Driver's Power Door Locks

For about a month now, the door lock on the driver's door will not unlock when I hit the keyless entry. You can tell that it moves just a little, therefore I think that it might be the door lock motor that's bad. All the others open fine. What could be wrong? If it is the motor, how hard of a process is it to replace, and how do I do it? Thanks.

Jared

lots of posts... lots of "fun" because of the working space plus a few other things like rivets. Since you hear "noises", it ain't electrical. Take your door panel off and check the linkages and try lubing a few things before attacking your actuator... cheaper and probably a good starting point.

As budwich said, there are lots of posts on this. I have had the "fortune" of encountering a drivers door lock issue, and with the info gleaned from the boards was able to effect a repair for less than 5 bucks. Like budwich said, take the door panel off, check linkages. Also look into the latch from the edge of the door where it grips the post on the body. there should be a spring that is readily visible. If the spring is not attached or not there (as mine was) that is probably your problem. search for things like door lock, door latch, lock actuator (that is what the motor that unlocks the door is called).

David

My driver's door lock locks when I shut the door. Fortunately it opens with the keyless remote, but I have to use it every time I shut the door. I discovered a very tiny spring that's part of the door latch has rusted in half...it looks like it's a spring that's designed to keep the lock pin in the "up" position when the door is shut.

Costs about $150 to replace the entire latch mechanism...I can live with it the way it is.

rollinstone... there have been a few posts on this area, and the spring is a problem but most fix it by bending part of the broken end and reattaching things as opposed to spending $150. Some failures results in the door not being able to be opened at all and then you are looking a "slim jim" just to get started so I wouldn't leave things too long in the "partial working" state.

Buy a used latch, mine was about $10.

BTW, if you do need to change the actuator, two things; do not remove any rivets, stretch the holding bracket open(pry) to remove the actuator. Plus before starting that, pull the door panel, then remove the side glass adjustment bar.

That bar is directly in the path to reach the adjuster. With that out it is a much easier task. The one bolt that holds/adjusts that bar is about 2" from the latch side of the door edge, and about 6" from the bottom. With the bolt removed, the bar(guide for the glass) slips straight down. Watch the top as you remove it, it slips right back up very easily. To adjust that bar, which is the only glass adjustment, install it and the bolt(not tight), slide the bolt head towards the hinge side, and tighten the bolt. Good luck,

Don't take your door panel off!

Before you start major surgery, get a can of WD-40, and soak the latch and all the mechanisms you can get to. Work the lock a little, the part you can see wiggling, soak it some more. Hopefully this will free up your lock a bit. In 2-3 days, do it again. Rinse and repeat as neccesary. Most mechanical door lock problems can be solved this way initially unless they are left unattended long enough to completely sieze up.