1981 Power door lock issue
02-28-2017, 06:03 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
1981 Power door lock issue
Sorry to start another door lock thread, but I just can't figure it out. The power door locks did not work at all when I bought the car a year ago. Today I decided enough was enough and I was going to figure it out. I took the driver door panel off and cleaned up the pigtail and lock switch and WD40'd everything down. Low and behold it has good power and I can hear the switch activate, lock and unlock. The door lock actually moves now. BUT when I hit the lock button, it just makes the sound, it doesnt move the rod unless I give it a little assistance by pulling or pushing on the lock itself. 
Any help would be appreciated! I have not sprayed down the passenger side yet, maybe that would help?
Any help would be appreciated! I have not sprayed down the passenger side yet, maybe that would help?
02-28-2017, 06:30 PM
#2
Race Director
OK...
Window needs to be UP. Remove the black metal panel that is screwed to your door so you can gain access to the inside of the door.
REMOVE the special clip that holds the rod to you latch mechanism that moves up and down when you lock and unlock your door. This rod will be the one that goes downward towards your door lock actuator.
NOW...with the rod disconnected....manually move that LEVER that is a part of your latch mechanism and see if it moves freely. IF it seems to be hard to move..CAREFULLY lubricate the latch mechanism.
***** CAUTION*******
When spraying any penetrating oils or WD 40 or any oil based product and it gettign on the backside of your outer door skin CAN cause for paint problems in the future (bubbles/blisters). Try to be precise in where you are spraying and NOT gettign it all over the place.
NOW...take your door key and lock and unlock you door and see how easily it is to do so. there is REASON for this.
Now reach inside the door and grab the shaft of the door lock actuator and see if you can FREELY move it up and down. If it feels like it is binding...sometimes while doing this you can need to aid the rod that go up and down or the one that has the plastic pull **** on it.
If it is really hard to move or has a lot of resistance....re-attach the rod and special clip to the latch mechanism. NOW...CAREFULLY use your door key and see if it is hard as heck to turn the lock cylinder to lock and unlock the door.
IF IT IS....replace the door lock actuator. No 'if's' or 'but's' about it.
Personally I use the DORMAN door lock actuators but that they do require a slight modification on the mount bracket that you have to take off your original. The reason WHY I use them is this.
After countless years of fixing this problem....I had found that I would have to check about a dozen ACDelco actuators until I found two that when I grabbed the shaft of the new actuator...it would flow super freely. BECAUSE....your Corvette has a fiberglass door and not a METAL door....so if you are fighting against the resistance in the actuator itself...you can damage your outer door skin while trying to unlock your door....which I have repaired countless of them. Once I used the DORMAN actuators...the shaft will move so easily that when I am testing how your door key works...I can lock and unlock the door without fear of feeling I am going to break the key off or spin the door lock cylinder in the door itself which can cause for $100's of dollars in repair to fix the damage in the door that has to hold the lock cylinder.
DUB
Window needs to be UP. Remove the black metal panel that is screwed to your door so you can gain access to the inside of the door.
REMOVE the special clip that holds the rod to you latch mechanism that moves up and down when you lock and unlock your door. This rod will be the one that goes downward towards your door lock actuator.
NOW...with the rod disconnected....manually move that LEVER that is a part of your latch mechanism and see if it moves freely. IF it seems to be hard to move..CAREFULLY lubricate the latch mechanism.
***** CAUTION*******
When spraying any penetrating oils or WD 40 or any oil based product and it gettign on the backside of your outer door skin CAN cause for paint problems in the future (bubbles/blisters). Try to be precise in where you are spraying and NOT gettign it all over the place.
NOW...take your door key and lock and unlock you door and see how easily it is to do so. there is REASON for this.
Now reach inside the door and grab the shaft of the door lock actuator and see if you can FREELY move it up and down. If it feels like it is binding...sometimes while doing this you can need to aid the rod that go up and down or the one that has the plastic pull **** on it.
If it is really hard to move or has a lot of resistance....re-attach the rod and special clip to the latch mechanism. NOW...CAREFULLY use your door key and see if it is hard as heck to turn the lock cylinder to lock and unlock the door.
IF IT IS....replace the door lock actuator. No 'if's' or 'but's' about it.
Personally I use the DORMAN door lock actuators but that they do require a slight modification on the mount bracket that you have to take off your original. The reason WHY I use them is this.
After countless years of fixing this problem....I had found that I would have to check about a dozen ACDelco actuators until I found two that when I grabbed the shaft of the new actuator...it would flow super freely. BECAUSE....your Corvette has a fiberglass door and not a METAL door....so if you are fighting against the resistance in the actuator itself...you can damage your outer door skin while trying to unlock your door....which I have repaired countless of them. Once I used the DORMAN actuators...the shaft will move so easily that when I am testing how your door key works...I can lock and unlock the door without fear of feeling I am going to break the key off or spin the door lock cylinder in the door itself which can cause for $100's of dollars in repair to fix the damage in the door that has to hold the lock cylinder.
DUB
The following users liked this post:
shaun8484 (02-28-2017)
02-28-2017, 06:36 PM
#3
Racer
Thread Starter
OK...
Window needs to be UP. Remove the black metal panel that is screwed to your door so you can gain access to the inside of the door.
REMOVE the special clip that holds the rod to you latch mechanism that moves up and down when you lock and unlock your door. This rod will be the one that goes downward towards your door lock actuator.
NOW...with the rod disconnected....manually move that LEVER that is a part of your latch mechanism and see if it moves freely. IF it seems to be hard to move..CAREFULLY lubricate the latch mechanism.
***** CAUTION*******
When spraying any penetrating oils or WD 40 or any oil based product and it gettign on the backside of your outer door skin CAN cause for paint problems in the future (bubbles/blisters). Try to be precise in where you are spraying and NOT gettign it all over the place.
NOW...take your door key and lock and unlock you door and see how easily it is to do so. there is REASON for this.
Now reach inside the door and grab the shaft of the door lock actuator and see if you can FREELY move it up and down. If it feels like it is binding...sometimes while doing this you can need to aid the rod that go up and down or the one that has the plastic pull **** on it.
If it is really hard to move or has a lot of resistance....re-attach the rod and special clip to the latch mechanism. NOW...CAREFULLY use your door key and see if it is hard as heck to turn the lock cylinder to lock and unlock the door.
IF IT IS....replace the door lock actuator. No 'if's' or 'but's' about it.
Personally I use the DORMAN door lock actuators but that they do require a slight modification on the mount bracket that you have to take off your original. The reason WHY I use them is this.
After countless years of fixing this problem....I had found that I would have to check about a dozen ACDelco actuators until I found two that when I grabbed the shaft of the new actuator...it would flow super freely. BECAUSE....your Corvette has a fiberglass door and not a METAL door....so if you are fighting against the resistance in the actuator itself...you can damage your outer door skin while trying to unlock your door....which I have repaired countless of them. Once I used the DORMAN actuators...the shaft will move so easily that when I am testing how your door key works...I can lock and unlock the door without fear of feeling I am going to break the key off or spin the door lock cylinder in the door itself which can cause for $100's of dollars in repair to fix the damage in the door that has to hold the lock cylinder.
DUB
Window needs to be UP. Remove the black metal panel that is screwed to your door so you can gain access to the inside of the door.
REMOVE the special clip that holds the rod to you latch mechanism that moves up and down when you lock and unlock your door. This rod will be the one that goes downward towards your door lock actuator.
NOW...with the rod disconnected....manually move that LEVER that is a part of your latch mechanism and see if it moves freely. IF it seems to be hard to move..CAREFULLY lubricate the latch mechanism.
***** CAUTION*******
When spraying any penetrating oils or WD 40 or any oil based product and it gettign on the backside of your outer door skin CAN cause for paint problems in the future (bubbles/blisters). Try to be precise in where you are spraying and NOT gettign it all over the place.
NOW...take your door key and lock and unlock you door and see how easily it is to do so. there is REASON for this.
Now reach inside the door and grab the shaft of the door lock actuator and see if you can FREELY move it up and down. If it feels like it is binding...sometimes while doing this you can need to aid the rod that go up and down or the one that has the plastic pull **** on it.
If it is really hard to move or has a lot of resistance....re-attach the rod and special clip to the latch mechanism. NOW...CAREFULLY use your door key and see if it is hard as heck to turn the lock cylinder to lock and unlock the door.
IF IT IS....replace the door lock actuator. No 'if's' or 'but's' about it.
Personally I use the DORMAN door lock actuators but that they do require a slight modification on the mount bracket that you have to take off your original. The reason WHY I use them is this.
After countless years of fixing this problem....I had found that I would have to check about a dozen ACDelco actuators until I found two that when I grabbed the shaft of the new actuator...it would flow super freely. BECAUSE....your Corvette has a fiberglass door and not a METAL door....so if you are fighting against the resistance in the actuator itself...you can damage your outer door skin while trying to unlock your door....which I have repaired countless of them. Once I used the DORMAN actuators...the shaft will move so easily that when I am testing how your door key works...I can lock and unlock the door without fear of feeling I am going to break the key off or spin the door lock cylinder in the door itself which can cause for $100's of dollars in repair to fix the damage in the door that has to hold the lock cylinder.
DUB
Also, what modifications need to be made for the Dorman actuators?
02-28-2017, 07:23 PM
#4
The switches work in series, but the actuators are in parallel. A faulty switch will stop both sides from working but a faulty actuatoe will only stop the one side. I personally would replace both actualtors if one was bad and they were the original ones, but thats just me. If you decide one needs replacing and the other does not then just do the one.
02-28-2017, 07:56 PM
#5
Former Vendor
Member Since: Aug 2006
Location: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Here is the factory schematic which may help you diagnosis your issue.
03-01-2017, 06:02 PM
#6
Race Director
The slight modification is to the bracket that you take off your old actuator... it needs to be slightly filed on so it can pass by a plastic indexing pin made into the new DORMAN actuator. It less than a minute to get the bracket to fit. Depending on what tools you have. I have air die grinders so it is done in no time. The a small slice in the rubber weather boot seal that is made onto the actuator so your wiring can be attached a bit easier. That takes a few seconds.
DUB
03-01-2017, 07:41 PM
#7
Racer
Thread Starter
The reason I change out the actuators is due to they are super hard to manually move when you use your door key. So...even if they work electrically. Darn near breaking your key off in the lock cylinder to unlock the door is when I would replace them.
The slight modification is to the bracket that you take off your old actuator... it needs to be slightly filed on so it can pass by a plastic indexing pin made into the new DORMAN actuator. It less than a minute to get the bracket to fit. Depending on what tools you have. I have air die grinders so it is done in no time. The a small slice in the rubber weather boot seal that is made onto the actuator so your wiring can be attached a bit easier. That takes a few seconds.
DUB
The slight modification is to the bracket that you take off your old actuator... it needs to be slightly filed on so it can pass by a plastic indexing pin made into the new DORMAN actuator. It less than a minute to get the bracket to fit. Depending on what tools you have. I have air die grinders so it is done in no time. The a small slice in the rubber weather boot seal that is made onto the actuator so your wiring can be attached a bit easier. That takes a few seconds.
DUB
http://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearc...ator%2520Motor
03-01-2017, 08:31 PM
#8
Safety Car
I just replaced my right door actuator and it never worked this good. Time has a way of things wearing out. Buy the actuator from Wilcox, I used dorman before for other things and their parts don't last. Why buy a part twice, ask me how I know.
My 2 cents
My 2 cents
03-02-2017, 05:38 PM
#10
Race Director
YES! That is the one I use.
When and if anyone gets this actuator...you can take it and move your hand back and forth like you are lightly shaking a can of aerosol paint...and the plunger will go in and out due to it is so free flowing.
DUB
When and if anyone gets this actuator...you can take it and move your hand back and forth like you are lightly shaking a can of aerosol paint...and the plunger will go in and out due to it is so free flowing.
DUB
03-02-2017, 05:51 PM
#11
Race Director
So for all those who may need to do this....take your pick. And as like I wrote...just make sure the plunger in your new actuator is not binding or hard to move...beacsue that only translates to how hard your door key will have to work to unlock your door.....and even IF it works and you do have some slight excessive effort to unlock the door. Do not be surprised if your factory alarm system may begin to show signs of being hyper sensitive when you unlock the door. This is due to the metal pawl that is on the backside of your door lock cylinder is now beginning to wear into the pot metal area of the lock cylinder...thus causing for the 'timing' of the position of your alarm disarm switch is not being correctly in 'time' with the movement of the lock cylinder itself.
Do not ask me how I know about this.
DUB
03-30-2018, 06:27 AM
#12
Safety Car
I don't know who this guy is but McAfee stopped me from going to the locksmith webpage with a warning that it does not pass muster...some sort of phishing scam. So where was this guy ten years ago? And note he phishes for a one-year old post. 
Last edited by Vetteman Jack; 03-30-2018 at 09:17 PM.
03-30-2018, 08:50 PM
#13
Team Owner
Barak's first name is very appropriate.
03-30-2018, 09:50 PM
#14
03-31-2018, 10:31 AM
#15
Team Owner
Looks like Vetteman Jack voted against Barak 