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Has anyone found a way to open up the door lock switches themselves? I know I could just order a repro set, but I'd rather clean/repair the OEM switches if possible. It's easy enough to open up the power window switches, but I don't see a way to open the door lock switches. Anyone try this?
I'm guessing either there is not a high failure rate on these switches or everyone is just buying reproduction switches? No one has tried to refurb the OEM switch? @Willcox Corvette have you ever tried?
I'm going to guess they are pretty much the same inside as the power window switches so working on them should be similar.
Willcox did a video on refurbishing those, I'd start there
I'm going to guess they are pretty much the same inside as the power window switches so working on them should be similiar.
Willcox did a video on refurbishing those, I'd start there https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMPHbhhE828
M
I actually watched this video before refurbishing my PW switches (which turned out great), but the door lock switches do not open the same way. I was able to remove the chrome toggle from the switch, but that's as far as I got. I'm thinking the switch must be sealed, and the only way to open it would be to cut through the plastic. There is a little seam, so it may be a 2 part switch, but I see no way to crack it open without mangling it.
Ah well, I though they'd be close. must have changed the design to "seal" them better from gunk.
Maybe just spray into them with a contact cleaner, move it around a bunch of times and blow it out with compressed air and cross your fingers?
M
Unless you know that there is mechanical damage inside the lock assembly, just throw it in a bucket of carb cleaner (or other solvent) and let it soak all the old grease & dirt off. Then you can actual SEE what happens inside.
If you know there is damage internally, just replace it/them. Most door lock problems are NOT due to the lock mechanism.
Ah well, I though they'd be close. must have changed the design to "seal" them better from gunk.
Maybe just spray into them with a contact cleaner, move it around a bunch of times and blow it out with compressed air and cross your fingers?
M
Originally Posted by 7T1vette
Unless you know that there is mechanical damage inside the lock assembly, just throw it in a bucket of carb cleaner (or other solvent) and let it soak all the old grease & dirt off. Then you can actual SEE what happens inside.
If you know there is damage internally, just replace it/them. Most door lock problems are NOT due to the lock mechanism.
I'm talking about the switch, not the lock assembly/mechanism. But, may try this anyway by soaking the switches overnight in some sort of solvent/ lubricant. Maybe PB blaster or WD40? I have a couple of bottles or Deoxit I could try but that stuff is a bit pricey and I'm not even sure it'll get to the contacts anyway because the switch appears to be sealed. I guess I could drill a little hole in the back plastic so the solvent/ lube can get to the contacts for sure.
I was talking about the switches, try to get some contact cleaner into them and move them back and forth to work the contacts then try to blow the loose stuff out best you can
M
Just as an update, the switches can be opened, cleaned, and reassembled. Insert a tiny flat blade screwdriver into the seam at multiple locations on the switch and work it off. The contacts in my switches were heavily corroded, but nothing was burned. I cleaned with brake cleaner, Deoxit, and a 3M red scuffing pad. Then coated with a bit of dielectric grease and reassembled. Turns out one of my switches was OEM, and one was a repro. The OEM switch snapped back together and held without issue, but the repro switch kept separating, so I superglued and clamped the two parts of the casing together. Worked great.
Oh and also, the switch is not sealed, so you could potentially clean the contacts by spraying through a mini straw inserted just above or below the toggle its self, then blowing it out with compressed air (although it the switch is heavily corroded or burned this may not work).
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Repairing door lock switches
