LS 430 Door Lock Actuator Tutorial
 

My electic door lock quit working. Since there wasn't a good tutorial on do-it-yourself replacement of the motor I wrote one up. The cost to fix this problem is about $5. The dealer probably charges >$700 for the service. The lock actuator uses a $5 dollar Mabuchi motor (you can find the part number elsewhere.) On my 2001 LS430 the motor requires a "D" shaped shaft to fit the gear. A round shaft will not work unless you want to drill your gear and epoxy it onto the new motor. No special tools are required.

I posted the tutorial at:

http://www.shastaanesthesia.com/Lexu.../actuator.html

The time to accomplish is about 90 minutes. Return on your time =($700-$5)/1.5 hour=$463.33/hour

Wow excellent write up, had this happen to me recently luckily my warranty was still in effect. Sure did appreciate the 2010 loaner too lol

Yikes, that's a great write up but seems like more than 90 minutes of work, especially for a novice. I can kind of see why the dealer gets away with charging so much for this.

Thanks for the write up! As my 2001 gets a little long in tooth I worry about those actuators every time I hear them go into action. I've bookmarked your page. Regards!

I did this today, however I still have a problem.
 

I get a gear grinding sound sometimes when the door locks or unlocks. All parts seem to move freely, until gear sounds starts. Then the lock seems to get binded up and is very hard to move manually from inside the car.

Any thoughts?

Randy B

Nice tut! I really like the factory service manual steps along side your pictures. I know it is time consuming. Thank you for taking the time to put this tutorial together. Truly appreciated.

EXCELLENT write up.

Thanks for adding that write up - nice work

A little more to add for the future...
 

After much Google searching, I figured out the grinding I was experiencing sometimes, was due to having not glued the actuator housing back together. I originally simply snapped it back together and re-installed. Rather than glue it and not have access next time, I used some zip ties. Others have done this from the links I read and saw, and upon reassembly, it all fit with no issues regarding the zip ties. The first two pics show the assembly with the zip ties. This placement will not interfere with any reassembly or functionality.

Since I had taken the whole thing apart again, I figured I would really inspect the old motor and compare it to the new.

:banghead:***Warning***; those of you that are not in to minutia and fine details need not to continue reading the write up. It may bore you to death, and I do not want to responsible for that. :eek2:

:cry:Continuing on for those that dared. The new motor which was the Mabuchi replacement recommended on many threads is not quite the exact replacement. It is much louder and stronger on the torque than the original.

The third picture shows the end cap with the brushes of the original motor.

The original motor had a part number stamped on it "BN635624." The brushes were quite deformed, and worn out.

The fourth picture is of the new end cap from the Mabuchi replacement motor.

The armature from the original motor is slightly shorter in length than the replacement. About 3.7 mm's off. However this excess is in the end cap, not the magnet portion or commutator portion of the motor.

Based on this inspection, I cleaned up the original armature, and used the original magnet housing, and placed the new end cap from a second motor I had purchased as a spare. So essentially what I have re-installed in the car is the original motor housing w/magnets, original armature, and new end cap with new brushes.

The fifth picture shows the two armatures side by side.

After re-installation, the motor is as quiet as the original, and it functions as is should. Also by reusing the original armature, I was able to have a correct D shaft, and not a grinded one from a dremel tool.

I share this for future do it your-selfers. The write up in the beginning of this thread by the OP is quite good, and was relied upon for completing the project. So a big thanks the OP for getting me going.

Randy B

So what is the correct motor for replacing in the actuator? I would rather replace it with the correct motor : )

For those that have installed as is, how much louder is it?

The answer is, you can't get it.
 

Cory, all the online places only sell the round shaft from what I searched. That is why I disassembled the motors and re-used the original armature and D shaft. I could not find anyone online, or on ebay that sold a new D shaft.

Mabuchi is the correct brand. The motor sounds correct compared to the original. Its the brushes inside that wear, not the armature.

Randy B

Wished I saw this sooner, just replaced my door actuator in my 2004 LS passenger with smart key. Bought the whole unit for about $200 I think.

Please tell me more. I might be interested in going smart key.

2002 LS430 UL

A very good and interesting write up.
One thing I noticed was the change in build quality on the LS430 actuator compared to the earlier LS400 models shown below,the motor looks smaller,the motor contacts to the housing are no longer hard wired and soldered and the brass worm drive is replaced with a plastic one.
Plus the casing is screwed together not glued
I guess even Lexus have to make compromises on build quality then?

Attachment 434958

This is a GREAT help. I never would have tried it but am goin to do it now. Thanks a bunch. Wish I had a "D" shafted motor.

My car already had smart key on it. I don't think you can convert it to Smart Key if you don't have it.

I need help!!

I did the job as noted for my '01 LS430 driver door. But now when I use the remote, the key, and the lock/unlock switch on the door panel it does the opposite funtion. When I try to unlock, all other doors unlock but the drivers door locks. When I lock, all other doors lock but the drivers door unlocks. My green and white cables are in the right positions. Help please!

The was much, much more difficult that I thought it would be for this first timer. It all it took me about 5 hours, and obviously something went wrong.

The Mabuchi part I ordered from ebay, as noted in this and other threads, is close but requires a lot of modification. I removed the plastic cover from the new one and tried to switch it to the old part so I could have the correct D type shaft. But since the original shaft is longer you need to carefully remove the small washer behind the brushes and widen the hole in the washer. I chose to use my drill and delicately make a larger hole.

The cap itself is a little larger so you have to shave off a little to have it fit in the housing of the original part.

When re-assembling you really need to make sure you chose the right bolts to secure first otherwise you will not be able to get the other bolts on first. I had to figure it out by trial and error several times until I got it.

After several hours in this hot Arizona heat, some cuts on the hands, I got it all back together but its backwards. Can anyone tell me where I need to look to fix this?

Based on what you have typed, you may have crossed the magnets on the armature in the end cap. This results in the actuator working in the opposite direction.

Solution would be to reverse the wires.

Randy B

Thanks Randy,
So let me make sure I understand this before I get at this again. I probably mistakenly put the cap on backwards? I'm not sure what wires I would need to reverse so can this be resovled by opening it all up again and turn that cap around? Or is it easier to reverse some wires?

Please let me know what wires you are speaking of and if it's something I can do easliy...since I'm such a novice at this.

I appreciate your help!

The wires that are attached for the motor are in the harness. If you cannot trace them, you will need to take the actuator assembly apart again and rotate the motor assembly body from the cap 180 degrees. This will then put things in sync. What is happening is the wrong side of the motor armature is getting power when the switch sends the signal. You need to reverse that by 180 degrees in order to get the signal on the right side of the armature inside the motor. It has to do with how you took the motor apart and reassembled.

Randy B

That was it Randy!
During the process I unfortunately broke the yellow clip that holds the bar from the actuator to the door handle, and I broke, somehow, a piece of the actuator itself. So I had to make a run to the store for some Superglue.

Because the Mabuchi part was not exactly the right one, I had to seal a gap where the cap meets the housing when I flipped the cap around. Otherwise I was concerned that dirt/grime would get in there. I sealed it with some electrical tape in case I needed to get in there again.

Everything works great now! :woot: Now I'm on to try to replace the front cup holder.....:sad:
I appreciate your help!!!!

Dan

This is the forum at it's best.

Thrilled you got it going, and are now a door actuator specialist (:D).

Randy B

Payback my friend!
 

Just glad to help someone out with something I have a clue on. I always try and pay this forward and or spell out what I've done. The OP of the thread was the huge help I needed when mine went. Had I not been able to see it first, I would not have felt near as confident going in.

Randy B

Randy and Jay are right. Had it not been for this thread I wouldn't have had any idea how to do this. And with Randy's help I was able to fix something that I didn't know I had wrong.

This forum is invaluable! Randy, next time you are in the Phoenix area the beverage is on me! And Jay, since you're already somehwhere here in AZ you can join in! :D

Is the hot weather causing this?
 

Okay, a few weeks ago I put in the new motors for the lock actuators and they have been working fine. However, now, none of them work during the day...either lock or unlock. They work in the morning and in the evening but during the day they don't work.

The remote is working fine, when pressed the motors respond (you can hear it) but the locks won't fully lock or unlock. You can't even manually lock or unlock when you're sitting inside the car!

Because it's been incredibly hot here in the Phoenix area I'm thinking something within the door lock mechanism is failing because of the heat. But what is it? Any ideas?

Reassembly?
 

If you did not get the actuator plastic assembly back together tight, the motors will function and spin (you can hear them). They just won't turn anything as the case is spreading as they turn.

Question: The lock buttons inside the car; Do they free float back and forth or are they extremely hard to move? If they free float back and forth, you missed hooking up some linkage. If they are very hard to move, you have the assembly misclocked on the motors (like a timing belt on a cam shaft). You will need to re-open the door, and un-attach the assembly from the linkage. Run the motors one way, and ensure you connect the linkage in the unlock or lock mode depending upon which you way ran them when you clocked them (Hope this makes sense).

Essentially, you run the motors to the unlock position, you need to ensure you install the linkage in the unlock position so when reassembled the door is in the unlock mode. If you run the motor in the lock position, make sure the door is installed in the lock position. Thus clocking the linkage to the motors and switch.

Randy B

The lock buttons inside the car are hard to move. So it sounds like I have the assembly misaligned with the lock on the door as you stated.

I want to make sure. Are you speaking of the white clip from the door matching up with the mechanism on the actuator unit? If so, I'm not sure how to tell which way the white clip is supposed to be when locked and unlocked.

But with all of that, wouldn't I have had this problem all along and every time, not just when it's hot?

I like your suggestion that I may not have the plastic assembly tight. When I put it back together I used a regular glue gun as well as one zip tie. Maybe the heat unsealed the glue and the zip tie is loosened from the heat. I will check it and get it tighter....more zip ties??

I'd guess that the problem is heat related especially given your super warn location - and since the problem coincides with time of day and I don't know of any clocks inside the door. Good luck with it and please keep us posted.

Sounds like the glue in the heat. Look at the picture I posted a few back, of the zip ties I used and where on the actuator. I pulled them awfully tight. I did not even use glue. Just the zip ties. I did use metal catch zip ties though, not all plastic.

Hope this works for you.

Randy B

Hey guys, sorry it took me a while to get back on this. Took the family on a little vacation to Santa Barbara, man I sure miss living there!

I got the door off and took the actuator motor out again. I couldn't tell for sure but I'm pretty certain it was the heat that melted the glue and the zip tie I had on there loosened up........this heat here is terrible!

I added three zip ties to the housing and glued again (just for added measure) and pulled those darn ties super tight. It works great now but we'll see if the heat does it's thing again.

Thanks again guys!!

-Dan

First time to post on this forum, I have a question for Randy B concerning the brushes for the actuator motors. Can you buy replacement brushes? If so, where? This sounds like the cheapest and easiest fix, to me. Of course, I haven't attempted it yet. What is the part number for the new motors. Thanks in advance for your help. I don't think I would have attempted this without it.

I replaced the lock actuator motor in my 04 LS430 for my front passenger door yesterday using this thread. Getting everything out of the door was easy. Getting to the motor was a little more difficult because I have the EZ door closer which required a little more disassembling. Tip to opening up the motor housing - use a razor and a small hammer to get yourself started and proceed with a small flat head to pry slowly. The hardest part of this whole process was getting the whole unit back into the door. My only advise for that is, be aggressive with the window rail. If you don't move that thing out of the way, you won't ever get the lock actuator back into place. All in all, I'm glad I fixed my problem for about $10 instead of $900.

Brushes.
 

I did not look for brush replacements. My previous experience in that type of search many decades ago is futile on a motor this size. On 3/4hp or more 110V or 220V motor for say a pump, yes, brushes are commercially available. For a $5-10 complete motor assembly retail, not in my experience.

As for the motor replacement number, please read through the thread, as its in there somewhere, and I don't feel like searching for it right now.

Randy B

Thanks Randy for the info. I replaced the passenger front door acutuator yesterday was very simple after reading the threads. Thanks to all parties responsible for the threads. I bought a new actuator on Ebay, at that time I was looking for information concerning getting door panel off and removing actuator. I wasn't aware of the little motor causing the problem until later. I will if needed, go with your suggested route in the future. Thanks again to all.

Is the door lock actuator the same for the EZ close doors? I'll probably just buy the actuator on Ebay and put it in. Then repair the spare and save it in case I need it for another door.

Well I just finished replacing the door lock actuator motor on the easy close door model. I'm pretty good at the mechanic thing and this was a *****. Probably 4-5 hours. It was the same motor as the non easy close doors but instead of replacing the brush pack I got out the dremel and ground a flat side on the new motor shaft. The old gear slid right on.

The easy close includes the door latch, the locking mechanism, and the acctuator. The whole assembly is screwed together with a mild adhesive or more likely a sealer. I had to disassemble the thing to get to the motor. But hey, saved $1075 according to the local Lexus dealership prices.

The time required to do this job was increased slightly due to the "extra" plug I found while assembling the door. It was for some box that was on top of the clear plastic on the door. I think it was the smartkey receiver but I'm not sure. While assembling the door I could not remember where this plug went, disassembled the door again, and then found the stupid box sitting on next to the interior panel. Duh...

Done and it works great again.

I read this DIY post several times thinking this is the right fix for my door lock because I have to manually open and close the door lock on the front passenger door. The smartkey when unlocked, only unlocks the driver and the 2 rear passenger doors; same thing for locking. I initially think it was the little electric motor too. I took this little electric motor out today, and then tested it with a battery. The little electric motor actually spins clockwise and counterclockwise, whichever polarity used. So if my electric motor spins, what else could be the problem? I am assuming for everyone that has posted on this thread, their little electric motor seized and or makes hella loud sounds? So you guys replaced it. But what about for guys like me. Little damn electric motor works. I'm thinking it's electrical? Any thoughts? I'm going to test to see if it's an electrical problem or relay? Or that stupid black box behind the door panel where all the wires plug in to? Could this unit go out?

Ok, I kind of put the electric motor back in and tested the switch. Fuses are good. It can lock and unlock the driver and rear passenger door locks, but not the front passenger door (this is the door I'm having issues with). The little electric motor spins but barely. It seems like the gears barely move back and forth. Is the electric motor suppose to do constant spinning to move the gear all the way clockwise and stop? Or say counterclockwise and stop when it locks/unlocks? What I'm trying to figure is if the white plastic gears are suppose to keep spinning one direction until it locks or unlocks and stop. If thats the case, then the lock will be able to lock and unlock. Which will then mean my small electric motor is busted and needs replacing? Am I explaining this well?

Just because the motor spins freely while removed is not a good indication that it will move under load. Did you actually install the motor in the other 3 doors to confirm it had enough torque to open the locks on those doors??

You should likely remove the motor and order one from eBay. I just ordered mine last night and hope to get this installed later this week. I am driving my F250 30 each way to work while the door panel is off and it uses a bit more gas, and is not as comfortable.

I will report back when I have success!!