04 430 driver door lock actuator question
 

Hey whats up guys I have a 04 LS430 and my drivers door lock actuator decided to stop working. Ive seen the threads for just swapping out the motor but not sure I wanna get that in depth in taking the actual actuator apart. I was on ebay and seen someone selling the whole assembly for $63.00. he has really good feedback and has sold 34 of them so far. Heres the link
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2001-2006-LEXUS-LS430-DOOR-LOCK-ACTUATOR-LEFT-FRONT-DRIVER-/322097980014?fits=Make%3ALexus Model%3ALS430&hash=item4afe89226e:g:XbIAAOSw1DtXJ5f8&vxp=mtr
So heres my question has anyone here ever purchased this part from this user? If so what was the outcome and would you recommend the part? Thanks

My 02....I did not do this job myself, the new car dealer that I got the car from did no cost, as I discovered this issue when I picked up the car.

as far as eBay goes, reputation is everything, and having 100% perfect feedback implies legitimacy.

if I were doing the job, I'd go for genuine Toyota, it's $210, $332 list. Supposedly 12 mo warranty, although the eBay seller here says lifetime. eBay offers a nice savings...if you go that route, please report back on how it went. I had my abs pump rebuilt on my BMW for $250, and it's a $2,600 part, 5 yr warranty. So not everything needs to be replaced with oem new. Good luck.

I have had mixed reviews of those units. The quality is better than the low-end white (rx330/gs300) units on ebay, but far from OEM. This maker originally started with the Rav4 units and this is his first attempt at the LS430. Unfortunately he copied the 2001 base version. The difference is when you are inside your vehicle with the doors locked and you pull the inside door lever.......Base first generation units will stay locked (you need to press unlock button first). The later version will automatically unlock and open the door at once.
A small nuisance that may be worth the savings.

Is the driver door a common item because it gets the most wear? Again, my 1998 Nissan's all work fine. Then again, a friend with a Infiniti G37 said his went bad when the car was only a few years old. Has anybody replaced with OEM, only to have to do it again in a few years??

Hi Lenny,

I am in the market for a new actuator and have a question about this issue. By looking at the whole actuator, it looks like this handle/unlocking function is controlled outside of the "clamshell" piece by some moving metal parts. I can test how it functions by pulling the two wires. So are you saying there is something inside the $60 clamshell part that also affects this function? If so, I will probably buy oem to keep the function.

Hi Vad,

Great question. It is actually a 2 part system. Yes there was a significant change in the metal latch system to allows this feature. But just as important there is a physical change in the plastic "clamshell" actuator. Take a look at the unit in the Ebay auction, specifically the white component that connects to the cable. Now take at look at your unit (probably green) and you will notice your unit has an additional contact finger. This is what works with the improved metal latch system to give you the unlock/open feature.


Understanding the type of failure from your other post, my recommendation is to get the Ebay unit and transfer your green motion components onto it. This will retain your unlock/open feature. You will also get a good look inside the Ebay unit and you can give us your review of it's quality (rather low in my opinion).

Regards,
Lenny

I bought mine from this seller:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/actuatorplus...72.m2749.l2754

Works great, and he gives you a core credit when you return your defective one.

Hi Shmi, thanks for the good feedback:dance:. I try to help people fix their own if they want to give it a try or provide a quality alternative at a good price if they want a direct drop in replacement.

Regards,
Lenny