Door latch went bad.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,360
Likes: 59
From: San Jose California
Door latch went bad.
I have 28k on the car, really this should have lasted longer than this.
It started last weekend, hard time getting the door to open from the outside.
I went through the passenger side and hit the inner door button, No problem.
So I removed the outer switch and cleaned it up. (Worked once)
So, I let it sit until today.
I swapped the switch out from the passenger side.
Now it doesn't work from the inside or outside.
So I check the wire harness going through the door, it looked fine.
I tried several times and the door tried to open a little, but not fully releasing from the latch.
This told me that the door module was probably fine.
Went to the dealer and purchased a new latch. ( Local dealer even cut me a deal without even asking! Very nice.)
Put the latch in and now all is good.
A little disappointed on the quality of some of these parts.
FYI, to the engineer that did the b pillar lower section interior panel.
Would it have killed you to add a plastic alignment pin for the lower portion?
DJ
It started last weekend, hard time getting the door to open from the outside.
I went through the passenger side and hit the inner door button, No problem.
So I removed the outer switch and cleaned it up. (Worked once)
So, I let it sit until today.
I swapped the switch out from the passenger side.
Now it doesn't work from the inside or outside.
So I check the wire harness going through the door, it looked fine.
I tried several times and the door tried to open a little, but not fully releasing from the latch.
This told me that the door module was probably fine.
Went to the dealer and purchased a new latch. ( Local dealer even cut me a deal without even asking! Very nice.)
Put the latch in and now all is good.
A little disappointed on the quality of some of these parts.
FYI, to the engineer that did the b pillar lower section interior panel.
Would it have killed you to add a plastic alignment pin for the lower portion?
DJ
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,360
Likes: 59
From: San Jose California
I took the door latch apart, and the only issue was the brushes on the motor. Everything else was fine.
The motor spins a plastic lead screw (which winds a return spring on the opposing side of the driven gear.) which has a nut with a feature to pull the open rod inside the latch to release the door.
It has to do it at a certain speed to release the two step latching function.
Just potted wire traces to power the motor and for the door closed switches.
If there were a separate cover for the motor, you could fix it for around 10 bucks.
But there are two solid riveted rods that go through the center. You could drill the center and tap for maybe 8-32 threads and lock tite some screws in there if you really wanted to. I already replaced it, so I will not this time. If it happens again I will.
Just to let you know you could save some money and fix it. If you choose to do so.
The motor spins a plastic lead screw (which winds a return spring on the opposing side of the driven gear.) which has a nut with a feature to pull the open rod inside the latch to release the door.
It has to do it at a certain speed to release the two step latching function.
Just potted wire traces to power the motor and for the door closed switches.
If there were a separate cover for the motor, you could fix it for around 10 bucks.
But there are two solid riveted rods that go through the center. You could drill the center and tap for maybe 8-32 threads and lock tite some screws in there if you really wanted to. I already replaced it, so I will not this time. If it happens again I will.
Just to let you know you could save some money and fix it. If you choose to do so.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,502
Likes: 3,631
I took the door latch apart, and the only issue was the brushes on the motor. Everything else was fine.
The motor spins a plastic lead screw (which winds a return spring on the opposing side of the driven gear.) which has a nut with a feature to pull the open rod inside the latch to release the door.
It has to do it at a certain speed to release the two step latching function.
Just potted wire traces to power the motor and for the door closed switches.
If there were a separate cover for the motor, you could fix it for around 10 bucks.
But there are two solid riveted rods that go through the center. You could drill the center and tap for maybe 8-32 threads and lock tite some screws in there if you really wanted to. I already replaced it, so I will not this time. If it happens again I will.
Just to let you know you could save some money and fix it. If you choose to do so.
The motor spins a plastic lead screw (which winds a return spring on the opposing side of the driven gear.) which has a nut with a feature to pull the open rod inside the latch to release the door.
It has to do it at a certain speed to release the two step latching function.
Just potted wire traces to power the motor and for the door closed switches.
If there were a separate cover for the motor, you could fix it for around 10 bucks.
But there are two solid riveted rods that go through the center. You could drill the center and tap for maybe 8-32 threads and lock tite some screws in there if you really wanted to. I already replaced it, so I will not this time. If it happens again I will.
Just to let you know you could save some money and fix it. If you choose to do so.
Some time this winter I going to pull my alternator, and do a write up for the same for it (changing out the brushes), since it too, is under a $10 fix as well.
Last edited by Dano523; Oct 19, 2014 at 06:43 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 21,502
Likes: 461
From: Southern Utah
I would enjoy an alternator disassembly writeup. I've rebuilt the old 10 and 12Si alternators many times, but GM has made it more difficult to do this on the newer ones. The aftermarket had to come up with service parts etc for them. In the old days, a $15 kit of bearings and brushes was fairly simple to install. Maybe a regulator or diode bridge was required also, but that's normally all that could go wrong.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,360
Likes: 59
From: San Jose California
I still have it, so I can take some pictures.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,360
Likes: 59
From: San Jose California
The motor is probably less than 5 dollars, I think I have found the manufacturer. We will see if they respond.
It is made China, no name just BN388219 for the part number.
It is just a brushed motor with a special socket for the brush voltage input.
Two spades actually go into the plastic brush case and make contact with brush contacts.
It is made China, no name just BN388219 for the part number.
It is just a brushed motor with a special socket for the brush voltage input.
Two spades actually go into the plastic brush case and make contact with brush contacts.
