Door lock: problem solved, laaaame

[EviLette]

So I noticed yesterday.. that my drivers side door is not locking when I arm my alarm system. The lock moves, but it doesn't move all the way back to actually lock the door.

 

I checked the passenger side, it is locking.

 

I also double checked by locking (both manually and with the power lock) from the inside of the car and stepped out, and the drivers side door is NOT locking.

 

I got NO sleep last night because I'm uber worried about this.

 

I'm hoping that it's just something needing greased, and that it will be warm enough (and NOT raining) tomorrow so that I can pull the door panel off and have a look. I'm praying that it's something simple, and not my lock motor going out. It shouldn't even matter if the lock motor is tired though, I wouldn't think, since it still has manual sliders...

 

So maybe something's just not quite in the right place? Two separate shops have had those door panels off in the time that I have owned it, and neither one could get them put back together right. When I picked up the car after having the window motors done, I actually told the guy to get out of the way and I put everything back together. (This from me, an expert in removal/replacing on those things... just because I had so many problems with windows going off track, though I think I finally got that solved.)

 

It really worries me though, because I went to my car a few mornings ago and myd river's door was on half-latch. I thought to myself "maybe I just didn't get it shut" but my alarm would have chirped DIFFERENTLY on arming it to tell me that the doors wern't all shut.

 

Additionally, the trunk can be opened with the alarm on and no problems whatsoever. Problems arise when you shut the trunk, then it sets the alarm off. (And I was told there's an electrical circuit monitor in the system that will go off if ANY lights come on in the car.) Well, my trunk light came on and no alarm sounding.

 

I'm gonna figure out what's up with this door, then I'm going back to the shop that put the alarm in (yet again) to raise hell... unless you guys don't think its that big of a deal. (Two MTX 12"s and Elite amp in trunk, btw...)

[slick]

Ok, the alarm is not to blame. In fact, they shouldn't of had to even pull the door panel off to do the locks. Sounds like whoever pulled the panel's off maybe slightly bent the lock rod, causing it not to pull inwards all the way.

 

Have you tried opening the door after locking it? Even though it may show a bit of orange, it can still be locked.

 

The trunk is a seperate circuit than the interior lights. It's easy enough to add it on, I'm quite suprised that whatever shop you had it done at didn't do it from the get-go. At any rate, they should be able to add it on pretty easily.

 

Oh, and the alarm going off after you shut the trunk is simply the motion/vibration sensor that comes with the alarm.

 

MTX and Elite.... Meh... I'd let it get stolen, take the insurance money, and put it towards something decent.

[shadow]

Both of the locks on my TGP don't work unless I manually lock/unlock them. When I press the button I see the switch move but seems like it never moves enough to lock or unlock the car. I just assumed it was a common problem and left it alone. Is this an easy fix?

 

Thanks

Chris

[ManicMechanic]

Could be bad actuators as well.

[EviLette]

I am aware the alarm is not to blame. I was explaining the situation.

 

Yes, I tried that.. thought I'd explained that. I can slide the lock from the inside of the dor (manually) as far back as it will go and the door will still open from the inside or the outside.

 

The locks worked previously. They also had the door panels off for a stereo install, btw.

 

I didn't know if the trunk was a separate circuit, but I figured it should have been set to go off just the same... I know about the impact sensor and thats why it goes off when the trunk gets shut. >.<

 

Thanks for the compliment. But I'm really very happy with the stereo I have in my car. Thanks for the help. >.<

[rockfangd]

lol my alarm is the same way. when i open the trunk with the alarm armed it wont go off due to the seperate circuit but when shut the vibration triggers he alarm, unless i am very careful lol. but it informs me if any door is left ajar but the alarm will trigger when the domelight is activated.

[EviLette]

I decided to tackle this little buggy issue today. With HILARITY, might I add, but I learned something new.

 

After i pulled the door panel off on my car this afternoon, I was inspecting all of the linkages between the lock post at the front of the door (behind the slider on the panel) all the way back to the mechanism beside the latch. Nothing was binding or hanging up, but it didn't look like the bar itself was sliding ALL the way back to lock position. I pushed it backward (rather, held the rod in the middle and slid it back toward the rear of the door (car) and I heard the door lock. I also visually confirmed that it was moving further back when I had done it manually than it was with the power lock, but the motor was still moving very strong. Check, check.

 

Further examination revealed a sticky gooey mess of dust collected on lubricant on the lock mechanism above the lock. At about the time I made that epiphany and realized it just needed a good squirt of wd-40, I realized two more things.

 

The first was that I didn't have any WD40 left... and the second was that there is a hole in the side of the door (behind the latch) for what I am going to assume is this exact purpose.

 

I suppose if I'd thought "maybe it just needs lubed" i would have considered that, but of course, with everything else so severly breaking on the car lately, I couldn't fathom it being something that simple. But, it WAS!

 

I loaded my door panel in my back seat, moved all the tools off the floorboard and driver's seat to the passenger side, and ran to O'Reillys. Back home, WD40 in hand, my problem is solved.

 

I still feel kinda dumb, but at least I figured it out. >.> ALL IT NEEDED WAS A BIT OF LUBE! (And a little of my blood of course.)

[Addicted to eaton]

glad to know it didn't need one of your teeth befor it went togeather perfectly lol (refering to: "Things you say when working on your car")

[EviLette]

glad to know it didn't need one of your teeth befor it went togeather perfectly lol (refering to: "Things you say when working on your car")

 

Of course.

 

She bit me while i was pullin the door panel off. I don't even think it was smacking something, I think it was just a really sharp piece of PLASTIC, as rough as the cut is. But the panel came free and went back on without a fuss.

[Addicted to eaton]

Yeah my car bites to. It also hits. For instance I dropped my flash light on the ground when I had my door open went down to pick it up and Bam! Son of a bitch door smacked me on the top of my head. The car must have put off the power from that mean 3100 into the door to make it move that fast. all I know is I think my car wanted me to stay.

[rockfangd]

Yeah my car bites to. It also hits. For instance I dropped my flash light on the ground when I had my door open went down to pick it up and Bam! Son of a bitch door smacked me on the top of my head. The car must have put off the power from that mean 3100 into the door to make it move that fast. all I know is I think my car wanted me to stay.

sounds familiar lol.

[Fleeingpepper]

I have that problem!

Only..I have no alarm. My power locks won't lock my driver door. It tries though. I sprayed around the lock and where you did to fix yours with WD 40 but that didn't do anything other than make it easier to unlock it with the key. Oh well. NBD, it's an instinct to manually lock it now.

[EviLette]

Like I said, it was process of elimination for me.

 

I visually inspected all the linkages, made sure everything was moving when it should (which everything was..) and the motor was operational, very strong in fact. So it just made sense that it was just the mechanism with a lack of lubrication.