Door Lock Acutuators DIY ???
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 213
Likes: 3
From: ny
take your door panel back off and check the clearance/space of where the manual door lock is...perhaps something is in the way and not allowing the manual door lock to turn over completely
with the door panel off stick your key in the key hole and turn the key as you look inside the door panel to see if you notice anything
with the door panel off stick your key in the key hole and turn the key as you look inside the door panel to see if you notice anything
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 43
Likes: 1
From: CA
It's about time I search for this DIY..3 out of my 4 doors are messed up...i can't get them opened with my remote nor with the door lock button thingie...they don't respond...I mean I can still open and lock manually with my key blade...i've been doing that for a year or so now...kinda getting tired of telling people to lock my doors manually and such...I feel embarrassed too...it's not so Lexus style...anyway....so does that mean that I need to replace the actuator thingies?...can anyone tell me exactly what I need to buy?
I also have a few more problems:
1. my heater sometimes blow out cold air instead of hot air
2. my cup holder console in the rear passenger seat is stuck and don't slide out because my little nephew managed to get a few coins stuck in there, I can't seem to see how I can open it
3. some of the lights in the instrument panel (radio/temperature panel) are not on, for example the windshield and the back window is not lid, is that a fuse problem?
Wow! I didn't think my car has that many issues. Hahaha. But I still love her!
Any help with any of the above problems would be appreciated!
Thanks a lot in advance!!
I also have a few more problems:
1. my heater sometimes blow out cold air instead of hot air
2. my cup holder console in the rear passenger seat is stuck and don't slide out because my little nephew managed to get a few coins stuck in there, I can't seem to see how I can open it
3. some of the lights in the instrument panel (radio/temperature panel) are not on, for example the windshield and the back window is not lid, is that a fuse problem?
Wow! I didn't think my car has that many issues. Hahaha. But I still love her!
Any help with any of the above problems would be appreciated!
Thanks a lot in advance!!
did you ever take the actuator out? If you did, someoone missaligned it and the cylinder does not strike the actuator dissengage. I would take it out and check everything.
By the way. For those that are saying that the DIY works 50% of the time, just don't know what they are talking about. I posted on page 9 of this post, in 2007. The DIY fix is still perfect. No problems, and saved myself over $800 in parts alone already.
Rookie
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 61
Likes: 1
From: GA
i bought mine from this seller:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/rdlawren...1&_from=&_ipg=
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
From: northern ca
Yes... Another "Thank You" for TRD911 - I probably would not have attempted this without your efforts.
Just replaced a front passenger door actuator on my GS.
I did make two expensive (in terms of time) mistakes, though (related to each other). I wanted to share them here, so that others have a chance to avoid them.
1) The first and most important was not to look closely at how the lock assembly was put together before taking the actuator casing out. This resulted in putting the casing back in not quite "correctly". It looked good on the surface, but did not work - the door would not open after being shut. I nearly crapped my pants when I shut a naked (inside) door and it would not open when I pulled a handle. I eventually opened it by holding a key in the lock in "open" position, while pulling on the door handle, though.
2) Because it did not work correctly, the interior door lock would not close (physically). So, I decided to "help" it by forcing it and broke the plastic cable attachment to the door panel. I would not have made this mistake if I did #1 right (forcing it didn't help either). Without this attachment, the interior door lock switch will not function. Epoxy did not work (too little surface area - broke off twice), but, luckily, I mended it with garden hose patch tape and gently hammered it into its place on the door panel.
My advice to newbies that want to do this job but are a bit intimidated would be: don't be afraid, but do test the way lock assembly works after taking it out of the door but before taking the actuator casing out of the lock assembly. Before testing, disconnect power connectors from the lock assembly so that your car alarm does not go off. The way to test is to use a screwdriver to "close" (equivalent to shutting the door) the lock (the metal part that catches the latch on the body. Then pull on the door release metal rod and the lock should open. Do the same thing, but now pull on the interior door release "handle" (cable) and you should get the same result. Then lock and unlock the the lock assembly (first with the exterior lock metal rod, then with the internal "switch" (cable). It should work, of course, right after you take it out. While you do these maneuvers watch closely how the actuator casing is connected to the rest of the lock assembly when it moves as a result of the locking and unlocking. This way, you will know how to put it back together correctly. Also, test the assembly after you replace the actuator and put it back together. After mechanical test is done successfully, you can hook it up to power connectors in the door and test out that the new actuator works (what you do is lock the assembly manually, close the lock, then press the open button on the remote. You should hear a click from the assembly, and if the lock opens after pulling on the door release handle then you're good). Only then, epoxy the actuator casing closed and put the thing back together. If you do it like that, it is a piece of cake job - you might spend extra 20 min on the testing but it will save you a lot of headache later on.
Also, I found a way to take off the coupling from the motor shaft without the special tool. Get a pair of pliers - they have a flat blade part that is used to cut wire. So, what you do is pretend you are going to cut the motor shaft (so that the coupling "hides" behind the wire cutting metal part of the pliers). Then, you lay the pliers on some flat hard surface, coupling down, motor sticking up in the air. Then, while holding the pliers with one hand (closed), you use a crow bar or a hammer (the feature to pull nails out) to pry the motor shaft out of the coupling.
I spent a lot of time (I am ashamed to say how much) to fix - due in whole part to not following "an ounce of prevention" approach, but if another actuator goes it would take me ~1.5 hours to do the whole thing.
For the record, this is my first job of that nature (interior panel, electrical things). I don't do anything beyond oil, transmission, differential fluid changes and spark plug replacements by myself. Two exceptions would be this and the lower ball joints replacements. I am no mechanical genius - I can tell you that. The $ cost to me was ~$30, including epoxy, locktite and a T-30 wrench attachment I had to buy.
Good luck and happy fixing.
Cheers!
Just replaced a front passenger door actuator on my GS.
I did make two expensive (in terms of time) mistakes, though (related to each other). I wanted to share them here, so that others have a chance to avoid them.
1) The first and most important was not to look closely at how the lock assembly was put together before taking the actuator casing out. This resulted in putting the casing back in not quite "correctly". It looked good on the surface, but did not work - the door would not open after being shut. I nearly crapped my pants when I shut a naked (inside) door and it would not open when I pulled a handle. I eventually opened it by holding a key in the lock in "open" position, while pulling on the door handle, though.
2) Because it did not work correctly, the interior door lock would not close (physically). So, I decided to "help" it by forcing it and broke the plastic cable attachment to the door panel. I would not have made this mistake if I did #1 right (forcing it didn't help either). Without this attachment, the interior door lock switch will not function. Epoxy did not work (too little surface area - broke off twice), but, luckily, I mended it with garden hose patch tape and gently hammered it into its place on the door panel.
My advice to newbies that want to do this job but are a bit intimidated would be: don't be afraid, but do test the way lock assembly works after taking it out of the door but before taking the actuator casing out of the lock assembly. Before testing, disconnect power connectors from the lock assembly so that your car alarm does not go off. The way to test is to use a screwdriver to "close" (equivalent to shutting the door) the lock (the metal part that catches the latch on the body. Then pull on the door release metal rod and the lock should open. Do the same thing, but now pull on the interior door release "handle" (cable) and you should get the same result. Then lock and unlock the the lock assembly (first with the exterior lock metal rod, then with the internal "switch" (cable). It should work, of course, right after you take it out. While you do these maneuvers watch closely how the actuator casing is connected to the rest of the lock assembly when it moves as a result of the locking and unlocking. This way, you will know how to put it back together correctly. Also, test the assembly after you replace the actuator and put it back together. After mechanical test is done successfully, you can hook it up to power connectors in the door and test out that the new actuator works (what you do is lock the assembly manually, close the lock, then press the open button on the remote. You should hear a click from the assembly, and if the lock opens after pulling on the door release handle then you're good). Only then, epoxy the actuator casing closed and put the thing back together. If you do it like that, it is a piece of cake job - you might spend extra 20 min on the testing but it will save you a lot of headache later on.
Also, I found a way to take off the coupling from the motor shaft without the special tool. Get a pair of pliers - they have a flat blade part that is used to cut wire. So, what you do is pretend you are going to cut the motor shaft (so that the coupling "hides" behind the wire cutting metal part of the pliers). Then, you lay the pliers on some flat hard surface, coupling down, motor sticking up in the air. Then, while holding the pliers with one hand (closed), you use a crow bar or a hammer (the feature to pull nails out) to pry the motor shaft out of the coupling.
I spent a lot of time (I am ashamed to say how much) to fix - due in whole part to not following "an ounce of prevention" approach, but if another actuator goes it would take me ~1.5 hours to do the whole thing.
For the record, this is my first job of that nature (interior panel, electrical things). I don't do anything beyond oil, transmission, differential fluid changes and spark plug replacements by myself. Two exceptions would be this and the lower ball joints replacements. I am no mechanical genius - I can tell you that. The $ cost to me was ~$30, including epoxy, locktite and a T-30 wrench attachment I had to buy.
Good luck and happy fixing.
Cheers!
Last edited by Vlad_Stein; Mar 4, 2010 at 08:47 AM.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: OK
Hey Thanks For the DIY! Saved a bunch. Well theres a shortcut to this and some steps can be avoided i just did my front passenger side and it took about and hour or less. If anyone would like, I can make a video and post it on you tube when i do my driver side door next week (just pm me). Just bought a 2pak motor from a fellow member and waiting for shipping. And also btw a motor gear puller come in very handy.
