'72 C-10 door lock actuator relay clicks repeatedly

[auminer49r]

Hello Chevy people,
I just installed A-1 Electrical power door lock actuators in my 2 door 1972 C-10. I think that I followed the directions well. however, when I unlock the driver's door, nothing happens to the passenger door lock. I just hear click, click, click, repeatedly from the relay under the dash. I wired the ground to the a screw in the kickpanel vent bracket.

What could it be?
actuator not strong enough? ground not good enough in the kickpanel?
rod clamp not aligned properly in the passenger door?

I can't quite figure it out

[BMERDOC]

A simple relay shouldn't make multiple requests (click, click click). Im wondering if your dr's actuator is adjusted correctly. Release it from the lock rod (?) and manually pull up on the actuator to see if it makes a correct request and unlocks the other door. If it does then you need to adjust the dr's rod. If it still clicks I need more info. I have never installed a electric door lock system but I can imagine how they would work.

[MrBlue]

We had the same issue when we installed our electric locks. It is an adjustment issue. The actuators will travel farther than the latch allows. I would suggest that you disconnect the power to the actuator. You will also need to disconnect it from the latch. Manually move the actuator up and mark the linkage. Now move the full down position and mark this. Next move the linkage to the middle of the travel. Do the same with the door lock rod. Once you have both in the middle, reconnect. Repeat for the other door. If the actuators are set up properly, you get the issue you are talking about. Good Luck,
MrBlue

[auminer49r]

Thank you both for your advice. I'm going to give that a try. I'll let you know how it goes.

[BMERDOC]

If you fix it don't forget to tell us about it!

[auminer49r]

I took your advice, but no luck.

OK, so then I unscrewed the actuators from the doors, took the metal linkage out of them and left them hanging down loose from the door panels. I decided that I needed to know whether the linkage was the problem, or whether it was a wiring problem.

Now, if I pull out on either actuator, I hear click, click, click repeatedly from the relay ...but the other actuator does not respond at all. I took out a voltage meter and tested the purple wire going to each actuator. The purple wire carries 12V from the battery, and it is always hot. That makes sense. Both actuators do receive juice constantly. Now I am really stumped, but I have narrowed it down to a wiring problem, I believe.

What the heck could I be missing?

Thanks in advance.

[BMERDOC]

Can you actuate the other actuator by jumping the terminals at the other one? Can you scan your diagram to your computer and post it?

[auminer49r]

Originally Posted by BMERDOC

Can you actuate the other actuator by jumping the terminals at the other one? Can you scan your diagram to your computer and post it?

Thanks for the quick reply.

I am unable to scan anything from home, only from work. I am narrowing the problem down though.

On each actuator there is a brown wire, a purple wire, and a black wire(ground). The instructions say to wire the harness to the actuators color to color (purple to purple, brown to brown, black to black). I did that. pretty simple.

Now, if I push both actuators in (locked doors), I read 12.6V on the BROWN wires near the actuators (both doors). They are constantly hot if the actuators are pushed in. Conversely, if I pull both actuators out (unlock doors), I get 12.6V on the PURPLE wires on both doors. I believe that is functioning properly.

If I pull one actuator out, while the other one is in, I get click, cick, click... at the relay but no action on the other actuator. Anytime the actuators are in opposite positions, the relay clicks repeatedly, but nothing happens to the doors.

I think that maybe the relay is the problem.

[auminer49r]

Update:
I fixed the problem and got the door actuators working. I called A-1 Electric and they explained to me how I mis-read the directions. The blue and red wires do have to be hooked up in the doors, although they do not have to be hooked up to anything else under the dash... just plug the two fittings into the relay. Got it!

Thanks for your time and advice.

[BMERDOC]

Glad to see you got it fixed!

[Last_Paladin]

Can you post pics of where you put your actuators? I have the same kit here, but don't want to reinvent the wheel.