Could it be the key?

[gold_expl]

Okay, ever since I got my used '01 Ford explorer, I have had trouble opening the doors. The truck starts fine, but the doors take quite a bit of wiggling around before the doors will lock/unlock. Could it be the old worn out key? I mean the key is really worn, could that be the problem?

 

[Blee1099]

try adding some graphite into the locks in the doors and see if that helps..

 

[Charlie]

^That's what I did when I was having troubles with one of my door locks, they are working fine after doing that. Could be some pins in the lock sticking.

 

[gold_expl]

I tried the graphite lube and now the door won't open with the key at all so much for that.

 

[Blee1099]

if you have an air compressor or a can of compressed air, try spraying it into the locks for a good 3-5 seconds. maybe the graphite clogged the tumblers.

 

[m4dc0w]

Just gunk in your tumbullers. Just got to clean them out, if graphite, then use some electronic contact cleaner on it, it should clear out the gunk and dry it without residue. Then test the lock, if it works the lubricate it.


Ford uses 8 tabs that make points it contact from the tumbulers to the key, any one of them can have some residue on it, or can be a bit bent out of shape.

 

[gold_expl]

enough with this nonsense

after blowing the #$%* out of the key hole, the lock is back to the way it was before I added the graphite. It will unlock/lock with the key, but it takes quite a bit of wiggling and effort. I might try a little teeny bit of graphite again but after that then forget it. I don't really use that lock anyway, I just use the remote or the keyless entry lol

 

[m4dc0w]

Nice to have though if the power goes dead.