Hi, all. A new post on this old thread inspired me to update my saga. I found a body shop that gave me a reasonable quote for installing lock actuators for each door (and who would accept replacement actuators from me, rather than insisting on using actuators purchased (and marked way up) by the shop. I bought the actuators on Ebay and took them to the shop. Weird shop - house in front; big garage in back. Owner didn't show up when I did so he instructed me to just leave the Jag in the driveway for him and put keys in the mailbox. (Bad sign.) While he had the car, owner informed me that something had broken when he removed the door panel. (I forget now what it was.) I immediately took to searching for the part on Ebay, and I found one. When I called the guy to tell him this, he told me that he had managed to fix the problem: He had JERRY RIGGED (not his term) something to make the lock work! I wanted to scream at him: this is a freaking JAGUAR. You don't JERRY RIG a Jaguar! But I restrained myself, because he still had the car, and I needed to get it back from him already.

He took a LONG time to "fix" the car (2-3 weeks, as I recall). When I went to pick it up, imagine my surprise to see it parked in the driveway and absolutely filthy - covered with a thick layer of dust, which also had gone inside the car, as the windows were slightly open. "Sorry about that," he says. "There's a construction site next door." The construction was just a few feet away, and my car must have been sitting in that driveway for most of the 2-3 weeks.

Next, the owner demonstrates how the locks now are now working. But the first time he presses the fob, they don't work. I forget the details, but the 2nd or 3rd time, one or both doors respond. I hope and assume that the problems I'd just witnessed were due to the computer having messed up due to the battery having been detached, knowing I can reset it myself, so I decide to just take the (filthy) car home. I hand the money owed to the jerk, and he has the audacity to ask me for an additional $100, because well gee, the work had taken him longer than he'd anticipated. I didn't want a fight, pso I gave him another $50 and left.

The locks never worked properly after that; the fob would unlock both doors, but it would not lock them. This was better than the reverse, though, because I could easily use my key to lock the doors as I exited the car. Besides, the shop was pretty far from home, and my friend who would have given me rides there had moved away.

Things were tolerable until a few weeks ago, when I discovered that the doors no longer would unlock with the fob. In fact, they would neither lock NOR unlock with the KEY, because something was blocking the key from turning! I am pretty sure this had to do with the genius owner's jerry rig job! I contacted the guy to ask if he remembered which part had broken while he was attempting to fix the lock (so I finally could buy the part), but he didn't recall. Neither do I, I'm afraid. He then offered to "take a look at it." Yeah sure: as if I'd take the car back to him!

Since I now cannot lock the car, I have not felt comfortable even driving it anywhere! (Thankfully, I have my trusty old Subaru.) I intend to start over with another mechanic. Sure wish I could remember what part it was that the guy broke!

Thanks for listening to my Ted Talk! And thank you all for your invaluable help in the past!

 

Thanks... I'll give it a try. But the door lock actuators are linked to this process?

When I click the key FOB door lock.... there's no sound or clicking whatsoever indicating any elect activity to the door locks.

I'll give it try, nonetheless. I had an engine replacement recently, so it's entirely possible that everything needed to be reset.

BTW... is the ignition key supposed to fit the door locks? Or is it a separate key?

 

Yes, the ignition key also fits the door locks....