capnjoe
3rd April 2006, 07:13 AM
Well, score one for the home team this weekend. Sorry to John O, I never could seem to figure out when I was going to do this job, but saw awindow yesterday and jumped in.
The problem: My driver door was very difficult to open from outside- yet absolutely normal to open from the inside.
To start: I took the door apart and took out all of the lock mechanism. The shop manual was of marginal help.
All looked in order and easy to figure out how it worked but nothing out of order so I put it back together. It still would not actuate from outside. I removed the door handle and the problem was not obvious, but after a bit of staring and fiddling I saw it.
The door actuator works when two metal bars slide along each other. One bar has a sort of a T arrangement that rides up the other. The metal had worn and the T was getting hung up halfway (!). Thus, it looked to the casual observer as if it was working to spec, but it would not move enough to release the door catch.
The solution: I took a flat file to the bar where the T slides over- a few minutes of filing and all was well. I bit of lube and it works like a new one.
I have a picture of the part and where I filed it but no web site to post it on. If someone wishes I will send it via email.
The problem: My driver door was very difficult to open from outside- yet absolutely normal to open from the inside.
To start: I took the door apart and took out all of the lock mechanism. The shop manual was of marginal help.
All looked in order and easy to figure out how it worked but nothing out of order so I put it back together. It still would not actuate from outside. I removed the door handle and the problem was not obvious, but after a bit of staring and fiddling I saw it.
The door actuator works when two metal bars slide along each other. One bar has a sort of a T arrangement that rides up the other. The metal had worn and the T was getting hung up halfway (!). Thus, it looked to the casual observer as if it was working to spec, but it would not move enough to release the door catch.
The solution: I took a flat file to the bar where the T slides over- a few minutes of filing and all was well. I bit of lube and it works like a new one.
I have a picture of the part and where I filed it but no web site to post it on. If someone wishes I will send it via email.