Central Locking System | Everything You Need to Know

In most cases, the vehicle standing in our driveway is like a family member to us. We take care of it in the rough and tough and it returns the favor by serving its purpose of transporting us around. Being a member of the family, it’s our responsibility for its security and we try to take the extra mile for the same.

Among various security systems like alarms and more, the central locking system is the most common way of keeping our cars safe from intruders. In other words, we keep both the cars and what’s inside the safe. But how does this “central locking system” thing work? What does it consist of and what are its advantages? 

Let’s go through each of these questions that generally knocks on the door of our minds.

Central Locking System

What is a central locking system?

The central locking system has become a necessity for safety. The central locking system reduces the burden of the owner by unlocking all the doors when one door(usually the driver’s door) is opened. And the vice-versa is also true, i.e. it locks all the doors if you lock the driver’s door. That’s not it, if you think it’s not a biggie task, try opening each door one by one, and then also head toward the boot, as the central locking system can also include the feature to unlock the boot, by the press of a button.

The central locking system is now featured with remote or keyless entry. The key fobs would let you unlock the door without any physical contact too. All you hear is a “plip” and the doors are unlocked. With technological advancement, the central locking system has also introduced various gimmicks. The luxury vehicles are now fitted with a system that unlocks the doors when it senses the fob within a certain radius of the lock.

This saves valuable time of even searching your keys in the pockets, or when you have too much to hold. The central locking system is also applicable as an enhanced safety feature. They can lock the doors automatically when the vehicle is moving at a certain speed or unlock them automatically in case of an accident. 

Some futuristic designs of the central locking system can even unlock the garage doors and even the fuel cap. Luxury cars like Cadillac Escalade open the doors and the headlights and the taillights do a dancing thing, welcoming its owner.

How does the central locking system work?

The central locking system is not a state-of-the-art feature. The door locks are equipped with two types of actuators: electromagnetic and pneumatic. These actuators push the door locking mechanism opening them/

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Can we install a central locking system in a car?

The central locking system may not be a standard feature in your car, but it might be offered as an optional one. One can easily fit this system in their cars from workshops and they aren’t expensive or difficult to install.

How to repair the central locking system?

Before jumping to some kind of DIY or tutorial, let’s get familiar with the components of a central locking system. A typical central locking system includes:

• locking bars on the body pillars,
• doors, door lock mechanism, and dedicated mechanical and electrical parts,
• electrical components – required to access authorization facility and radio remote control.

Now if the central locking system is not working, then any of these parts are definitely malfunctioning and there may be other issues too that may include:

• Blown fuse: If any one of the doors is working or vice versa this means there’s a blown fuse, which can be easily changed as a DIY.

• Faulty keyfob: This one can be confusing and hard to perceive in the first place. 

• Keyfob battery being dead: Again, an easy task, won’t require a lot of effort.

• Door lock solenoid malfunctioning: The solenoid in your lock might have failed if, again, the problem is only with one door lock.

• Broken or damaged electrical wires: The simplest way to look for broken or damaged electric wires is to hold up the switch and open and close the door repeatedly. A broken wire may be jolted into making a connection. If this is the case, you’ll get intermittent power to the locks when using the fob.

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Central locking system:

Advantages-

• The central locking system helps in saving time opening each door by the key or even open just one door with shopping bags in both hands. 
• Its simple-to-use principle helps the owner to lock all the doors without forgetting any one of them.
• It can assist in case of an accident by opening the doors automatically. It also keeps infants safe inside the interiors by locking the doors automatically at a certain speed.
• These central locking systems are often smart features that remind the driver if the key has been left in the keyhole after exiting the vehicle.

Disadvantages-

• Extra cost
• Prone to failure

Yes, there are very few disadvantages to various advantages of the central locking system. The prime purpose is to secure the vehicle and the belongings left inside the vehicle. But then they also serve as a safety feature that can come in handy in case of a mishap.