Scootymad

Went to unlock the car this morning and used the key in the door to unlock it (remote went missing a while ago). It did something weird and now its completely stuck in the lock. It will only move to the unlock position and not return to the central position, nor can I get the key out. As a result of this, the windows rolled themselves down and I don't have any way of getting them back up. And I live in a sketchy area. Anyone else had this happen to them? Its an 00 ML in RHD

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

unplug your battery for 15 mins and try to wiggle the key out while the battery is unplugged then try to roll the windows up after the battery has been off for 15 mins

Scootymad

That didn't do anything. Found some tools to pull the barrel out. One end of the spring in the barrel had pushed past its seat and popped over to the other side of the seat, which was causing it to jam.


Ok so for a fix, you need a T30 screwdriver and a small flat head screwdriver (or anything else you can use to put the spring back where it should be). Pull the black plastic bung out of the side of the door and use the T30 to undo the screw retaining the barrel in the door. Put tension on the barrel assembly otherwise it doesn't undo properly for some reason. Whip it out and see which end of the spring is on the wrong side of the seat, and use the other screwdriver to push it back over to where it should be. Not too hard to do but just need the right tool to get the barrel out. A small enough flat head screwdriver will fit in the T30 screw if you don't have a T30 driver.

Scootymad

Update for the fix: I hadn't tested the lock when I refitted it, so chucked the key back in and pop, did the same thing. Upon closer inspection the small spring that gives the lock its "return" action is either out of place or the right end tip of it has worn (or snapped) down to the point where it won't catch on the die cast housing anymore (possibly the latter).


Update 2: As it turns out the wear theory is correct. What you need to do is disassemble the end of the lock. Before grabbing tools, observe how the lock is meant to look, noting the ends of the spring, and the action of the lock itself against either end of the spring on the end of the lock is a small die cast piece with a slot, with a shaft poking through in the centre and what looks like a washer on the end. That is a "Jeesus clip" and it needs to be removed somehow. A small hooked tool is the go for this. If you're not hanging onto it, the whole lot is going to go spring-a-ma-thinging off into the deepest recesses of wherever you're working. That spring needs to be flipped around (don't worry it is symmetrical), and I'd suggest marking one end of it before pulling it apart so if it does go spring and sproing you know which end is which. Don't take the zinc plated plate out of the end of the lock, and do not insert your key until it is all back together. Flip the spring around and somehow realign the die cast piece back onto the shaft, making sure the tabs of that zinc-plated piece line up in the slots of the die cast piece, and then jam that Jeeslus clip back in without stabbing yourself in the fingers. Now insert the key and test the lock. I will do a fix video on this at some stage in the next few days.


The other option is to de-lock the drivers door, by using the other side door doo-dad, and pray you have good batteries in your remote. I don't have that option sadly.