Door locks on a 1997 4 door work intermittently.

[k4allen]

My rear door locks would work intermittently on my 1997 4 door explorer. They would actuate like they were supposed to and seemed mechanical at the core. It would appear as if the lock was not coming up all the way and there was lots of play so to speak in the handle. The problem was worn out bushings in the door latch mechanism. Also my front door lock actuator had the rivet break loose and cause the door to not lock electronically.

 

[hitman46mod]

Welcome to the forum.

First issue I would say the actuators are going.However check that the linkage is lubed first, then check that the connections at the actuators are not corroded, then check that the fuses and relays are not corroded. Age is sometimes the enemy for electrical components. Connectors will corrode with age, sometimes a good cleaning will solve your problems. Another thing as you mentioned would be the linkage bushings if there is enough slop it may not push the linkage far enough to unlock. Hope this helps.

 

[Sams01XplrSprt]

welcome

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've renamed your thread, and moved it into the stock 95-01 section. Take the panel off, and check how they are working. This will tell you if you need to lubricate or replace things.