broken door lock

[RunUoveR]

the lock on the back drivers side is stuck in the down locked position and no matter how hard you pull it wont come up. the door wont unlock with the master switch either and when you pull the handle on the inside the door still wont open.

any ideas?

i dont think i can get the door panel off with the door shut.

[86VickyLX]

the lock on the back drivers side is stuck in the down locked position and no matter how hard you pull it wont come up. the door wont unlock with the master switch either and when you pull the handle on the inside the door still wont open.

any ideas?

i dont think i can get the door panel off with the door shut.

I'm going to have to be doing this soon too, since someone broke the knob for the lock, and now my rear door is permanently locked. You should be able to access the door panel with the door closed. You might have to remove the back seat to do it, but it can be done. Lucky for me though, I only have to take the top up so I can unlock it properly. Then I can open the door.

[gadget73]

The lock solenoid is frozen up. I'd say pull the rear lower part of the seat and remove the door panel so you can disconnect the lock motor and get the door open. If you dont pull the rear seat, you might trash the door panel. Its a pain in the rear getting them off with the door closed, but its possible if you're careful about it.

[86VickyLX]

The lock solenoid is frozen up. I'd say pull the rear lower part of the seat and remove the door panel so you can disconnect the lock motor and get the door open. If you dont pull the rear seat, you might trash the door panel. Its a pain in the rear getting them off with the door closed, but its possible if you're careful about it.

What he said, most of the door panels are really fragile. Once you remove them from the door, they start to crumble. Well at least mine did. Nothing some tape and glue didn't fix though Good luck taking the panel off.

[RunUoveR]

ok thanks for the tips guys.

[86GmLsCoupe]

I got the passenger door panel off in my tudor with the lock frozen, just be patient and you shouldn't trash the panel. My vote is also on a frozen solenoid as well. Just pull the rear bench like Gadget suggested and move the front seat fully forward for best access.

[RunUoveR]

so when i get the solenoid out can i just leave it out and just live with doing that lock manually or does it need to be there? where the best place to get one? should i take my chances at the bone yard?

[Jason_GMQ91]

I have the same situation of yours...my door's lock is got stuck and wont able to lock the door...I would have to remove the door panel carefully and disconnect the lock actuator.

[86GmLsCoupe]

so when i get the solenoid out can i just leave it out and just live with doing that lock manually or does it need to be there? where the best place to get one? should i take my chances at the bone yard?

You can use the lock manually if you like. You can easily find an aftermarket one on ebay in the $10-15 range with the different screw on tips for your given application.

[86VickyLX]

Those aftermarket ones never had the correct shaped neck to make it work properly, I had to saw it off cause it made like a U instead of an L. I actually was able to cut off the neck of my original lock solenoid, drill it so it would be able to be locked in the new solenoid, and perfecto. Those clips are very brittle, it's very possible that they will break when you remove the old actuator.

[86GmLsCoupe]

My $9 eBay one from China had the right tip, they're nothing special. IIRC, there's 3 or so and you just screw the one you need on and that's all. 8 months prior I spent $30-40 tracking down a NOS solenoid that was tired out of the box and ending up dying and leaving me with a stuck door so i bought the cheapest piece of shit I could find.

[gadget73]

all the China ones I've seen had a univeral tip as well, and came with a bag of assorted types. They work OK, though I dont know how well they hold up. I'm bidding on a pair of NOS Ford ones for my Mark VII, they seem to hold up somewhat better, and the Mark really eats lock motors for unknown reasons.

[86GmLsCoupe]

all the China ones I've seen had a univeral tip as well, and came with a bag of assorted types. They work OK, though I dont know how well they hold up. I'm bidding on a pair of NOS Ford ones for my Mark VII, they seem to hold up somewhat better, and the Mark really eats lock motors for unknown reasons.

Let us know how the NOS one holds up, I usually prefer OEM stuff but they I kept having problems so I wanted to try something different. The cheap one's been working for a little over a year now. I just fixed my friends door lock on her Mark VII. Her dad had this mechanic I know try and fix something on the car, the windows chatter and get stuck going up. He put the door back together half assed, half the clips on and such and now she wasn't able to lock the door. I took the door apart to put it back on right and the guy never put the chrome tip on the indicator, which then got jammed under the door panel so she couldn't turn the key. Then the solenoid was unplugged and out of the bracket just hanging by the rod. Luckily he was lazy enough that he left the chrome tip and 2 bushings for the bracket he lost in the bottom of the door.

[gadget73]

yeah mark vii doors are a pain in the ass. All those tiny clips on the trim and the giant floppy door panels that break really easily. The dew wipes also degrade badly, dumping water on the lock motors (which is why they fail) and generally causing problems in the door. The window mechanisms also don't operate smooth unless properly lubricated. If its not put together just right, parts fall off the door and such.

Panther door lock motors seem to hold up better. My LSC is on I believe its third lock motor in the driver's door. My Towncar has 3 original motors and one used one out of an 88 Mark VII.

[WagonMan]

The problem with the actuators is water running down the shaft and rusting the insides. I poke a small plastic bag over the shaft and secure it with a twist tie. Just a little insurance in case the factory condom rips! WagonMan