Door Lock Breaker Malfunction

[DMCMW Dave]

I haven't modified the lock system at all. Now that the clicking of the breaker has stopped by removing that wire, do I have any thing to worry about? My antenna doesn't work anyway. Can I leave it unplugged? Any ideas what I should do if it happens again with the wire unplugged?

The antenna relay is probably shorted and causing the issue. No harm in leaving it disconnected, and any replacement antenna will use a different relay setup.

If you have the issue with the antenna disconnected, you need to unplug the lock module (heavy red wire and a 9-pin connector) to completely kill the door lock circuit.

[Bitsyncmaster]

But it's powered from the Lock Module breaker. Unless you've modified that by now.

I may have modified that wiring but don't recall doing it. I never knew that breaker was where the power antenna got it's power. I don't have a door lock breaker anymore. My door lock ECU has a breaker inside the ECU case.

[DMC5180]

I'm guessing that since the Power antenna Running production change, The picked the door lock break as a point of convenience. It's a plug n play Live power source.


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[Jonathan]

Just for the sake of clarifying, my own and maybe others... how do the connections on top of this type of circuit breaker relate to power in/power out? Can it be thought of in this way, such that one end is the live feed and the opposite end is where that power is intended to go? Would it then make sense that when/if you have more than one connection on the top, for the double tab connector, you would be cutting off the power to both circuits if the two connections are on the "outlet" end? And similarly, if you have two connections on the "feed" side, then one of those would be the live feed wire and the second would be an "always connected" pathway to get power on to the next item from that live feed wire? Is that right? Do these circuit breakers have a dedicated in and out end or are they able to be "facing" either way so long as you stay consistent with how the connections are made on the top? Thanks Daves.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you look closely at the circuit breakers, most have labeling of power and or load. So I would assume they only work correctly is powered that way. Circuits on the load side would all cut power if any load exceeds the amp rating. Circuits added to the power supply wire would always have power so your added circuit should have some current protection elsewhere.

By the way, fuses and circuit breakers are mostly to protect for short circuits. A fuse or breaker running only 10 to 20% over the rating could take a few minuets to open circuit.

[DMCMW Dave]

If you look closely at the circuit breakers, most have labeling of power and or load. .

For some reason the convention seems to be "BATT" and "AUX".

BATT is the "hot" (battery) side and "AUX is the load side.

I'm not sure why it makes a difference since heat is heat, but my guess is that wired backwards it may have a somewhat different rating than the label shows.

[David T]

For some reason the convention seems to be "BATT" and "AUX".

BATT is the "hot" (battery) side and "AUX is the load side.

I'm not sure why it makes a difference since heat is heat, but my guess is that wired backwards it may have a somewhat different rating than the label shows.

If that small red wire to the power antennae was the problem you would think he would have blown the in-line fuse on that wire before making the big breaker pop and reset. I wonder if we are talking about the same small red wire. He is having problems with the Central Locking System and until it can be fixed he should unplug the module and disconnect the BIG red wire.

[Jonathan]

Thanks for the clarifications. Got the ole Dave-trifecta answer on that question

I still think like a water treatment guy and the idea of the circuit breakers having slightly different loads or ratings if "plumbed" in the wrong way makes sense to me. Most valves in process piping will work both ways, but are designed to work most effectively when installed a certain way.

I was in some training recently and we were talking electrical supplies and transformers and what not at power plants and the comment was made that if you ask an electrical guy what fails in an electrical component, he'll tell you nothing does. Any electrical failures are really just mechanical components that have failed. The electrons are always going to do the same thing. I can see his point.

[David T]

While water is often used as an analogy for electrical flow, it doesn't always work the same. Many devices used for water and electric are sensitive to the direction of flow but for very different reasons. Just take it that you should always hook the input (Positive Terminal, + 12 volt) of a circuit breaker to the BAT terminal.

[DMCMW Dave]

While water is often used as an analogy for electrical flow, it doesn't always work the same. Many devices used for water and electric are sensitive to the direction of flow but for very different reasons. Just take it that you should always hook the input (Positive Terminal, + 12 volt) of a circuit breaker to the BAT terminal.

Circuit breakers are not diodes. It's just a small bi-metal strip that opens when hot, and closes back up when it cools off. I did some online research and still can't really find a reason why they should be directional.