Help - Knackered Lock mechanism on MK2 Mondeo

PinkFloyd · 28 Feb 2014 at 11:29

The drive side lock has given up the ghost on my ST24. For a while the central locking has been hit and miss but it's gradually got worse with occasional issues in locking or unlocking.
Today it's completely died - car is unlocked and I have no way of locking it. Key in the door seems to do nothing at all and I've not got a bleeper key.

Has anyone got any suggestions of potential quick fixes or a workaround to lock it? I'm stuck at work until 11pm tonight so can't really go around garages today and I don't fancy leaving it locked overnight.

Would the RAC potentially be able to help at all?

Howard · 28 Feb 2014 at 11:32

Can you not lock it from the inside via another door?

PinkFloyd · 28 Feb 2014 at 18:38

I managed to get the car locked in the end. Locked it from internally on the driver door and then the key locked it from the passenger side. Figuring at this point I might have locked myself out of the car I tried opening again from the driver side - all worked fine including central locking both for opening and closing it....

So at least the mechanisms aren't knackered. I'm guessing there is either a flakey connection somewhere or my key is on it's last legs - it does look a bit worn, I'll try the spare key for the next few days and see how things go!

Need to start looking for a new car anyway!

ttaskmaster · 1 Mar 2014 at 00:39

Always worth phoning up a few local vehicle-specialist locksmiths.

MatteH Oxford · 2 Mar 2014 at 14:32

Any ford key from that era, which is the same 'lolly stick' shape, will lock your car. I expect the tumblers inside the driver's door lock barrel are worn, along with wear on the key. If the key in question opens the passenger side & operates the ignition fine = lock is worn more than the key.

As for the central locking (and the alarm switches), it's pretty simple to test as the car has a built in test to help point you in the right direction of a fault. Open the bonnet and tap the bonnet switch 8 times in under 10 seconds. The horn should sound, this means you are in the "self test mode" feature. Opening and closing the doors/boot/bonnet & locking/unlocking the doors should sound the horn. If, when performing those actions, the horn doesn't sound, then you have a fault on that particular opening.

The lock barrel has a plastic collar wrapped around it & one of two little plastic switched "prongs" is depressed when you either lock or unlock the door with the key. My bet is that this is faulty or there is a bad connection in the loom where it passes from the car body into the door.

PinkFloyd · 3 Mar 2014 at 07:46

Great post there! Thanks for the help, I'll look into whether it is something I can check myself or whether I'l just send it to a garage!

MatteH Oxford · 3 Mar 2014 at 16:08

PinkFloyd said:
Great post there! Thanks for the help, I'll look into whether it is something I can check myself or whether I'l just send it to a garage!

Apologies for not replying earlier, I'm working away in London ATM and I hate replying on my phone. BTW, the plastic collar I was referring to is the central locking switch, hopefully that was obvious. Unbelievably I can't seem to find a photo of one online.

Good luck, any further questions just ask ( I spent the latter part of my apprenticeship working on these cars. Shame that it wasn't a few years further back, I used to known all the wiring colours etc without looking at a diagram - might be able to magic one of those later if needed )