DEAR GOD, ITS ONLY A LOCK!!!

[LaureltheQueen]

Why does it have to be so difficult? okay, just in case I'm missing something...

My internal door lock it messed up. When I try to open up my drivers side door with the key from outside, it meets resistance, and I fear bending or breaking my key. It meets no resistance when locking from the outside. I have managed to get the lock open on the drivers side(with a key) a total of 4 times in the last 2 months. To get into the car i have to climb in through the passenger side, and open the door up, pushing the unlock button while the door is closed does not work. Once the door is open, it's possible to unlock the door. I have my door interior off, and can find nothing wrong with it, except a boot is torn(attaching to what i believe is the lock cylinder, and 2 of the metal linkages rub together(i dont think that's supposed to happen, but i cant figure out what's causing it). I sprayed wd40 in the black cylinder, but it didnt change anything. I can take photos and post them if it helps at all. thanks muchly! Laurel

[LaureltheQueen]

and something it was doing that i didnt realize wasnt normal til i checked my other legacy... the drivers side grinds, i think the black piece is shot, maybe i should just grab another one from the yard tomorrow

[evolutionmovement]

Sounds like the actuator - that plastic box about a cigarette pack size. I had to replace mine on the pass side. The only way to open the door was to pull the inside release and it would immediately relock. Definitely JY it - I remember it wasn't cheap.

Steve

[LaureltheQueen]

this is what the grinding's coming from...

[Yukonart]

I'll bet dirt and debris has made its way into the actuator motor and is keeping it from working smoothly enough to move the locking rod.

[Kelly]

FYI, Thats an aftermarket actuator.

[LaureltheQueen]

would a junkyard one work? this isnt going to include removing my door handle or locking mechanism, is it?

[evolutionmovement]

That actuator and rod are aftermarket. Replace the whole thing. Go to the JY and grab everything that goes with it. The OEM unit sits near the bottom back of the door (below the aftermarket one). You don't have to remove anything else. What you've done to expose the aftermarket part is all that's required for the OEM part. That also explains your rubbing - that rod isn't supposed to be there.

Unless, they changed that with the facelift, but that rod does look newer.

Steve

[LaureltheQueen]

i dont have to be at work til 5, i'll spend some quality time in the jy playing with door locks.

[isotopeman]

Ooh, locks. My Legacy didn't come with a key - or ignition cylinder. It was driven home with a screwdriver and it hasn't been locked.
But the back doors still lock, but not until the door has been almost opened and catches just before it's free. A friend said his wife's does the exact same thing. Are these the same parts locking the door that's keeping Laurel's from working correctly? The actuators? Maybe I should just take the back ones out since I shouldn't lock the car anyway.

[Legacy777]

Looks like one of the rods is out of the guide trays.

spray some lube and stuff down in the door lock mechanism. Also....you may want to replace the actuator as others have mentioned.

[Kelly]

You can usually find Aftermarket door lock actuators in the JY's. Just look for cars that still have on their door panels. Move the lockey knob, and if it feels like theres something holding it back slightly, bingo.

I imagine the factory actuator might be a bit more tricky to wire, cause it has five wires, and an aftermarket will only have two, usually.

[LaureltheQueen]

yeah, mine has 2... in fact, one was unplugged when i got in there, but replugging it didnt help anything

[Legacy777]

aftermarket actuators are cheap....20 bucks.....why not buy a new one.

[evolutionmovement]

Why would this have aftermarket actuators? Is it to do with a security system?

Steve

[Legacy777]

yup.....our cars don't have any actuators in the driver's door. To have power locks operated by a security or remote, you need an aftermarket actuator to operate the driver's door locks.

[IronMonkeyL255]

That may be what's wrong with mine.......

Mine will lock you out. If you close the door, it will lock all the other doors the instant you try to open it.

[Legacy777]

That may be what's wrong with mine.......

Mine will lock you out. If you close the door, it will lock all the other doors the instant you try to open it.

Wait....what does it do?

Does it lock all the doors if you try to open it from the inside or outside?

[IronMonkeyL255]

Mainly if I open it from the outside. it seems like the lock doesn't want to unlock as far as it's supposed to. To get all the other doors to unlock, I need to REALLY push open the lock.

The owner previous to the previous owner (if that makes sense) installed an aftermarket security system, and did a pretty crappy job of it. I have to figure out somewhere else to mount the horn for it so I can install my intercooler......

[Legacy777]

have you taken your door panel off. Just do that and look if there's an actuator. If there is and it doesn't work. Just take it out.

[georryan]

my actuator works fine, but the resistence I feel comes from one of the plastic pieces holding a rod to something or another has snapped. I haven't looked at it in a while so I can't remember were exactly, but I had to use some wire to try and keep the rod in place. It worked for a while, and it is back to having resistence again. I have noticed that when i turn the key, even with some resistence, it will still unlock my door, if i have the key turned slightly when I pull the handle, then I unlock my door from the inside to unlock the other doors. I've been lazy so I haven't fixed it, and now that I know i can still reliably open my door, i've been less inclined to fix it.

[magicmike]

HIJACK!!!!!!!!!!