help with door locks
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From: Groveland MA
help with door locks
Hey, another problem I'm looking to fix on my 82.. I have power locks, they don't work no biggie, but I have manual locks and want to figure out why the locking arm push/pull doesn't seem to want to move on either door. I can't lock my doors at all via key or power locks, not good.. I am wondering if anyone could post a good pic of how the door lock hardware connects inside the door. I'm not so concerned with the power locks I'll tackle those sometime but manual locks would give me a peace of mind of leaving it parked in public. Thanks in advance,
Steve
Steve
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,663
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From: columbia city in
we need more info .are the power locks trying to work when you hit the switch ?from what you have posted ,i would say that your electric door locks are bad .when you take the door panel off you can see the door locks .
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Groveland MA
I looked at it again this afternoon and the manual lock **** (at the armrest) was not moving at all so I used some white lithium grease in there and tried to get it moving again, and broke it...
oops... After that broke off though I could lock and unlock the doors using the key in door lock, however my cylinder (piece the key goes in) that sits inside the door is free, meaning I think the retainer must have popped out that holds it in a position to stay connected to the pawl. I can pull the cylinder right out of the car from the key side... Looks like a new retainer on that side might get me lockable, tomorrow/tonight maybe I'll look at the passengers door.. to be continued
oops... After that broke off though I could lock and unlock the doors using the key in door lock, however my cylinder (piece the key goes in) that sits inside the door is free, meaning I think the retainer must have popped out that holds it in a position to stay connected to the pawl. I can pull the cylinder right out of the car from the key side... Looks like a new retainer on that side might get me lockable, tomorrow/tonight maybe I'll look at the passengers door.. to be continued
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,235
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From: Myrtle Beach SC
I looked at it again this afternoon and the manual lock **** (at the armrest) was not moving at all so I used some white lithium grease in there and tried to get it moving again, and broke it... oops... After that broke off though I could lock and unlock the doors using the key in door lock, however my cylinder (piece the key goes in) that sits inside the door is free, meaning I think the retainer must have popped out that holds it in a position to stay connected to the pawl. I can pull the cylinder right out of the car from the key side... Looks like a new retainer on that side might get me lockable, tomorrow/tonight maybe I'll look at the passengers door.. to be continued
oops... After that broke off though I could lock and unlock the doors using the key in door lock, however my cylinder (piece the key goes in) that sits inside the door is free, meaning I think the retainer must have popped out that holds it in a position to stay connected to the pawl. I can pull the cylinder right out of the car from the key side... Looks like a new retainer on that side might get me lockable, tomorrow/tonight maybe I'll look at the passengers door.. to be continued1. electrical
2. electro mechanical
3. mechanical
The electrical is the switch and connectors that "pop" the actuator. Connectors go bad on the switch and the wires can fray and it loses connection.
The actuator is in the door and responds to an electrical charge than its plunger activates the door lock linkage. It ages and the plunger rod fails to move or moves in only one direction...thus the linkage that is attached to it gets stuck.
Than there is the linkage as you've seen. The door **** linkage and the actuator linkage both link to a fulcrum lever that activates the door lock mechanism. It sounds like your is bound up.
I've just completed a rebuild of the power locks in my 78. I replaced switches, actuators and cleaned both the lock mechanism and linkage with brake cleaner. Sounds like that is the fix you're looking for.
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From: Groveland MA
"You may have a three fold problem
1. electrical
2. electro mechanical
3. mechanical
The electrical is the switch and connectors that "pop" the actuator. Connectors go bad on the switch and the wires can fray and it loses connection.
The actuator is in the door and responds to an electrical charge than its plunger activates the door lock linkage. It ages and the plunger rod fails to move or moves in only one direction...thus the linkage that is attached to it gets stuck.
Than there is the linkage as you've seen. The door **** linkage and the actuator linkage both link to a fulcrum lever that activates the door lock mechanism. It sounds like your is bound up.
I've just completed a rebuild of the power locks in my 78. I replaced switches, actuators and cleaned both the lock mechanism and linkage with brake cleaner. Sounds like that is the fix you're looking for."[/COLOR]
It was really tight in there but I got them working last night, drivers side was missing the anti theft retainer and gasket, popped off found it hanging in the door (for the cylinder to stay in place at the door). Then I sprayed some white lithium all over the linkage, rod connections and exercised it about 50 times and they started working at least from the key in door...
I did however bust off the link rod that connect and runs through the armrest (inside manual door lock) reconnecting will be hard since I'm basically blind in there behind the sheet metal. The passengers side was much easier everything hardware wise was there and just needed some cleaning and lube.
Wonder if you will see a "locked out of car thread" once the lube dries up..? Any suggestions to help make the fix more permanent would be great!!
Big peace of mind being able to lock the doors. I won't have to keep checking on the car when I take out and park it in a parking lot..
I'm not to concerned with the power lock circuit since I don't have the remote opener to open from outside the car, maybe this winter I'll try my luck fixing it and get a remote clicker.. Thanks for the help guys.
1. electrical
2. electro mechanical
3. mechanical
The electrical is the switch and connectors that "pop" the actuator. Connectors go bad on the switch and the wires can fray and it loses connection.
The actuator is in the door and responds to an electrical charge than its plunger activates the door lock linkage. It ages and the plunger rod fails to move or moves in only one direction...thus the linkage that is attached to it gets stuck.
Than there is the linkage as you've seen. The door **** linkage and the actuator linkage both link to a fulcrum lever that activates the door lock mechanism. It sounds like your is bound up.
I've just completed a rebuild of the power locks in my 78. I replaced switches, actuators and cleaned both the lock mechanism and linkage with brake cleaner. Sounds like that is the fix you're looking for."[/COLOR]
It was really tight in there but I got them working last night, drivers side was missing the anti theft retainer and gasket, popped off found it hanging in the door (for the cylinder to stay in place at the door). Then I sprayed some white lithium all over the linkage, rod connections and exercised it about 50 times and they started working at least from the key in door...
I did however bust off the link rod that connect and runs through the armrest (inside manual door lock) reconnecting will be hard since I'm basically blind in there behind the sheet metal. The passengers side was much easier everything hardware wise was there and just needed some cleaning and lube.
Wonder if you will see a "locked out of car thread" once the lube dries up..? Any suggestions to help make the fix more permanent would be great!!
Big peace of mind being able to lock the doors. I won't have to keep checking on the car when I take out and park it in a parking lot..
I'm not to concerned with the power lock circuit since I don't have the remote opener to open from outside the car, maybe this winter I'll try my luck fixing it and get a remote clicker.. Thanks for the help guys.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,235
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
Big peace of mind being able to lock the doors. I won't have to keep checking on the car when I take out and park it in a parking lot..
I'm not to concerned with the power lock circuit since I don't have the remote opener to open from outside the car, maybe this winter I'll try my luck fixing it and get a remote clicker.. Thanks for the help guys.
I'm not to concerned with the power lock circuit since I don't have the remote opener to open from outside the car, maybe this winter I'll try my luck fixing it and get a remote clicker.. Thanks for the help guys.
Using brake cleaner to clean linkage before lithium would have removed to built up gunk. Corvette Enthusiast has an article in the works that details power door lock restoration.
