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1996 Lexus Lx 450


RoweFarms

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I have had this car since new. Several years ago, a random door unlocking and locking problem started. It is now happening just about every time the car is driven.

Always happen when: Car has 4 or more people in it (or are hauling something) and you take a sharp turn (left turn is worse than right turn). The doors will unlock themselves. The more "g's" you experience in the turn, the more often it happens. If you continue like on a winding road, the doors will automatically lock and unlock as you are driving.

Often happens when: Same conditions as above, but with the car not loaded. Again, the more G's. the more likely it is to happen.

Seldom but increasingly frequent - You stop the car and get out. The car automatically locks! If you lock it and walk away sometimes in will unlock by itself. It is nerve racking because now when I go to the mall, lock the car, many times I come back to the car and it is unlocked.

Any ideas? In 2004 I pointed out the problem to the Lexus dealer, Johnson Lexus of Raleigh and they couldn't replicate the problem. I am scheduled to take it in tomorrow and now that it is happening regularly maybe they can replicate it, but if there are any ideas out there on the problem, it would be helpful if I could suggest what the problem is.

RoweFArms

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try not using the fob. leave it at the house and lock and unlock with the key. no alarm that way but the fob just might be the culprit.

Well, it happens even if the fob and key is left in the house. It happens when I am driving with my key/fob and when my wife is driving with her key/fob so I think it is unlikely that both fobs are bad, but I like your idea. It certainly could explain the problem. I will try leaving the fob home. Thanks!

Added:

I left the fob at home and just took the key. The same problem occured.

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That's strange, and I don't have any real good ideas what could be causing it. I'm guessing something's a miss with the alarm unit. Let us know what the dealer comes us with.

Well Johnson Lexus has fixed it (I think.)

The problem was that the striker was not fully engaging the latch in the front passenger door creating a random signal that the door was open. The computer took the signal and decided to lock or unlock all the doors as it saw fit. The mechanic could duplicate the random problem by just leaning on the passenger door while he was sitting in the car. The striker was adjusted and I could not duplicate the problem on the drive home :)

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Well Johnson Lexus has fixed it (I think.)

The problem was that the striker was not fully engaging the latch in the front passenger door creating a random signal that the door was open. The computer took the signal and decided to lock or unlock all the doors as it saw fit. The mechanic could duplicate the random problem by just leaning on the passenger door while he was sitting in the car. The striker was adjusted and I could not duplicate the problem on the drive home :)

Cool. Good to know. Haven't heard of that one before.

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  • 3 months later...
That's strange, and I don't have any real good ideas what could be causing it. I'm guessing something's a miss with the alarm unit. Let us know what the dealer comes us with.

Well Johnson Lexus has fixed it (I think.)

The problem was that the striker was not fully engaging the latch in the front passenger door creating a random signal that the door was open. The computer took the signal and decided to lock or unlock all the doors as it saw fit. The mechanic could duplicate the random problem by just leaning on the passenger door while he was sitting in the car. The striker was adjusted and I could not duplicate the problem on the drive home :)

I was going to suggest the striker...I had the same problem and the same solution resolved it.

my doors would unlock on hard left hand turns and when I drove fast over bumpy roads.

the dome light would flash as well as the "door ajar" light on the dash.

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