driver side door lock wont pop up

[silver surfer13]

have a 01 ford explorer sport 103,000 miles 4x4...when u hit the unlock button driver,s side wont pop up.....u can see that it tries and wants too..so i know the actuators are working...only way to unlock it is by opening door manually from inside..I even tried to pull the lock up with figers..wont move up...and we think we hear a little "something broke loose" in the lock/doorhandle area....


any ideas or fixes?

 

[Turdle]

Outer door handle spring broken. Believe it or not.

You need to replace it before the inner handle breaks. It will get "jammed up"

 

[silver surfer13]

that sounds right

drivers side door latch on outside seemed pretty loose compared to passengers,,so i think u hit the nail on the head...can i take inner panel off or do i need those stupid wrench to get into the lock?

how do i fix this

 

[Turdle]

It's in the How to threads--

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165081

edit-
ooops, it was not in the list-
I fixed that.

 

[tdapsr]

Mine did that too. The rivet that fastens the lock actuater to the door had broken so the lock actuater was floating inside the door. I just replaced the rivet.

 

[moexplorer97]

Mine has the exact same problem as mentioned in the 1st post. Going to try and fix it this summer.

 

[clemguy95]

DRIVER DOOR LOCK : Close but NO Cigar

Hi, I'm new but I have a similar issue. My drivers door lock doesn't work properly. I can lock the door, no problem. However it will not unlock either by the key, or actuator mechanism. I know the actuator works, because it will lock it, and technically push a lever into the unlock position, because the black post at the top of the door moves. HOWEVER, the internal mechanism of the door latch doesn't seem to disengage properly.

Anyone have any of the same issues?

 

[dcsmrgun]

Hi all,

I had the same thing happen to me this spring and I finally looked into it earlier today. I found a spring of some sort lying around in my door latch (the part that actually catches the portruding bolt to keep the door closed.

As you can see the hook on the bottom of the spring snapped off.

Is this the same spring you guys are talking about? If so, I've looked through my Haynes manual but can't find where it goes. Any suggestions?

 

[clemguy95]

dcsmrgun -- Door Problem

Yepp, thats the spring that should be inside your lock mechanism, the shiny thing with a V in the side of it that grips the bolt post on the body. That spring can not be replaced by itself.

The reason you can't find that door locking mechanism or the spring in the Haynes manual, is because it is a FORD specific part. The spring comes installed in the new mechanism. The only way to get it, is to go to your local ford dealership. You can expect to pay around $42.99.

This happened to me, I had to replace mine about a month ago. Good news though, the door lock mechanism (new one) has been redisgned due to a safety recall and lawsuit. The new one should last longer and be more durable.

Email me if you need pics or have problems with the install. I have a few pictures that i took, when i did my install.

Richard

 

[DevinMac]

This exact thing is what i am trying to fix right now. I went to the dealer to get my $35 diagnostic to see what the problem was. Later that day i get a call saying it was going to cost $300+ to fix! For a damn spring? Are you kidding me? Heh, anyway I decided it's time for me to start learning how to fix a door and found you guys. From what I've read so far you all seem very helpful and positive which is a nice change from other forums.
Anyway, I'm going to try and fix this thing this weekend and it'd be great to see those pics on how to go about replacing the spring in there clemguy95. I'm a complete noob when i comes to working on cars so any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[FUN LS1]

My rear driver door outer handle feels fine and opens the door with ease, but the door will not lock. I'll hit lock on the keypad and all the other doors will lock but this door won't. The pin will shake like it's trying but won't actually lock. I can't pull it up or down either.

Same problem even though the outer handle feels solid?

 

[appauldd]

Hello all new guy here. I just finished repairing this same problem. All you have to do is re-bend the spring simular to how it was before and then re-attach it. It will be a little tighter than it was before, but it will work. Take a look at the passenger side for a reference. On the top of the latch there are two holes, one is triangular and the other is a small oval. This is where the small loop mounts. Once you get it in place use some picks to pry the long end (that you re-bent) to hook on the "T" that sticks out on the inner latch. Again look at the passenger side for reference. It is a real PITA to do but it will save you some cash. I think the hardest part is getting the dang latch out. GRRRR.