Hi all,
I am new to the forum. I am in need of help. I have a 1998 Town and Country, LXi. The last two weeks it's been acting up and I am not sure how to fix it.
The car locks and unlocks by itself, whether the keys are in the ignition or out. Sometimes while driving it locks, then unlocks, locks up again. It seems pretty random, as if they had a mind of their own.

I can lock and unlock the car with the remote, tough sometimes the car may lock down on me before I even reach the door handle. I've noticed that I can lock and unlock the whole car without incidents using the passenger door control switch. However, that does not happen on the driver's side. If I unlock the door, it starts locking and unlocking. Yet I cannot lock the door using that switch. It is as if it didn't register me pusing the button down. I have removed that switch and swapped it with the one on the passenger side. However, the same erratic behavior occurs on the driver's side and the passenger's works fine. Thus, that particular switch doesn't seem to be the problem.

Also, when I lock the car, either the remote or the door lock switch on the passenger's side, the alarm light won't flash 10 seconds as usual, but it remains steady for 10 secs. and then it goes out.

What's going on?

 

Also, I just noticed that I cannot unlock the van by using the key in the driver's side. Any ideas? The problems is still there. Any takers?

 

Your driver's door lock cylinder is designed so that when you turn the key to unlock a second time ALL doors will unlock. It's a built-in feature. There is a door lock cylinder switch mounted in the back end of the cylinder. It's probably cracked or about to fall off. It's possible even the tip of the cylinder is broken off. You have to take some of the guts of the door out to get to it.

 

I love throes older vans we almost know every little hang up there is on them huh

 

Jeebus they sold enough of them!!!

 

So there is a switch attached to the door lock cylinder? Can I buy a new switch or do I have cylinder and switch together?
Now, how would I know that the problem it is not the door lock actuator locking by itself?

 

u can get the key switch by itself

how much more proof do u need that U have 2 Chrysler techs that have worked for the business for over 15 years say the same thing.

 

money is tight... I have to cover my option. So if it is the cylinder, then, does that mean I have to replace the passenger, liftgate and ignition too to have the same key or just have a different key for the driver and the old one for everything else?

 

I think ( Not 100% though) that you should be able to get a new lock/Tumbler set and I would hope any locksmith should be able to re tumbler it to match your keys you use as it would be cheaper to do that then replace the door lock cylinders and Ignition so you can use 1 common key. I do know they used to do that but I have noticed alot of the neat things like that got lost instead of transfered to next generation.

 

switch electrical not tumbler mechanical no key has to be replaced or recoded