Central locking system. Doors lock when I push key button but don't unlock
 

I'm bringing this car back to life and want everything functional. I know the central locking system may not matter to most but I feel this car deserves to be 100%.

So, when I push the dash key light, the doors lock with authority but when pressed again, the locks do nothing.

Thoughts? Also, the driver side LED blinks but the passenger side does not. Related perhaps?

Your led probably died after nearly 30 years of service. Not sure how to replace it though unfortunately.

Try holding the key light down and see if that makes it work, that is how the reset for the odo in my 89 seems to operate.

Is this with the ignition on or off - the behaviour varies by design. With ignition off you can only lock.

If this is with ignition on - then I suspect one lock isn't working right (e.g. the feedback switch). The central lock expects to establish the same condition on both locks - if it doesn't - then it doesn't think it completed the last operation.

Does the passenger door lock ever flash - e.g. what happends when you lock it with the key?

Alan

Thanks for your help, guys!

Alan, you were right! The car must be running to unlock the door
Which is very odd, IMO. I have to make sure I keep the car running when I park Iin order to unlock the doors to get out?!

Why not rewire the system to allow you to lock doors when the car is off????

I'm sure you can. It would just require a constant power line instead of a switchable. Still seems silly that Porsche would run it that way. Make Nuremberg you unlock the doors before you shut the car off!

The design is correct I think. You don't want someone to be able to press the button e.g. through a slightly open sunroof and be able to unlock the car. Car does not need to be running to unlock - just ignition on. You have to press to lock anyway, press to unlock before you shutdown, or if you forget turn ignition back to on to unlock - pretty soon you will remember. I don't lock the doors when I am driving - if I ever felt the need to lock it I can do it quickly enough.

Alan

there are some really good nuggets in these threads. just takes a search and some reading! Thanks for that tidbit of info above. My driver side is cycling constanltly and i think i have "blown" my passenger side during a door handle hinge replacement.(lock operation on that door is dead). can one wire it directly to 12v to see if the motor at least reacts?