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Subject: Rear door lock actuator replacement Author: Brian : member since January, 2005 : 5931 posts Posted on: 2006-05-07 21:08:03

Recently, my rear passenger door lock quit locking from the key remote or central locking button. The black door lock button worked normally—I could still manually push it down to lock, and a pull of the inside door handle will unlock. So, I assumed that my door lock actuator had died, and I bought a new one to begin the replacement.

I read that they door lock actuators simply snap onto the door latch mechanism, and that replacement is easy. Well, this is true, and fixing the front doors may be easy, but the rear doors are a nightmare. Plus, it turned out that my lock actuator was fine. It just popped free from the door latch mechanism, so I did not even need to use my new replacement lock actuator.

Here is the scoop: I spent about 45 minutes contorting my hands in the most unnatural ways to work the actuator into place. If you have weightlifting arms built like Popeye, forget about it. You will never get your hands up into the door cavity deep enough to remove and replace a lock actuator. The area was so tight, and I was not even sure what I was looking for, that I was not able to shoot pictures. The lock actuator is a rectangular box that measures about 1” x 2” x 3”. The 1” x 3” face snaps onto the top side of the lock mechanism. It fits in the upper-most, deepest area of the door, below the small quarter window. I was purely guessing about position until I finally figured it out. It only snaps in from one side, and there is a skinny metal post that secures the actuator through a hole in the middle of the 1” x 3” face. When it was over, I was sure that I had given myself carpel tunnel syndrome. If you had to remove one first, I have no idea how you would get it out, since the snapping latch is on the back side of the actuator (facing the outer door skin).

If you have a broken rear lock actuator, feel free to contact me. I have a brand new, never used actuator that I will sell for cheap. I will even give you some extra encouragement as you embark upon your replacement project.

• Rear door lock actuator replacement - Brian 2006-05-07 21:08:03 (3629 views)
  • Re: Rear door lock actuator replacement - mbba 2007-10-02 14:39:54 (189 views)
  • Re: Rear door lock actuator replacement - thesteve 2006-05-08 09:48:58 (380 views)
    • Re: Rear door lock actuator replacement - bocha 2007-02-14 17:20:15 (326 views)
      • Re: Rear door lock actuator replacement - jamster00 2007-03-29 17:28:39 (266 views)