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Power locks malfunctioning

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Technical Discussion' started by DrTrivia, Jan 30, 2017.

  1. DrTrivia

    DrTrivia Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2014
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    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Started having this issue with my 2011 Prius III. The driver door stopped locking/unlocking with the keyfob. I can still be manually unlocked with the key, and from the inside with the lock switch. It is not affected by the lock/unlock buttons on the driveside door. The problem is not intermittent, it just stopped working. A little while after that, something similar started happening with the front passenger side door. The keyfob will (sometimes) lock that door, but cannot unlock it. That lock is also unaffected by the driverside door lock/unlock buttons. This problem was intermittent at first, but then became constant. I'm finally getting around to opening up the doors next weekend, but it would save me a lot of time if I had some idea of what to look for beforehand.

    In previous cars I've had this issue with I've had problems with broken cables that lead to the electric actuator. Not sure if the prius is similar, since my repair manual does not have a diagram of the inside of the doors. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
     
    #1 DrTrivia, Jan 30, 2017
  2. Kramah313

    Kramah313 Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2015
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    Location:
    Dallas, TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Had this happen on my passenger door. Replaced the lock actuator with the help of a friend who is good at car repair. It's a fairly big part that contains both the actual locking mechanism for the door and the actuator motor. We disconnected the cables that go to the switch from the old one and reconnected them to the new one. He said it was pretty easy, although not being mechanical it didn't seem as easy to me. Ordered a refurbished one on eBay for about $45, with lifetime warranty if I send back the old one (probably so the seller can refurbish it too). Fixed the problem, and saved hundreds since mechanics want $350 or so for a new part. Good luck!
     
    #2 Kramah313, Jan 30, 2017
  3. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
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    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    Do a search on here for "actuator".
    Common failure.
     
    #3 Sam Spade, Jan 30, 2017
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
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    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    could be your fob battery or 12 volt battery. are you saying the actuators work from the inside electric door switch?
     
    #4 bisco, Jan 30, 2017
  5. DrTrivia

    DrTrivia Member

    Joined:
    Dec 28, 2014
    44
    27
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    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thanks for the replies. It was bad actuators. Don't know why, when I searched the forum, I looked for "power locks" instead of "actuators" since I should have checked both. I got two new ones on eBay (thank you Kramah313) for a decent price. Removal and installation were very easy and everything works just fine now.
     
    #5 DrTrivia, Feb 17, 2017
    Kramah313 likes this.
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