What is a Central Locking?
Lock or unlock every door from a single button press
Simplified animation — not to scale.
In plain English
Central locking is an electronic system that lets you lock or unlock all the doors on your car at the same time — usually by pressing a button on the key fob or a switch inside the car. Instead of walking round and manually locking each door, one press secures the whole vehicle.
"Imagine a hotel with a master key that opens every room on the same floor at once. Your key fob is that master key — one button press tells every door to snap shut and stay secure, so you do not have to check each one individually."
How it works
A small receiver inside the car listens for a radio signal from your key fob. When you press the lock or unlock button, the receiver picks up the coded signal and passes it to a control unit. This unit then sends power to small electric motors called actuators, which are fitted inside each door. The actuators physically move the lock pins up or down, locking or unlocking all the doors simultaneously. Some systems also fold the wing mirrors and flash the indicators to confirm the action.
Signs of trouble
- ⚠Key fob not locking or unlocking the doors
- ⚠Doors locking or unlocking by themselves randomly
- ⚠Only some doors responding while others stay unlocked
- ⚠No indicator flash or sound confirmation when locking
- ⚠Door lock actuator making a loud buzzing or grinding noise
£55 to £160 per door; a full set can run £200 to £400
Always get a written quote. Prices vary by car, region, and parts brand.