I'm sorry about the confusion on this matter, and the use of bandwidth, but this could become a safety hazard, so please forgive me.
To clarify: This is a 1994 Buick Century Station Wagon. The system uses power windows and locks. All four door locks normally operate in unison. If the engine is running and the vehicle is in gear, all the doors lock automatically, and they remain locked until the engine is shut off. They do NOT unlock automatically as long as the engine is running (even if put back in Park). However, even with the engine running (in or out of gear) the people in the front seats CAN always override the automatic system anytime they wish simply by pressing a power lock switch, or manually sliding a lever in the door, (sort of a horizontal version of the oldstyle lock buttons in older cars.) The poor folks in the back seat can NOT do either! The rear doors only respond to the automatic locking sequence or the lock switches in the front doors. The rear doors can not be unlocked or locked by the people sitting in the rear seats either manually or electronically. For the back seats, the switches have no effect (locking or unlocking) and the manual lever won't budge (either way) by hand. Anybody in the back seats is effectively trapped in the rear unless they climb over the front seats, or a person in the front seat lets them out.
The idea, of course, was to prevent a child (or pet) from accidentally locking out their parent (child) or owner (pet) or even worse unlocking and opening the door while the vehicle was in motion. Good idea, most of the time, but I want to override this feature when I do not have children or pets in the car.
Some of you mentioned the idea that a PO (previous owner) modified the car, not so. I just got the car from a family member who was the original owner. The owner's manual was ripped off a few years ago! The doors have never been modified or replaced. There are NO switches, levers, or even holes in the door jambs or doors near the latch mechanisms on any door in the car, except for a grill (air or vent?) on the rear part of each rear door jamb. I know that most cars with this feature have a nylon or metal lever to engage or disengage the child safety feature, but this car seems to have none. That's is why I am at a loss to figure this out, and came to the newsgroup for help. Even the original shop manual (which I ordered at the time the car was originally purchased) has no mention of this safety feature, let alone any indication of how to override it.
It seems that anybody in the back of the car could be prevented from emergency exit in any number of unfortunate situations because the only way out of the car would be through one of the front doors (probably over the bodies of anybody sitting in the front seat! This seems ridiculous to me.
So, once again, if anybody knows how to control this annoying feature, I'd appreciate the secret. I have received many responses off line, but they all point to a non-existent lever in the rear door(s).
TIA for any assistance, (again, sorry for the bandwidth but this really strikes me as a safety issue.)
Bob Giel snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net