Rep Power: 0

When we got this 1998 Honda Civic about a month ago, the previous owner told us that the wireless remotes didn't work anymore. It was an old system that had Honda wireless remotes and a remote start system by Rattler.



So we took it to Quality Auto Sound yesterday, for a wireless remote and alarm system to replace this one.


They called us later in the afternoon and said to come pick it up. When we got there, they started demonstrating what it would do, but it wouldn't LOCK the doors with the remote. We're going: WFT?



They said that the doors would lock with the door open, but then it wouldn't when they showed it to us with the door closed. They had their tech look at it for another 20 minutes, then they came back and told us that sometimes, because it's an older car, the opening and closing of the doors will break one of the wires that goes to all the door locks.


Indeed, I couldn't lock the doors with the driver's side master lock switch, and now I know why. Arghh...



So the alarm works, but the remotes cant open and lock the doors.



Now I'm gonna have to find someone who can troubleshoot and replace whatever broken wiring there is. ( hope it doesn't cost a lot ) I'd do it myself but don't do well crawling under the dash ( back ain't so great anymore at my age ), and every time I take door panels off, I wind up breaking some of the tabs that hold them on.


This is frustrating, in light of the fact that we had a 93 Corolla wagon for YEARS and it never did this.


But I'm a former electronics technician. Is door wiring hard to fix myself?

 
Rep Power: 519

Correct fix would be a new floor harness.

If you get creative, it's doable. Wires probably broke off flush with the terminals in the connector at the door, and it's not easy to get them released to repair.
You need wiring that is very flexible, and you need to replace all of it-- not just one broken wire. You will see why once you get into it.

I'd disconnect it from the door, then pull the broken harness inside the car, lengthen it enough to have all fresh wire in the jamb area and pass into the inside of the door instead of connecting on the outside of the front edge..