Central Locking Problem

July 4, 2010

Hi everyone...newbie here so please be gentle!

I have a 1998 Avensis 1.8GS. It has just developed a problem with the central locking. It was working fine until yesterday....the remote will lock the doors no problem but for some reason it won't unlock - a light flashes but no "clunk" so I have to open with the key.

The only other info I can offer is that the interior light won't come on when I open the door but will come on permanently if I move the switch.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

July 4, 2010

Hi everyone...newbie here so please be gentle!
I have a 1998 Avensis 1.8GS. It has just developed a problem with the central locking. It was working fine until yesterday....the remote will lock the doors no problem but for some reason it won't unlock - a light flashes but no "clunk" so I have to open with the key.
The only other info I can offer is that the interior light won't come on when I open the door but will come on permanently if I move the switch.
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!

Hi,

First thing to try is your spare key - does that work ok ?

Either way if your original still does not work then try reprogramming it - full instructions in your Toyota Owners Handbook.

If that deos not work you could try changing the batteries, 2 in each key, but you will have to reprogram each key afterwards, so only replace the batteries in one at a time incase you loose the program on both.

July 4, 2010

Hi everyone...newbie here so please be gentle!
I have a 1998 Avensis 1.8GS. It has just developed a problem with the central locking. It was working fine until yesterday....the remote will lock the doors no problem but for some reason it won't unlock - a light flashes but no "clunk" so I have to open with the key.
The only other info I can offer is that the interior light won't come on when I open the door but will come on permanently if I move the switch.
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks!
Hi,
First thing to try is your spare key - does that work ok ?
Either way if your original still does not work then try reprogramming it - full instructions in your Toyota Owners Handbook.
If that deos not work you could try changing the batteries, 2 in each key, but you will have to reprogram each key afterwards, so only replace the batteries in one at a time incase you loose the program on both.

Thanks for that. The spare key doesn't work either. I have tried reprogramming both but to no avail.

Strangely I have just discovered that the alarm doesn't work either!

July 4, 2010

Oh this is wierd because I am having trouble with the tailgate on my newer VVTI and it's down to a loose wire by the looks. Which door switch were you pressing ? If it is just that one then my bet is it's the switch or the wire to it that has gone. CAREFULLY undo the switch and take it out bearing in mind there is a wire attached (or should be) to the back and see if the wire is frayed. Of course if it's ANY door then have a look at the fuses , possibly the dome one which (if memory serves me right) can affect central locking.

December 9, 2020

Hi guys. I have referenced this forum throughout the past year in relation to a central locking issue very similar to those mentioned above. I bought a 2010 Avensis TR back in February, the central locking was only half working at the point of sale, and was pointed out by the one previous owner at our private sale. He had it fixed previously by the dealer and the same problem returned some time later. he decided at that point to leave it, as it was mostly used by himself for work, driving long distances from home.

I am not on here now to suggest a definite fix for this issue, but more by way of adding to the hope that it may not necessarily always be a major issue.

If you read through the forum, the common factor does seem to be connected to the internal, or dome light, on a lot of posts.

My key fob would unlock and disable the alarm, but the drivers door had then to be opened manually with the key. The boot, or valet lock, worked with the key fob. The internal central locking switch on the drivers door did not work either, therefore once having gained entry via the key, all other doors had to be unlocked manually from the inside by triggering each door mechanism manually. The key also had to be removed from the ignition to operate the fob to unlock the boot. Once having driven any distance, the door safety locks kicked in, and all and any doors, had to be unlocked yet again at each inside door locking mechanism manually.

I just recently asked an auto spark for his opinion at a mates garage. After a cursory eyeball of the drivers door mechanism working with the key, and the other doors remaining locked, he confidently declared it 'an issue with the central control module'. With a 10 year old car this obviously meant it would be uneconomically viable to fix, as the cost would be prohibitive in relation to the value of the vehicle.

Just a few days after this, the car having been in for it's delayed MOT, which it sailed through without any advisories, I had an issue with the interior dome light. I put my hands up here as I didn't realise that the light lens's themselves are of a push on/off type mechanism. One of the lights was apparently stuck 'on', and it was only when I consulted YouTube intent on removing the bulb to save the Battery that I realised the push switch, which of course then removed the need to take out the bulb itself. In the following days I became increasingly suspicious that the doors were somehow becoming unlocked independently. I then decided to test the issue, and lo and behold, the central locking is now working completely as it should, with the key and the central locking mechanism both. The visual indication of this was when I noticed that the central door lock switch was lit, having not been so previously during my ownership.

While I haven't a clue as to the definite trigger responsible for resolving the matter, it does appear to be centred around the interior/dome light, and having been bolstered by reading previous posts on this site I thought it prudent to return the favour and add my experience, as insignificant, and lacking in definite detail as it is, for the benefit of others.