Knowledge is the key

I’m having a problem with the central locking on my 2002 Ford Focus 1.6 petrol. It all works fine, except when trying to unlock the driver’s door with the key, rather than pressing the unlock button on the remote. Does the key actually move the lock mechanism mechanically or does it operate a switch that activates the lock motor?

Also, what prevents the window motors from burning out if the up or down buttons are held for a long period of time, say by a child? Steve Forsyth Changes to the Focus door locking and unlocking mechanism were made from Aug 2001, then again in October 2003. Your vehicle should be fitted with a mechanical rod between the door lock barrel and the lock mechanism on both the driver and passenger front doors; later models were fitted with a mechanical rod on the driver’s side only. As the system works when locking and unlocking with the remote fob, the most likely cause of the failure is a disconnected rod between the key and lock mechanism.

The window systems incorporate an anti-trap function that prevents the continual operation of the motor, stopping the motor from drawing a current that would, in other circumstances, cause the motor or switch to burn out. However, this system is not foolproof and I wouldn’t encourage testing it in this way.