Al Reynolds wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a wierd situation with my central locking.
>
> At the moment, using the key in any of the three door locks
> (driver, passenger, tailgate) to *lock* the car works fine -
> all five locks go down and the car is secure.
>
> However, only the driver door lock will *unlock* all the
> locks. The passenger door lock unlocks just that door, and
> the tailgate lock doesn't do anything when you try and unlock,
> not even unlock the tailgate.
>
> To make matters worse, the other locks do unlock all the
> doors *sometimes*, but this is intermittent. As a result it's
> pretty tricky to take the car to a shop as they might be
> working when I get there.
>
> I have also had the passenger door window not working from
> the drivers side controls sometimes, but that's intermittent too!
> I don't know if that could be related.
>
> Hoping someone has had a similar problem,
> Al
> ==================

On some Hondas, (you'd have to read the Owner's manual to confirm this),
the key doesn't behave the same in the driver's door, as it does in
other doors... for safety reasons. You have to hold the key in driver's
door for a couple seconds until it will unlock all. The passengers NEVER
unlocks all, IIRC. It's to prevent driver from unlocking the WHOLE CAR
just to get in.
Also keeps the kids from unlocking the whole car from the passenger's
side, then locking just that one door and running away. Our Odyssey and
our CRV are totally different in the way they handle this, and it gets
confusing to even describe it.

Be aware that the driver always has control over his own window, but the
other windows will play DEAD if the master switch has locked them OFF.
Your '97 wagon sounds just like out '95 Odyssey.

Have you read your owner's manual about all this stuff? The people who
designed it all very logically to prevent people locking the keys
inside, unlocking doors that shouldn't be, and keeping everybody safe.

'Curly' Stay safe.