Hello fellow readers,
I have an 02 ML, production date Dec 01, 86K miles, with a lock problem. I picked it up yesterday after a 2 1/2 month stay at the dealer (don't even get me started...). The person taking me to my car clicked the key fob and said "tee hee...your locks don't work". I figured the key battery was dead/dying. But the battery seems to be ok. When I hit the lock button on the key, all the locks lock, unlock and relock with the exception of the driver lock, which does nothing - no movement, no noise. The locks don't "machine gun". I think the same thing happens when using the console lock switch. So I'm guessing it's the driver door actuator. I thought I would also try the resynch procedure outlined elsewhere on this site. I followed the directions, the lights blinked in acknowledgement, and now none of the locks work. The alarm is armed, lights go on/off as usual, but the locks neither lock nor unlock. The console switch is dead too. If you manually lock the locks (i.e. press each one down by hand...remember doing that in the old days?), and press the lock button, then all UNlock (except for the dead driver door lock).
So I have two questions.
1-Do you think the original problem is a dead actuator? Is this still a problem on 02 models?
2-Obviously I need to get the synch problem fixed first. The instructions on this site and in the owners manual say to visit the dealer if the synch process doesn't work. Does anyone know what they do or what they use to resynch the locks? I would like to go to an independent garage who may or may not have the magic electronic tool to fix it.
Thanks...
James
I have an 02 ML, production date Dec 01, 86K miles, with a lock problem. I picked it up yesterday after a 2 1/2 month stay at the dealer (don't even get me started...). The person taking me to my car clicked the key fob and said "tee hee...your locks don't work". I figured the key battery was dead/dying. But the battery seems to be ok. When I hit the lock button on the key, all the locks lock, unlock and relock with the exception of the driver lock, which does nothing - no movement, no noise. The locks don't "machine gun". I think the same thing happens when using the console lock switch. So I'm guessing it's the driver door actuator. I thought I would also try the resynch procedure outlined elsewhere on this site. I followed the directions, the lights blinked in acknowledgement, and now none of the locks work. The alarm is armed, lights go on/off as usual, but the locks neither lock nor unlock. The console switch is dead too. If you manually lock the locks (i.e. press each one down by hand...remember doing that in the old days?), and press the lock button, then all UNlock (except for the dead driver door lock).
So I have two questions.
1-Do you think the original problem is a dead actuator? Is this still a problem on 02 models?
2-Obviously I need to get the synch problem fixed first. The instructions on this site and in the owners manual say to visit the dealer if the synch process doesn't work. Does anyone know what they do or what they use to resynch the locks? I would like to go to an independent garage who may or may not have the magic electronic tool to fix it.
Thanks...
James