0

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[PeteH]

I am using this:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silicone...var=471432411178&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

To remake and upgrade some wiring in my Classic Car. It remains very flexible even at low temperatures.

 

[Diabalo]

As said above if you need panel removal tools I got a set of these and found them fairly robust (and useful)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11pc-Car...312504?hash=item21340ee678:g:ZS8AAOSw3ZNZduo0

Now you've gone and dunnit, I have got to get a set of those now.

 

[sallylillian]

And if you want the best try to buy Robotics Cable. You see the robot's arms wagging about, that needs proper job cable, hundreds of hair like strands, it would last about 2765 years on a hab door.

Surely you mean 2768?

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[Geo]

Now you've gone and dunnit, I have got to get a set of those now.

Those are the preferred and recommended trade tool for removing trim, dash, and door cards alike

 

[DanielFord]

We have that exact same door (it's a Hartalite by the way) to remove the panel you need a door card remover (available at halfords). Now do the following:

1. Remove the big internal pull bar handle, it is secure by 2 allan key bolts.
2. Gently prise the surround on the door handle, it clips on, and the will be roughly 4 spacers under it.
3. Take you door card remover and un-pop the studs that hold it on, they are evenly spaced at the seam between the cream and brown segments, 5 if I recall.
4. Now the brown bit should be free, pull gently from the circular edge so that it tilts, and then unhook it from the door latch bars, and store it somewhere.
5. You can now remove the large panel, but to be honest, I would un-pop it at the bottom just enough to give you access to the wires.

You can now go ahead and replace the wires.

 

[Gellyneck]

Now you've gone and dunnit, I have got to get a set of those now.

Sorry, buddy.

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[Bessie10]

Thank you all for your input on this topic. We have the same problem with the loom breaking. We have tried connecting the spare wires in the loom but that isn't a solution for us so the next thing is to splice in some new wiring. Really like the robotics stuff but need to know what gauge i would need to use.
One other thing....is it easy to replace the door panel after pulling it away from double sided tape, velcro etc. Concerned that there will be a misfit and that it will never be the same again!!!!

 

[Wagoneer]

My Hartal hab door doesn't have the central locking facility. Can't say it really bothers me. We always exit via the hab door and just lock it in the traditional way. Mind you, my alarm system is an independent system and needs to be armed separately.

I believe the more recent Hartal doors have dispensed with the wires between door and frame in preference to a spring loaded contact device between door and frame. Don't know if it's possible to install this retrospectively ?