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The front passenger door on our 2001 UL would not close - the door latch did not catch. The door lock and soft close were not operable on that door. In short, the car was not drive-able without “hay wiring” some sort of system to keep the door from swinging open.
The CL website has a long series of threads about the actuator motor but I could not find a thread using door latch or door catch search function. In the 28 pages (or whatever) in the actuator thread there were two references by individuals whose doors would not latch properly, so I thought a dedicated thread for owners whose latch did not work was in order – and this is the start of that thread.
There is a plastic part of the frame in the latch component (one of the three major parts in the door latch / lock assembly) which holds a relay. The plastic frame component was broken. In engineering terminology, it would probably be called a stress failure (from too many passengers slamming the door instead of letting the soft close technology do its job).
My part number was 6931050030 at https://www.partswebsite.com/ (Special Order $102.44 plus shipping). My Lexus was built 07/2001 and the 69310-50090 Lock Assembly works for 07/2001 - 07/2003 production vehicles. The proper parts number was determined by my VIN and was $50 less than the “2001 part”.
Here is how I managed the fix …
1. I powered passenger front window up.
2. I disconnected the battery ground. In hindsight I “should have” disconnected both terminals – the battery went stone dead before my new part arrived and the fix was done – how does that happen?
3. I removed the door panel using the excellent images from the passenger front door speaker replacement thread (I repaired all 4 door speaker membranes a few years ago). https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...nd-part-s.html . Refer to post #3 for the passenger side door panel removal. I used painters tape and marking pen to label screws to match the images in post # 3 that were numbered 1 to 9.
I removed the cables for the door lock and door opener labeling each cable with marker and painter tape. My cables were not color coded but they are machined so re-installation can only work one way. As such labeling the cables (in hindsight) is not necessary. I set the loose door panel on an inverted recycle bin (which is a perfect height for this process) and unclipped wiring to the door lamp and other electrical items. After disconnecting all wiring, I set the door panel aside.
The wiring harness connectors have small tabs which slip free when depressed with a small screwdriver.
4. I removed the plastic from door panel and set it aside.
5. I disconnected the wiring harness from the lock / latch assembly to the ECU unit located at the hinge side of the door. I separated the harness from the door panel (and broke two of the attachment clips in the process – I used cable ties to secure the harness in the re-install)
6. I removed the bottom bolt and loosened the top bolt of the window guide. In hindsight I “should have” removed both bolts because I could not get the assembly back into the door with the top bolt still in place and removing the top bolt would almost certainly have made removal of the assembly easier. I moved the window guide towards the hinged side of the door and was careful not to pull the rubber/felt window guide out of the track
7. I unclipped the white plastic “C” clip at the top of the rod attached the exterior door handle. I used a small LED flashlight to see the clip and a flat head screwdriver to “flip the clip”. The “C” clip folds over the rod and needs to be pried towards the interior side of the door panel. With the clip freed, I (gently) pried the rod towards the hinge side of the door and it slipped out of its holder. The clip remained attached to the handle component.
Note – before removing the latch / lock assembly - there is a small hook in a door panel hole slightly above and to the left of bolt “A”. The hook holds the assembly in place. I took the photos after removing bolts so the hook is not evident in place.
8. I unbolted 2 - #27 Torx bolts on the inside of the door (labelled “A” and “B” in the thumbnail) and 3 - #30 Torx bolts in the door "jamb". I “unhooked” the assembly and rotated it clockwise approximately 90 degrees as I was dropping it down and easing it through the large cut-out at the bottom of the door panel.
Note – At my workbench I took pictures of the assembly and the broken plastic frame member - which was obvious. Thespring that was housed internally in the plastic frame was liberated when the plastic frame member fractured. I confirmed that I was NOT dealing with the actuator motor. In hindsight I “should have” kept the assembly together and waited until I had the replacement part on hand before disassembly to have the process fresh in my mind. The photos turned out to be “priceless” in re-assembly.
I ordered the part and had it shipped snail mail. In hindsight I should have air mailed it and I could have had the car back on the road four or five days earlier.
9. I removed the relay (two small Philips screws) and the wiring harness, the photos helped in identifying where cable ties were used to secure the harness in re-assembly.
10. I disassembled the three parts that make up the lock / latch assembly – again using painter’s tape and a marker to label each screw / bolt and its location on the assembly and photos in each stage of the process.
And when the new part arrived, I started at number #10 and worked my way backwards to #1.
When I tried to start the Lexus to test the latch / lock assembly I found out the car had a very dead battery. I could not even get the car into neutral to push it out of the garage for a jump start with my Tundra so I took the battery out of my Tundra and jump started the Lexus, ran it for 10 minutes while testing everything then shut it off and put the trickle charger on the battery. Everything (related to the door latch) worked perfectly and has been doing so for the past week. I saved my wife and I the better part of a G- note for the dealership fix and am a hero in her eyes and heart (and she told me so).
Good write-up Roy! I'm glad to hear you got the problem taken care of.
You are definitely not alone on this type of failure, I have seen about a dozen fail this same way. I'm certain this will help out others in the same boat.
Thank you very much for posting this. I had the same issue and was able to replace my door latch without resorting to dealership prices. Without your specific writeup, I would not have had the confidence to attempt the fix myself (and needless to say, the diagnosis was invaluable as well). Excellent contribution!
Big problem! After doubling the price since this was posted Lexus has discontinued the item:
"just wanted to email you and give you an update on your purchase. So our store in Ebay is based off of inventory we carry in our warehouse along with inventory we order from our local dealers. This happens to be a part that we would order from a dealer, that's why in the listing it states a 5 day handling time. Unfortunately, Our dealers have told us that Lexus no longer makes it and there is none of these in stock anywhere! I am going to issue you a refund and I apologize for this inconvenience. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help or if you have any further questions. Once again, I am sorry for this."
My friend had his actuator fail on his 01 UL up north. He found the cheapest way to repair it was to buy a used door (the same color as his car) and replace it. He told me it was crazy expensive to replace the part and this worked out well for him. The down side is there are still 3 doors left to fail!
Crap, this just happened to me too. We went for a drive yesterday and my wife got out, closed the front passenger door and commented that it didn't shut properly. I looked at it and sure enough, it wouldn't latch shut. I tried it a few more times and heard a piece of plastic fall into the door. She had to hold the door shut while I drove it back home.
Today I pulled the door panel off and I'm about to pull the lock assembly out here in a minute. So far it hasn't been too bad, but I just found this thread while taking a break and wanted to say thanks for the tips. I hope the part is still available through South Atlanta Lexus!
Alright, well I guess I messed up. I spent a ton of time researching the part to make sure I had the correct one and I thought I did. It definitely doesn't seem correct now that I've got it! The one on the right is the one I purchased and the one on the left is my actual door lock. Can anyone help with the correct part number for the one on the left? I looked at it, but there was nothing stamped I could find on it (other than AISIN).
That's the entire assembly though. Is there any part number for just the latch assembly? Or is it the entire thing only for the without-easy-closer models?
That's the entire assembly though. Is there any part number for just the latch assembly? Or is it the entire thing only for the without-easy-closer models?
The Easy Close model comes 3 different ways:
- Latch System Only
- Actuator Motor System Only
- Complete unit (Latch + Motor)
The standard model only comes 1 way:
- Complete unit (Latch + Motor)
Great write up! I got my easy close assembly out tonight and it had failed in the same way. Disappointing engineering. I can understand motors failing on my 2004 but this cheap poorly designed bit of plastic is inexcusable. If the latches become unavailable I'm sure a better one could be printed in metal.
Well, I have the same problem. Same exact failure. 2006 LS430 UL Rear Passenger Door. I started a thread seeking help in trying to repair the broken piece with JBWeld. I cannot locate a replacement part anywhere. If I could fully remove the part, I could model it to have it available for 3D printing.or CNC.
05-23-16, 05:34 AM
Ls430 passenger door latch broken
