In the past, you needed to open your car locks manually. For some people, this is stressful and time-consuming. But vehicles now come with power locks that allow you to open their doors with the press of a button.
Truth is, power locks do fail. And it can be quite frustrating. So, what happens when your Honda Civic’s power locks just won’t work?
In this article, we’d be looking at how the power locks work, the common reasons why they fail to work in Honda Civic vehicles, and how you can fix the problem on your own.
How Do Power Locks Work?
When you got your Honda Civic, it came with a key fob. Anytime you want to unlock the car, you simply need to press one of the buttons on the key fob. Immediately, the doors of the car unlock automatically and you can gain access.
The same procedure applies when you want to lock the car. You only need to press a button on the key fob and the car doors lock automatically. This saves you the trouble of going around to lock each of the doors one after the other.
Honda Civic Power Locks Not Working: Likely Causes & How to Fix
Check the key fob’s battery
This is about the most common reason why the power locks aren’t responding. As a result, the first thing you should check when the locks malfunction is the battery in the key fob. Most likely, your problem is not with the car doors.
The key fob comes with a battery that could die with time. You need to check to see if this battery is still working or it needs a change. Most times, a simple visual evaluation can tell you if you need to change the battery or not. However, to be double sure, you can test the battery with a multimeter.
Check the key fob for damages
After checking the battery, if it is still working and the doors don’t open, then your key fob may be damaged. The key fob has a very simple circuit. You can check if all is well with this circuit.
Sometimes, the problem is that the key fob is not sending or receiving signals anymore. If this is the case, you should reach out to your dealer. They can confirm what the problem is with a computer program. They can try reprogramming the key fob.
If they do this and it doesn’t work, then you have to change the key fob. Also, if your key fob has fallen accidentally and part of it is broken, it may not function as it should. You should also speak to your dealer to help you program a new key fob for your car.
Check for single-door malfunction
As we mentioned earlier, sometimes, one door may be the problem. This is why we suggest that you check the power locks door by door. If it is just one door that isn’t responding, it means that it has a wiring problem.
In this case, you will need the help of a professional to rip out the door. They will now, check it for wiring problems. Such problems could arise from wear and tear, bridging cables, or broken circuits. A mechanic can detect any of these easily and help to fix them in no time.
Check for a blown fuse
What if you use the single-door checking and none of the doors responds? You are likely dealing with a blown fuse. Fuses are integral to the different electrical circuits in your Honda Civic. This is because they help to protect different electrical components of the car from power surges.
As such, when there is a power surge, the fuse gets blown to break the circuit before it damages the associated component. If your power locks aren’t working, you could be dealing with a blown fuse. The good news here is that it is easy to locate fuses and replacing them costs very little.
All you need to do is go to the fuse box of your car and check the fuse map. This will direct you to the fuse associated with the power locks. Check if the fuse is out of place first. If it is, simply place it back correctly. However, if it was properly placed before, you need to change the fuse to solve the problem.
Check for solenoid issues
This could also be a problem if one or two of your power locks are not functioning. A layman cannot detect solenoid issues. As such, we suggest that you take the car to a mechanic to help check the solenoid of each door lock. In most cases, they will need to replace the solenoid.
Defrost the power lock
Asides from being open automatically, you can also open your doors manually. You need to move the lock forwards and backward manually while pressing the auto-lock button. When doing this, the key must be on.
If you notice that the lock is trying to move, you could be dealing with a frozen lock. In this case, you will use a lighter, match flame, or hairdryer to heat the lock mechanism. This issue is more common in colder regions. Once the lock thaws out, it should function normally.
Apply lubricant
Sometimes, the problem with your power locks is that they are lacking lubricant. As a result, the friction between the parts makes them stiff and unresponsive. You can solve this problem by spraying some multi-purpose lubricant over the lock. After doing this, allow it to stay for 10 minutes then try to open them.
Conclusion
In this post, we have shown you the reasons why your Honda Civic Power Locks are not working. We have also provided you with different solutions to the problem. If none of these methods work, you need to visit your mechanic to help out.
