My Mom's 96 Saturn has had Battery or Charging System (so I thought) Problems for the past few months. Initially, we replaced the Battery and things went fine. Until last week... I was never completely sure that the Battery was actually Bad. I don't have any good Electrical Testing Equipment. Just a 1970's Radio Shack Analog Multi-Meter. That I can hardly see to read any more. And it was always hard to decipher the Low - DC Voltages anyway. There are 3 different scales and one needle on the Meter. So, you have to be able to see very well to read it. I don't any more... I do have a Big Battery Charger. That has a Meter, of Sorts. It shows Red, Green and Yellow (Good, Bad and Ugly, as I call it;). I charged the Battery the first time it ran down and it was fine for a few days. Then it ran down again. I could tell that the Charging System was Charging. At least enough to see a difference in the Needle. As it moves higher into the Green Area, when the Car is Running. I wasn't feeling well and could not take the Car Down to the Local Auto Supply to have them put a Test Meter on it. So, we went with the Remove and Replace Philosophy. Hoping, that the Battery was the problem. It was about 7 years old, anyway. But, a month or two (I can't even remember now) later. One Day, the Battery was down again. I Charged the new Battery up (again). And the car was fine for 3 days. But, we still didn't know what had run the Battery Down (again). The Charging System, was still working. But, I thought... Maybe it was not Charging enough to keep the Battery Fully Charged. Or worse... Maybe it was something in the Car's Computer!:O I have some health Problems and still didn't feel well enough to drive the Car anywhere, to get it tested. In the mean time. My Mom drove the Car to the Grocery Store (on the 3rd day). I told her not to run the Air Conditioner. Since the Fan uses quit a bit of Electricity and might get her stranded, even on a short drive. It had been 100 to 110 here in North Texas for the pas few weeks. But, it finally rained and this day was only in the mind 80's. So, she went out in the Car. As soon as she got to the Store. I got a Call... When I heard the phone, I thought Oh No!... Yep, it was Mom... But, she had figured out what was wrong with the Car!:) Now, my Mom is not a mechanical or electrically knowledgeable person. But, she can hear well enough. To know, when the Electric Door Locks are Locking and Re-locking the Doors over and over again! With Out Stopping!:O She told me, on the Phone. All about the Clicking Sounds, coming form the Door Locks and I immediately knew! Those Darn Electric Door locks are running the Battery Down! She was able to get it to stop. By hitting the Manual Lock Button on the Door, quite a few times. But, she wanted to know if it was safe to do her shopping and if the Battery would run down while she was in the Store. Of course, I didn't know for sure. But, I figured it would be ok, as long as the Door Lockers didn't start Auto Locking again. So, while she was at the Store. I went to looking Online for this problem "96 Saturn Electric Door Locks Running Battery Down". And I immediately found out that it is a Fairly Common Problem with these Saturn Cars. And when she got home. My Brother and I went to looking for the Fuse that goes to those Darn Electric Door Lockers. I looked under the Hood and my brother looked in the Manuel. No, luck under the hood and there were Frozen Foods that had to be put away... So, I did that and my brother found the fuse to the Door Lockers. It is under the Dash on the Passenger Side. He found it by Trial and Error. Removing the fuses, while the Doors were Auto Locking... I have worked on Cars and Trucks since the early 70's. But, I pretty well stopped with the early 80's models. I drive a 1976 Chevy Blazer and have a 1983 Dodge Good Times Van that is a Project in waiting... I use to do motor swaps and could fix most anything that went wrong with my Cars and Trucks. But, this Auto Door Lockers Running your Battery Down, thing This, was a New one on me!:O Turns out. It was actually fairly simple to fix. I meant to take some Pics, while working. But, I forgot to take my Camera out with me. But, what happens is... The Manual Switch in the Door. Has a Spring, with a Plastic Rod (or Dowel, if you like) stuck in it. This is what causes the Switch to Return to the Off Position. When it is not functioning properly. The Switch will Auto Engage at Random or when ever your Saturn is in the mood to Re-Lock your Doors... Over and Over Again... When I took mine Apart. It all Snaps together and Apart. There are Flexible Keepers on each Part of the Switch. Take Care, not to Break them. On mine. The Plastic Rod - Dowel had broken into 2 pieces (or 2 pieces was all that I found). So, I looked through my Small Nuts and Parts Bin. And decided on using a Small Cotter Pin. Some people call them Cotter Keys. But, I don't (they are Pin's not Keys). Here's a Pic of a Cotter Pin...

I think, that the Round Head, should glide well in the V Shaped Plastic or Nylon Stop in the Switch. The Center of the V, is where the Off Position is, in the Switch. I had a small Machine Screw that would fit (Diameter wise). But it was too long and the Cotter Pin was easy to cut off with my Wire Cutters. And it fit inside of the Very Small Spring too. So, as not to fall out, during Re-Assembly. I left it a little long. I stuck with my first cut. I didn't want to end up with it too short and wast a Cotter Pin;) The switch is a little harder to Push now. But, it works perfectly. And I'm hoping that it will Out Last the Plastic Rod, that was put in there by the Saturn Factory. Mom, did buy the Car New. So, at least I know what has and has not been done to it. That was a pretty cool fix. No money involved (This Time). Just some searching on the Net and a little Work... There is more info and some good Videos on how to take the Door Handel and Lock Switch Assembly and Door Panels out of a Saturn, Below...

Update (09-19-12)

The Repaired Switch ended up being too hard for Mom to Press, after all. I had left the Cotter Pin long enough to give fairly strong resistance, along with the Spring. I wanted to make sure that the Switch didn't fall back into the Unlock Position again and run the Battery Down again. Also, Mom, said that she did hear and see the Locks Re-Locking again the other day, when she was out Shopping. So, we decided to Order a new Switch. My Locak Auto Supply, didn't have them in Stock. But they Ordered one for me from the Local Dealer. It will cost about $32. Not as expensive as I feared. And all I could find Online, was used Switches for about $20. I figure that they will be about ready to break too. Just like ours did. And I could just keep working on our Switch. I figure it is in the same or better than a Used Switch would be. The new Switch is suppose to be in on Saturday. So, well see how things turn out. It's allot easier to just replace a Switch. Than it was to take one apart and fix it. With all of those little plastic parts, that is...

Don

96 Saturn lw2: clicking..I disconnect the power door locks

Customer Question

The power door locks on my '96 Saturn SW2 are making a continual "clicking" sound, and running down my battery. Just installed a new battery 4 days ago and it's already dead. How do I disconnect the power door locks?

Skipping on down...

Answer...
Remove the 2 Relays located in Fuse / Relay Panel

Go there to Read More and see Diagram...
http://www.justanswer.com/car/3xtc5-power-door-locks-96-saturn-sw2-making-continual.html

More Details that I found on Saturnfans.com

Door locks draining battery? - SaturnFans Forums

Skipping on down to the likely fix...

The problem is most likely the switch, not the actuator. Typically driver's side, since it gets the most use. The spring that keeps the switch in the "neutral" position fails, and by gravity it "falls" to the LOCK position, constantly firing all (well, both in the case of a coupe) the lock actuators. Disconnecting the offending door switch will at least allow the other door switch, and the RKE, to be used until the switch can be replaced.

Read More...
http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=158132