Ghost locks????

Is there something in the TCs (Mine is an 88) that makes the doors automatically lock? Meaning like you start the car, all doors are shut, and you put it in reverse, bang! The doors lock? Reason I ask is, sometimes while I am driving around, my doors lock. When I am parking, it will sometimes even do it twice. Thought it may be a short, but can't find anything with the old compass trick. What gives?

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1988 TC 88k orignial miles, 5 Spd, mostly stock, K&N and B&M Ripper. Looks a little rough, but thanks to this board, runs great.
1956 Thundebird FOR SALE Unrestored, unmolested beauty! 48,000 ORIGINAL miles. See Ad in "For Sale" section.

"God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls. God was here before the Marine Corps, so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the corps." R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket"

The doors locking is part of keyless entry system. If the doors are shut, the driver's seat is occupied, the ignition switch is in the Run position, and if you pass through Reverse, the doors will normally lock.

They will also trigger if you use the courtesy lamps thumb wheel switch to turn on/off the courtesy lamps.

My question is, why are mine are doing it randomly? Is there a switch somewhere that could be malfunctioning? It doesn't do it when I am in it with it running and put it in reverse. It will do it when I am driving down the street or backing into a spot to park after driving 20 minutes.

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1988 TC 88k orignial miles, 5 Spd, mostly stock, K&N and B&M Ripper. Looks a little rough, but thanks to this board, runs great.
1956 Thundebird FOR SALE Unrestored, unmolested beauty! 48,000 ORIGINAL miles. See Ad in "For Sale" section.

"God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls. God was here before the Marine Corps, so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the corps." R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket"

Sorry, i read your first question asking if there was something to make the doors automatically lock, which is the keyless entry system.

i only have a few guesses. Either your backup/neutral switch may not always be functioning, or perhaps there is a short somewhere in the courtesy switch to make them trigger while driving. It's also possible the driver's seat switch may not always be working to detect someone in the seat the first time. Any one of those things that fails the first time, will mean the next time the condition is met (and if they all happen to work), it will activate.

You have to pass through Reverse. Just shifting into Reverse does not lock the doors.

Grr.....I hate electrical gremlins. Anyone have any advice? Likely causes?

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1988 TC 88k orignial miles, 5 Spd, mostly stock, K&N and B&M Ripper. Looks a little rough, but thanks to this board, runs great.
1956 Thundebird FOR SALE Unrestored, unmolested beauty! 48,000 ORIGINAL miles. See Ad in "For Sale" section.

"God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls. God was here before the Marine Corps, so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the corps." R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket"

Fords are notorious for this.. My bud drives a 95 Taurus and that still happens to him. So I guess the Ford electrical engineers still havent gotten it right. Sorry just a history lesson FYI. No answer on how to fix Jeff K probably your best bet.

JT pretty much covered it..... reverse switch, driver seat switch, short, etc. Such problems are a real PITA to track down. Get out the EVTM, DMM, and reserve a day or 2 for troubleshooting.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 21 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 02 Taurus Vulcan(wifes car)

Mine was inconsistently working and not working. I had a new alarm installed and one of the functions it could be set for was to lock and unlock automatically. I think my alarm does it and not the cars system being that about 3-4 seconds after you start the car, it locks. Don't have to pass through reverse. Maybe your alarm (if you have one) and the cars system are duking it out.

No alarm.....anyone know where the switch is for the seat???

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-Andrew
1988 TC 88k orignial miles, 5 Spd, mostly stock, K&N and B&M Ripper. Looks a little rough, but thanks to this board, runs great.
1956 Thundebird FOR SALE Unrestored, unmolested beauty! 48,000 ORIGINAL miles. See Ad in "For Sale" section.

"God has a hard on for Marines, because we kill everything we see. He plays His games, we play ours. To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls. God was here before the Marine Corps, so you can give your heart to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the corps." R. Lee Ermey in "Full Metal Jacket"

In the seat bottom.