SE 2003 door problem + remote problem

[guest5309]

Hi fellow Jazz owners!

I just got a 2003 Honda Jazz SE w/ automatic gearbox. It is my first car and it seems I have overlooked a few bits when I bought it.

Is there any way to "tighten" the door lock so that when I lean onto the door armrest the lights do not come on?

Also regarding the remote - since today the remote can only unlock the car, and not lock it (even though the red light flashes for all functions). I have ordered a new battery on ebay hoping that will fix it, but I am worried it might not do the trick.

Thanks in advance to all who reply!

[guest4324]

Is there any way to "tighten" the door lock so that when I lean onto the door armrest the lights do not come on?

Not sure which lights you mean, interior lights? Head lights? One solution is don't lean on the armrest 
If the door is not shutting properly then this will probably be causing your second problem with the remote.

Could be the lock just needs lubricating or could also be the hinges are dropped so the door is not aligned - was the car in an accident ever?

[guest4078]

I should whip off the door card and have a look at the wiring, it will also give you (some) access to the locking mechanism etc. Also have a look at the wiring through the door/frame and hinges. Card comes off with screws out and from memory 5 plastic clips around the lower part of the panel.

[culzean]

if the drivers door is putting interior light on in car when you lean on it it is probable that you are pushing the door away from little interior light switch on 'B' pillar.  The central locking also looks at this switch and if it is in the closed position (the switch is designed so that the electrical contacts are closed by a spring when not pushed into and held in their open position by the door being closed properly) then the doors will not lock,  or will lock momentarily and then unlock themselves as the locking system thinks a door is open. The switch normally has a little black plastic plunger with a concertina runner boot on it to keep out dirt and water.

[guest5309]

Thanks guys for all of your contributions.
I took my Jazz for a full service yesterday and I know the cause of both of these problems - culzean is right by saying it is the interior light switch (which was found to be faulty - replacing it will cost me £47).

The car came with practically no service history (73k miles).
I parted with £660 today for a 12+ service, a bunch of bulbs (around £14 each), 4 new tires (went budget - Event - £44) and spark plugs changed (~£100).

They did not have the switch in stock so I'm booking a time next week to have that changed as well as have the valves adjusted (£100). I figure I need to take this bill on the chin and frequent a local garage in the future...

[olduser1]

Why not search E Bay or your local car dismantler for spares eg bulbs & light switch?

[culzean]

as well as have the valves adjusted (£100). I figure I need to take this bill on the chin and frequent a local garage in the future...

are the valves noisy,  any 'tappety' sounds coming from top of engine ?  I would mark the bolt heads holding down anything they need to remove to do tappets with something (black paint etc) and when you get car back make sure paint is disturbed to make sure they removed them,  £100 is quite low for adjusting tappets,  normally would cost over £300.

[guest5309]

I will do that in the future, olduser1. To be honest I just went with the "convenience" option this time which is probably not the most economical thing to do.

Thanks, culzean. I will take advantage of your advice and mark the bolts.
I do not hear any "wrong" or unfamiliar noise from the engine. I read somewhere on the forums that for a 2003 Jazz it is recommended to have the valve clearances adjusted every 25000 miles. Without knowing I've looked into it the dealer provided me with the same information. Since my car came with 1 month old service history (alternator belt + cvt flush), I decided to go with the safe option and change every essential consumable so I can start tracking the wear and tear and avoid getting stranded in the middle of a foreign country (I'm planning a trip abroad soon).

In addition, I'm hoping to address my 29 mpg city fuel consumption with the tappets adjustment. I called a few Honda dealers and they quoted £100 for that service.