I'd like to attempt testing a door lock actuator before assuming there is a problem with my BCM.
I hope someone might be able to help.

A few years ago I had replaced my driver side door actuator due to both my key FOB's failing to unlock the driver's side door. Both key FOB's worked with no problem locking both doors including the hatch.
Unfortunately, the new (previously installed years ago) actuator, never solved the problem of unlocking the driver's door. Last weekend I pulled the actuator and have it sitting on my table. I have it connected/plugged into a wire harness that I'd cut from a salvage yard Mini.


I'm not that versed in reading wiring diagrams and am not really that interested in tearing the actuator/housing apart to directly test the DC motors (as seen in some DIY videos). It's fairly new.
Therefore I was hoping to bench test the actuator by applying 9v or 12v battery voltage to the individual wires in hope to get some responsive action from the levers.




Anyone have experience in doing this to provide me with guidance as to which wires to apply voltage to (assuming that the black and or brown 24 gauge wires are ground)?. I can only imagine or assume that the other wires (may) also act in reverse polarity(?)
In short - I'm hoping not to burn anything up without first asking for help.

Thanks!

 

Year/model of your Mini?

 

From the Bentley manual:

 

BL blue
BR brown
GE yellow
GN green
RT red
SW black
WS white
VI violet

 

Pre-facelift 04 R53 [build date 10.16.03].

 

Thanks.
I've got the same Bentley and was trying to make sense of this schematic/diagram.
How convenient is it that they cover "up to March 2002" and "from July 2004 - Sept 2005" but seem to skip over the '03/'04 pre-faceift years. So I'd thought; until I realized my pre-facelift '04 CLS wiring is the same as shown in the "up to March 2002" diagram.
Your last reply helped me in deciphering the acronymed wire colors.

Thanks for that!

Yet I'm still unsure which combination of wires to apply direct voltage to

 

Hard to go wrong if you simply use black & white that are normally hot & ground. I doubt that you'll cause any damage since the unit is not currently hooked to anything else.

 

Well I did my best to test the actuator yesterday afternoon.
Having connected alligator clip leads: ground to 24gauge black (SW) and 12V direct positive to 24gauge white (WS) were non responsive to any of the remaining wires in the pig tailed loom. Including grounding the 24gauge brown (BR) wire.
With that being said; The only reaction received from the actuator occurred was from the lift pin (unlock), when grounded to 24gauge black (SW) and 12V was applied to the 26gauge solid blue (BL) wire.. The locking pin (lever / green retainer) rotated up in the unlock position.
However the actual door latch never moved.
The only other discovery had to do with the small 28gauge violet/yellow (VI) banded wire - which I believe is also a ground (?).

I can only assume (?), that this door lock actuator may have been bad when I bought it new...?
It's OEM sticker branded Mini and barcoded bought off eBay....a few years ago.

 

These wiring diagrams always look a bit strange to me.

I think I have an old one in my parts bucket. Will take a look at how the internal motors are wired in tomorrow if I can find it.