1999 explorer driver door lock problem

[The General]

We have a 1999 Explorer that we bought used about three years ago. Some time ago the driver's door got so it wouldn't lock with the remote or the switch on the inside. It would unlock but to get it to lock you had to push down on the button. Now it's got so it won't unlock either not even using the key, I can't even pull up on the button if I have pushed it down! The only way I can get the driver's door unlocked is to get in the other side and reach over and pull the inside handle. Something else that may or may not be related is that that outside door handle seems to be much more easy to lift than the other. Like it has a weak spring or something. I'd like to know if anyone has seen this before or has some info to give me about what I have to do to get it to work right.

 

[nssj2]

there is a little TINY spring that broke. common issue. search around on here, i think there is a writeup. some people have replaced the whole assembly, others have rigged a carb spring to make it work. might be an actuator too, but that wouldn't explain why its more difficult to open from the outside.

 

[5litersplorer]

Yup, just fixed the same issue on my 2000. It was a spring that returns the outer door handle push rod to the retracted position. I thought my lock motor was toast, so I bought a new one. When I took the old one out, I noticed the latch mechanism was still binding, and the lock motor (now outside the truck) worked freely in my hands!
After tearing the whole thing out of the door, cleaning and lubing, it still didn't work. Best I could come up with was to fab up a small spring to retract it. I dropped my spring by accident into the bottom of the door. When i shone the flashlight in there to find it...I found 2 springs....a clue!
I installed my spring, put the original lock motor in and voila. Works perfect.
I returned the 200 dollar actuator the next day!