SCL Door Lock Behavior

Hi all,
Quick door lock question. I've got a '94 Super Custom Limited and am wondering whether my locks are acting up, or if it just a quirk/feature I am used to from 21st century cars.

My locks auto-lock when driving at ~10kph or so I think. I know my sliding door lock motor is not working right, so I have it disconnected as the autolock keeps cycling if I don't.

I also have the little keyfob with the button that locks and unlocks the doors and even when I use the manual key, it unlocks all doors.

Where I am having an issue is after parking the car, when I pull the driver's door handle it unlocks my door. I feel like I have a vague memory of it originally unlocking the passenger door too, but if it did that stopped working soon after I got it. The passenger door handle does not unlock that door, it has to be done by flipping the switch and then opening the door.
I opened the door up and I don't see the hard connection between the door handle and lock actuator that the driver's door has.

So my question is, do others' vans behave this way? Do your passengers have to unlock their door manually upon getting out? or should it unlock when the driver opens their door?

I'd think there should be a separate contact assembly in the driver's door which is actuated by the lock mechanism, this will connect to the central locking controller. If you use the physical key from outside the vehicle, does it unlock the passenger's door? I would expect it to, and if it doesn't it will be that contact set. It may be some distance from the lock actuator but look for its wires to see where it is. If the contacts are OK the wiring could have broken where it flexes each time the door is opened or closed. Hope that helps.

Using the key does actuate all the doors, so that part at least is working.

That's part of the reason I was asking my question. I see no reason that I should be able to unlock passenger door from the driver door with a key, but the passenger door would not unlock when I pull the handle and unlock the driver door. Unless that just isn't a feature that it has. Seems like a weird feature.

So the contacts are working fine, that suggests a mechanical issue in that the lever is not actuating the contacts while the key does, that should be fairly easy to inspect if you can get the door card off without too much damage.

Just had another thought:

If your investigation shows that the lever can't physically operate the contacts, and it does seem like a very desirable function to me, have a look and see if you could mount a little microswitch in a position where the lever could operate it, then just wire that across the common and the unlock wires from the original contact assembly. I find a sewing pin can be used to pierce the insulation on wires to allow measurements but leaving the wire still completely insulated; there will be either a power source or a ground on one wire (the ground is most likely) and one of the others will close to that wire on unlock, the other on lock. Those may have only 5 volts on them when the switch is not operated since they will be going to a controller. The microswitch won't need to be very stout electrically as the current will be very small through its contacts.

AgathaAlice wrote:

Just had another thought:

If your investigation shows that the lever can't physically operate the contacts, and it does seem like a very desirable function to me, have a look and see if you could mount a little microswitch in a position where the lever could operate it, then just wire that across the common and the unlock wires from the original contact assembly. I find a sewing pin can be used to pierce the insulation on wires to allow measurements but leaving the wire still completely insulated; there will be either a power source or a ground on one wire (the ground is most likely) and one of the others will close to that wire on unlock, the other on lock. Those may have only 5 volts on them when the switch is not operated since they will be going to a controller. The microswitch won't need to be very stout electrically as the current will be very small through its contacts.

I like that plan.

I think I didn't do a good job of explaining myself originally.
Mostly was just wondering if this is a feature it should have so I can investigate what's not working. If it's not a feature, I think I'd follow your method for sure.