Automated power door locks give the driver the control to lock or unlock one or all the car doors simultaneously by pressing a button or flicking a switch. The car door locks must secure the car, driver, and passengers.
Electric cars are designed to be more technologically advanced than most gas-powered cars. Hence, their built-in power door locking system is supposedly superior and energy-efficient.
What Are Electric Car Door Locks?
Automobile engineers first introduced electric power locks for vehicles in 1914. However, it was not until 1956 that they got reintroduced into commercial luxury cars by an American luxury motorcar company named Packard.
Electric car door locks are a technologically advanced version of traditional door locks. These electric car door locks have a built-in automated locking system that gives the driver complete control of all of the car’s locks.
These automated car door locks are also called speed sensing door locks because the technology of these electric locks is designed to automatically lock the car’s doors once the vehicle reaches a certain speed.
Sometimes, the car’s lock is designed to lock automatically after some time has passed. Usually, this happens five minutes after the car’s engine has started.
Electric car door locks have replaced almost all vehicle locking systems in modern electric and gas-powered vehicles.
Once electric vehicles have been locked or unlocked, a small light or sound goes off on the remote to confirm that the car has been locked or unlocked.
How Do Electric Car Door Locks Work?
Educating yourself on the mechanisms behind an electronic car door locking system will help you deal with situations where a lock malfunctions or gets stuck. This information is essential to ensure passenger safety and prevent vehicle theft.
All door locks have a lever or latch visible to the driver, allowing them to lock or unlock a door.
Many hidden mechanisms and components used to operate the vehicle locking system are fitted inside the vehicle door’s panel. They connect to the visible lever or latch.
A vehicle with an automated electronic power door locking system has a visible lever or a button and many additional components.
Some of the main components that play an essential part in automating the vehicle door locking system include:
- A button, lever, or latch
- An electronic sensor or internal magnet
- An actuator
Button, Lever, or Latch
The button, lever, or latch is the only visible part of a vehicle’s automatic door locking system. The driver must press the button, move the lever, or push or pull the latch to lock or unlock one or all the car doors.
Some modern cars like Tesla have a built-in touch screen display that allows the driver to control the vehicle’s door and trunk locks with a simple touch.
An Electronic Sensor or an Internal Magnet
An electric car door lock contains an electronic sensor or an internal magnet with a built-in reversible switch. Usually, a problem in the car lock’s electronic sensor or internal magnets inhibits a car door from being unlocked or locked automatically.
The Actuator
When a car’s key is inserted in its key fob, it transmits radio signals. These signals are picked up by the electric car door locking system, which then signals the actuator to activate.
The actuator is an electronic component that converts the energy into a physical command or force. Once the activated actuator has received the energy from the transmitted signals, it converts that energy to a physical force to perform the desired locking or unlocking action.
How Does the Actuator Perform its Task?
A metallic rod connects the actuator to the vehicle door’s latch or button. When the actuator is activated, it creates kinetic energy to move the connecting rod. This movement adds pressure to the metallic rod, which transfers this pressure to the lock switch. The pressure causes a pair of jaw-like structures on the door’s locking mechanism to open, leading to the released jaws striking a center pillar.
Once the jaws have touched the center pillar, a connection gets built between the automatic electric door locking mechanism and the door’s handle. As a result, the vehicle’s door opens as the passenger lifts the vehicle’s door handle. The same automated mechanism is used when the door is opened inside or outside a vehicle.
How Does a Computer-Controlled Automatic Electric Car Door Locking System Work?
Some modern cars have a computer-operated locking system that allows further control and convenience to a vehicle driver.
Like the mechanism explained above, the computer-controlled locking system also depends on detecting transmitted radio signals to get activated to lock or unlock a door.
How the computer-controlled vehicle door locking system works:
- Once a passenger wishes to lock or unlock the car doors, the computer-controlled system sends a specific signal to the main computer. The computer here functions as the critical controller module.
- This controller module takes care of the vehicle’s automated locking and unlocking and ensures the vehicle’s auto security.
- Once the controller module receives the computer programming, it takes very little time to read the programming details and immediately starts working toward performing the desired command.
- The same automated mechanism is used to carry out the following functions:
- Starting the car with a remote. This mechanism is widespread in most modern keyless and electric cars
- Opening and closing the trunk lid of a vehicle
- Rolling the windows of a vehicle up or down
- Turning off the car
The auto security system operated by the controller module includes many programs that allow the vehicle to come to a halt or get disabled. Activating this system protects the car from theft by making the vehicle un-drivable.
Although some modern vehicles come with a built-in computer-controlled automatic door locking system, consumers can purchase an off-the-shelf system and have it installed in their car that does not have these features.
The price will depend on the number of mechanisms the consumer wants to automate and the manufacturer's reputation.
Automatic Vehicle Door Locking System Using a Keypad
Moreover, some car companies, such as Ford, have an even more advanced locking system that uses a keypad. The keypad system requires the owner or driver to add a specific computer code for the desired action.
The controller module decodes the computer code and passes the required command to the system’s actuator. As a result, the actuator gets activated and adds pressure to the connected metallic rod to cause a door to be unlocked or locked.
Electric Car Door Locks or Traditional Vehicle Door Locks: Which is Better?
Although manual locking door locking systems are still found in some vehicles worldwide, automatic electric vehicle locks have primarily replaced them in most types of cars.
Manual vehicle door locking systems do not have any electrical components at all. Instead, they use a push/pull lever or switch located inside the car to lock or unlock the car door.
The key has to be inserted inside the door’s key port to lock or unlock the door in a manual system. Moreover, every door has a lock that is not connected to any central locking system. Hence, the driver cannot simultaneously lock or unlock all vehicle doors.
Benefits of Using Manual Vehicle Door Locking Systems
- Manual locks do not get jammed as quickly. Hence, passengers can easily unlock the car door and escape if the vehicle is to get in an accident.
- Manual vehicle locking systems have a significantly low failure rate compared to the automated door locking system. They are easy to operate, and their issues get fixed quickly.
- Manual vehicle door locks require minimal maintenance and hence usually outlive the car.
- If the driver accidentally leaves the keys inside the car, a simple tool such as a thread or a metal ruler can be used to open the door.
Downsides of Using Manual Vehicle Door Locking Systems
- Although at times, it is an advantage to open a car’s door with a simple tool, the same can be done to steal the vehicle.
- Manual locks are much easier to damage and open than automated electric vehicle locks.
- A driver has to check every lock individually before leaving their vehicle, and this could take more time, and any error could increase the chance of vehicle theft.
Automatic electric vehicle door locks are designed to be superior to manual vehicle locks; however, they too have certain downsides and limitations.
Benefits of Using Automatic Electric Vehicle Door Locking Systems
- Automatic electric vehicle car doors allow the driver to lock and unlock all the doors simultaneously right from their seat, saving the hassle and time of checking every door individually.
- If a person is carrying a child or a lot of luggage, inserting the key to unlock the car becomes very inconvenient. Instead, with the electric system, they have to press a single button on their key fob to open a passenger door or the vehicle’s trunk.
- Electric car door locks have eliminated the chances of a person getting locked outside their car. If the keys have accidentally been left inside, the doors of the vehicle do not get locked.
- Since electric car door locks cannot be compromised or damaged easily, the chances of vehicle theft are significantly reduced. The vehicle's security is further improved in keyless car systems since there is no key to copy.
Downsides of Using Automatic Electric Vehicle Door Locking Systems
- Since the key fob works on a battery, if it is dead, one will not be able to lock or unlock their vehicle.
- Since the automatic electric vehicle door locking system is more advanced and pricier to install, its maintenance and repairs are also expensive.