Accepted Answer

Hello XXXXXXXXX, and welcome to JustAnswer.com!

There is a TSB posted by Ford that addresses this problem. There are several parts the may need to be replaced, and several more procedures to perform.

I would highly recommend a dealership perform this repair, as all of the parts will need to come from a Ford/Mercury dealer anyway. By the time an independant shop marks up the dealer prices on these parts, you'd have been better off financially having the dealership do it in the first place! (Dealer parts are marked up very little at their service departments).

Anyway... here is a brief overview of what is involved, along with the TSB number for you to reference. Good luck!

Article No.
98-23-6

11/23/98
POWER DOOR LOCK - INTERMITTENT
SELF-ACTIVATION

LIGHT TRUCK:
1996-98 VILLAGER

This TSB article is being republished in its entirety to add a cause to the Issue, and to revise the description of parts listed in the parts table.

ISSUE

Intermittent self-activation of the power door locks may occur on some vehicles. This may be caused by any of the following:
^ All 1996-98 Model Year Vehicles:

^ Adjustment of the front door lock rod linkage

^ Water/moisture collecting in the left front door window switch potentially causing an internal short or ground

^ Power door lock wiring

^ High resistance in the internal switch circuit of either front door power lock actuator assembly

All 1996-98 Model Year Vehicles Equipped With Anti-Theft:
^ Water/moisture collecting in the front door key lock cylinders potentially causing a grounding condition in the circuit

^ Water/moisture collecting in driver's door key cylinder switch-to-harness connector

^ 1996 Vehicles Only:

^ Smart Entry Control (SEC) timer module

ACTION
Replace front window switch, module, adjust front door lock rod linkage, check resistance on switch circuits, and grease switch and harness connections on anti-theft vehicles. Refer to the following Service Procedure for details.

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Expert:	Brad
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Answered:	2/9/2008

Lead Diagnostic Technician

Former ASE L1 Certified Technician, 15 Years Experience!