How to: Remove and replace door latch assembly

[J_C]

question-

New member and this thread is a great resource, helped me identify the driver door problem for my wifes 99 explorer sport. The door not opening reliably prevented if from passing inspection.

anyway, my question is one of part availability. I have a ford dealer a few miles from me, and I went down there to buy the latch assembly, part number FMC6L5Z7821813C, and I was told "You can't get that anymore". The guy said the same thing for replacement wheel studs, which I was able to buy down the street from him at an advance auto parts.

Is this ford parts guy feeding me BS, or is the latch assembly actually not available anymore from ford since the start of the thread? Have not been to a new dealership yet to double check the local parts guy

I think it's BS OR he tried to enter the whole # which was too many characters.

If I enter the whole part # on Fordparts.com it doesn't find the part but if I search for only 6L5Z7821813C it does find it. Currently they're $55 on Amazon or $53 on Rock Auto before the 5% forum discount code and shipping.
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=5549007&cc=1354542

Seems like I got one from a dealership around 4, maybe even 8 years ago for $40 and was amazed at the time because it's the only thing a dealer hasn't wanted a lot more for.

 

[JB3]

Thanks for that link!
I may just order from rockauto.

 

[Patentmike]

Can you tell me how long that spring was or what the part number (and where you got it) is for that spring?

I don't know, just went to Ace Hardware and eyeballed it about 3 inches longs and not too strong.

 

[JB3]

So i checked two dealers near me and the price seems to be 80 bucks local, and everyone had it in stock apart from the first guy who obviously didnt want to help.

I ended up doing this the second most expensive way and buying the 80 dollar part so it would be done immediately. This thread was super useful, thanks again to the OP!

Just out of curiousity i had ford service price out the job (same expensive dealer) ,they wanted almost 1000 dollars! Holy ****.

 

[Larry2C]

I don't know, just went to Ace Hardware and eyeballed it about 3 inches longs and not too strong.

Yeah, I just went to Home Depot and got two different ones. I put the lighter/weaker one in but I may switch to the heavier one at some point (it only unlocks about 8 out of 10 times)

 

[J_C]

My rear door with the spring broken still works, possibly because I sprayed a ton of grease into it.

 

[Patentmike]

Yeah, I just went to Home Depot and got two different ones. I put the lighter/weaker one in but I may switch to the heavier one at some point (it only unlocks about 8 out of 10 times)

Moving the top end of the spring to change the angle might help.

 

[Larry2C]

Just thought I'd update the thread - I just finished replacing the latch mechanism and a big THANK YOU to all for the helpful info on how to perform the repair. One comment that I wish I had paid attention to was in regards to the lock cylinder rod retainer. I tried to work the rod out of the clip and of course one of the legs of the clip broke. That stupid clip cost me $17 bucks at the Ford dealer and that was after they gave me $5 off for crying about how much they were charging me.

Oh, and when I did take the c-clip off, it disappeared so I thought I'd buy one of those - $5 please. I said no and went home and pounded on the door until the clip fell into the bottom where I could retrieve it.

OK, that's done, time for a cold adult beverage to drown my $orrow$!

 

[AeroRamer]

Doing this now. I went through the process of replacing the actuator thinking it was bad to find out the problem was/is the latch. I had to buy a new actuator and interior door handle. I damaged the actuator trying to do the aluminum foil fix.

Now the question is...spring fix or disassembly? I think I am going to try to the spring fix first. If I end replacing the latch I will try to shoot a video if I have not lost my patience. I worked on this all day yesterday.

 

[J_C]

^ I did the spring fix alone a few years back and it still works so I'd do it that way again. Just make sure that the spring is actually broken. If it's still there then it's some other part of the latch that's the problem.

 

[AeroRamer]

^ I did the spring fix alone a few years back and it still works so I'd do it that way again. Just make sure that the spring is actually broken. If it's still there then it's some other part of the latch that's the problem.

Yeap. Broken. Have a pic of it. I actually could see it with the door open look into the latch.

I installed the spring slightly different than Patentmike (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3293940&postcount=136)

 

[AeroRamer]

My spring fix - Pictures and Videos

Here is how I did it:

2000 Ford Explorer 4-door. Fixed with new spring purchased at hardware store. I hope it lasts.

Driver door would not unlock and open using the key, keypad, or remote fob. Door could only be opened/unlocked using door handle from inside.

After a while the inside handle stopped working and the door got stuck shut. After fiddling with the lock switch the door lock opened and the door opened.

To prevent the door lock from engaging inadvertently or automatically when the SUV was in gear the fuse #18 (25-amp) that controls the door locks was temporarily removed until the problems was fixed. This way all the doors remained unlocked all the time and the driver door could only be opened from the outside (lowering the window and reaching the outside handle from inside).

The problem was initially troubleshoot for a bad actuator. The actuator was replaced but the problem persisted. Closer inspection revealed that a small spring inside the latch assembly had broken off and was not able to provide enough tension to move the rods that would cause the lock to unlock.

To fix the problem a new spring was installed to aid the actuator move the latch down which will cause the rod to move up and unlock the door.
Follow the link below to see pictures of the bad spring and the new spring, and pictures of the new spring installed. The spring was purchased at a local hardware store. The spring has low tension.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/27219978@N05/sets/72157650360504502/


For a video of the operation of the latch with no spring go to: http://youtu.be/np8ZYVX_fMA

For a video of the operation of the latch with the new spring installed go to: http://youtu.be/B9ariRjw76E

---

 

[J_C]

Yeap. Broken. Have a pic of it. I actually could see it with the door open look into the latch.

I installed the spring slightly different than Patentmike (http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3293940&postcount=136)

If that works for you it looks like a great inexpensive fix, but to clarify it's not what I was talking about. I directly fixed the spring that broke in the latch by putting a new one in the same place, accessing it from outside the door, not getting inside the door cavity.

Anyway it might be possible to source that spring separately. I saw a spring for an older Mustang latch that "might" work but there's not enough info to know for sure. If another one of my latches stops working I may investigate the dimensions of these or similar parts further:

http://www.lamustang.com/ShowItem/100140 1967 - 1970 Mustang Door Latch Spring.aspx

 

[Gr33nAnMerky]

So I've been reading through the forums and realized I haven't found a how-to on how to remove and replace the Door rod end clip (the yellow/white clip that holds the door handle rod. If someone could either direct me to the proper thread or tell me how, it would be greatly appropriated. I would like to save myself over $100 if I can do it myself.

Thanks guys, Brian:exp:

 

[tipomac]

My Version of the Fix '99 Drivers Door

I was having problems with my drivers door. Here were the symptoms.

• Door would not unlock using the remote. It would pop up just not enough to unlock.
• Found that locking the door before closing created this situation. Closing the door then locking didn't.... most of the time.
• When the remote couldn't unlock, neither would the interior electric lock buttons. The key cylinder would not turn either.
• Only way to open the door was the inside door handle which was noticeably harder.

I had a new latch in hand ($50) and had some delusional idea that it was going to be a piece of cake to swap it out....... I pulled the door panel and looked inside. Rods, levers, wires, and stuff everywhere. I knew I could find a better answer on the Explorer Forum.

The "spring lifting the rod" fix sounded easier than replacing the entire latch so I tried that first. I mocked it up with a rubber-band, as someone else here had done. It worked!!

Here is my permanent fix using just stuff I had around the shop. Bending the end of a spring and hooking it onto something at an obscure angle is creating a future failure. I wanted something more forgiving than a spring. I used 1/8" bungee cord. This bungee is designed for marine outdoors use. I used the sewing machine and zig-zag stitched loops on both ends. Tying a knot would work just fine. This fix was soooo easy. The preload is less than an inch. In other words the bungee is stretched less than an inch when installed. There is NO static stress on the "rubber band". It'll out live the truck.

I drilled two small holes in the edge of the door and secured the "spring" with a nylon wire tie.

A piece of bungee and a zip tie and everything works again. Now all I need is a refund on this latch.

 

[David OBrien]

does anyone know which way the retainer clip on the rear latch of a 2000 ford explorer is supposed to go when I put it in it just keeps popping out it is a new clip and I never saw how it originally was

 

[kythri]

Dumb question, and if I missed the answer, please forgive me.

What do the power leads on the latch assembly do? Isn't the lock/unlock functionality by way of the actuator and the bar that connects it to the latch?

I've got the door of one of my Explorers currently gutted - busted window regulator, busted latch and busted actuator, so I'm waiting for parts to show up to put everything back together, figured I'd ask, as I'm not seeing why this thing has it's own power...

Thanks!

 

[J_C]

^ Aren't they the door ajar/interior-light/etc sense switches?

 

[kythri]

^ Aren't they the door ajar/interior-light/etc sense switches?

That might explain why the lights aren't turning on with the door open/latch out at the moment.

Good to know, thank you!!

 

[jkfoote]

Thanks everybody for all the tips - another great thread that highlights how incredibly helpful this forum is.

Did this job yesterday on the two rear doors on my high mileage (315K miles, still on the first engine and first transmission!) 1998 XLT.

I also got stuck at step #8 - tried and tried to rotate the latch mechanism off the door lock actuator bar but couldn’t get it off. Back to the forum to study the thread: RuggedBeastTruck had the right answer, but it wasn’t until I got to robertsc’s post that I actually understood it. I got tripped up on the reference to the ‘lock cylinder’ - I thought this was a reference to the lock cylinder where the key inserts for the driver’s door. No - the thing that needs to be popped off the C clip is the electric door lock actuator - the lowest component of the whole assembly. Pretty easy to get out, a real bear to get back in. The winning reassembly strategy: used two thin flat metal putty knives so the stack-up is: outer side of the C-clip, putty knife, actuator, putty knife, inner side of the C-clip. Now spread the C clip with the putty knives while pushing down on the actuator body really hard. That gets the two bosses on the actuator body past the lips of the white plastic grommets and roughly aligned with the holes they’ll go into. Now work loose the outer putty knife while holding the actuator in place to let the outer boss slip into it’s hole, then repeat for the inner putty knife.

The whole thing makes more sense if you visualize how it was probably originally assembled on the factory line: the assembly is inserted into the door with the inner door lever rod and the electric actuator rods already connected. Then the wiring connectors attached, then the manual door lock bar connected, then the whole assembly maneuvered up to it’s final position and then attached with the three exterior screws. Then the exterior door handle bar is connected with a little ‘bias’ - that is: a little gentle upward pressure on that rod before clipping it in so that all of the exterior door handle upward motion goes into pushing downward on the latch (ie no mechanical ‘slack’ in that arm). Finally the C clip for the electric door lock actuator is riveted to the bottom of the door. So the easiest way to get it out is to mostly reverse those steps - except we open the C clip to release the electric door lock actuator instead of removing and replacing the rivet.

Replaced the exterior door handles at the same time - they’ve all had broken springs. The hard part is starting the nut on the screws that replace the two rivets (back to robertsc’s original question): create a small loop of masking tape (adhesive facing outward) and press one side to the index finger of one hand, press the nut into the other side of the tape, now reach up with that finger while using the other hand to rotate the screw on the exterior of the new door handle to start the nut.

Very satisfying to have the door latches working correctly again!