Remote central locking problem

Ethan · 12-01-2006, 06:25 AM

Hi,
Can anyone help me please. I have a 98 Sportage which has developed a door lock problem. I can't unlock the doors using the remote, and if I use the key it just opens that door. I can however lock them using the remote, and the button to unlock must be working because I have to press it to turn the imobilisor off.
Thanks

hvac1000 · 12-01-2006, 02:31 PM

Sounds like you might have a remote controler problem.

menotthat · 01-02-2007, 07:52 PM

ethan, you are not the only one with that problem. I have a 97 with the same problem. still no ideas on fixing it. it is a pain in the rain. let us know if you find the problem...and i likewise.

mgbgt1972 · 01-02-2007, 08:27 PM

When was the last time you changed the battery in the remote?

menotthat · 01-02-2007, 10:14 PM

should that make much of a difference. it still locks fine from a few meters away. and from inside the car i can hear a click when i press the unlock button coming from behind the glove box.

MrPizza · 01-30-2007, 07:03 AM

I am having the same problem with kia sephia (1996/97) . Remoute lock work fine, remoute unlock don't work, ther is a click when u try to unlock the door, which i think comes from the ETACM (Electronic time and Alarm control modul). Has anybody solved the problem.

Thanks.

BobTucker · 01-31-2007, 12:24 AM

I had this problem. I could use the remote to turn off the immobilizer, but I could not use the remote to unlock the doors. I replaced the battery without effect. The problem proved to be that the contacts on the circuit board in the remote had oxidized in time. I disassembled the remote and cleaned both the locking and unlocking contacts using a soft pencil rubber eraser. I similarly cleaned the contact surfaces of the rods in the buttons that make contact with the circuit board, and I rotated the rods 90 degrees to provide fresh contact surfaces. I had replaced the battery shortly before I cleaned the contacts, so I did not replace it a second time. When I reassembled the remote, it again locked and unlocked the doors. It has been a number of months sice I did this, and there have been no further problems.

MrPizza · 03-23-2007, 12:50 PM

On Sephia I cleaned the remote contacts but that had no efect on the door lock/unlock problem.
After a visit at a KIA workshop, where the diagnose was a fault modul whitch is guite expensive (the diagnose the technican made-ODB was FALSE, the problem was not that module) I decided that i try to repair it myselfe, before waisting the money for his false diagnose.

The problem was on the ETACM, one of the lock/unlock relays was fault. I replaced the fault relay and the door lock is working again.
The relay is soldered to the ETACM (the relay to the midle of the board is the unlock relay the one to the side of the board is the lock relay). I make no waranty, that the replace could fix your doorlock problem. If you try this I take no responcebilities for what u are doing.

If you are unskilled in electrotehnics u shuden't do souch a repair becouse you may physically damage the ETACM so the car will be useles until you replace the ETACM-this would be expensive!!!.

Hope this will help somebody.

muttnchops · 02-14-2008, 06:59 AM

Just to add my tuppence.........I agree with the previous reply regarding the innermost relay on the ETAC module. I took mine off and opened the ETAC casing (4 bend over tabs), tapped the relay with a screwdriver handle a couple of times....and it's been working ok ever since (touchwood). I'm going to get a new relay when I'm passing an electronics shop I know.

maccan · 02-27-2008, 07:28 AM

I got almost the same problem but the other way around. My central lock woun't lock but I can unlock it. Ideas?