1999 Buick Park Avenue Keyless Entry malfuntion

RESTINOSE

MEMBER
1999 BUICK PARK AVENUE

Electrical problem
1999 Buick Park Avenue 6 cyl Wheel Drive Type unknown Automatic 98546 miles

My sister in law's Park Ave. Has a problem w/the keyless entry system. It started as an intermitant problem. The pass. Side locking system would only work w/keyfob and not the actual key in the door? Now it will not work at all. The door cannot be opened at all. The keyfob doesn't actuate the lock and the key in the door does not unlock the door manually. I suspect that it is either a wiring problem or some sort of electro-mechanical/electo-magnetic switching problem. A mechanic told her that it was the "lock", She got a replacement at a salvage yard that was either bad or did not correct the problem. I consider myself a competentant non-professional mechanic, but I am not familiar with these systems. Any information you could give me regarding trouble shooting this problem would be greatly appreciated. I can only assume based on the information she has given me that there is some type of magnetic solenoid in the door or lock itself that is malfuntioning?

1 Reply

ED ARMES

MECHANIC
129 POSTS

The lock should work with the key regardless of the electronis involved unless the electric mechanis is stuck in the lock mode. Have you removed the fuse to the windows and tried manually to unlock?

When you try to use the remote, do you hear any noise like the solenoid is trying to operate?

When useing the key, does the tumbler turn in both directions?

When replaceing the lock, with panel removed, where you able to manually operate the mechanism with your hand.

May have to go back to the parts yard and pull the door ketch mechanism ( these items rarely fail but could jam ) and replace the whole works.