[socalsuv]

I had the normal symptoms of a door lock actuator gone bad (many threads on this) so I went about investigating this issue over the weekend. I was hoping I could find something that could be remedied by a little bit of cleaning / maintenance, but that wasn't the case.

Removal of the door trim wasn't bad, but getting the door lock assembly out was a bit of a pain (kept getting my arm hair stuck in the tar-like adhesive for the plastic sheeting). Once I got the lock assembly out, I detached the actuator (held on by 3 screws). The actuator itself is not a solenoid as some other threads state. I popped off the cover.....it is actually a small DC motor.

Actuator:



Actuator exploded:



I plugged in the actuator (without the cover and not attached to the lock assembly) to the electrical connector and operated the door lock switch. I could see the motor spinning strongly the first few presses of the switch, but then it would slowly die down. I tried cleaning all the contacts / moving parts, but nothing improved. Since I realized I had to replace the motor, I decided to take it apart and investigate. I immediately saw that the graphite brushes were almost completely disintegrated....not sure if this was the only problem.

So, in an ideal world I could just replace this little $8 hobby motor. The really unfortunate thing is that not even the actuator itself is sold by itself. I tried every avenue for parts searching and can only find the actuator sold with the entire lock assembly (lock mechanism, cables, actuator). This is really annoying since the actuator is a separate component and bolts (screws) on to the assembly. I didn't want to go the junk yard route since who knows how long the used actuator would last.

So I did find the lock assembly cheapest on CruiserParts.net for $169. I called my Lexus dealership to get a price on the assembly just for my own edification. They sell the assembly for $330 and would probably charge $500 total for them to do the job.

A few cents worth of graphite in the brushes of a motor results in a potential $500 repair.

If anyone ever finds a way of just buying the actuator and not the whole assembly, I would love to hear how you did it.

[uzj100]

You are the man! Thank you for the research. The question is where can we source that little motor. Are there any kind of markings on the little motor that would help in the search?

Thanks again,

uzj100

[socalsuv]

Originally Posted by uzj100

You are the man! Thank you for the research. The question is where can we source that little motor. Are there any kind of markings on the little motor that would help in the search?

Thanks again,

uzj100

No markings on the motor, but I think the problem is that the motor is a very specific shape with a very specific connector (two prong....see photo).

[uzj100]

Bad Door Lock Actuator - Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada)

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-NEW-Mabuchi-Mi...d=p3286.c0.m14

Check out the ebay link. THis is the one used to fix lexus door locks.

Does the gear on the front of the motor unscrew?

[socalsuv]

I think I may have found the motor.

JOHNSON ELECTRIC Product Catalog

Dimensionally, the motor seems to be the same (or very close.....+/- .2mm). Its application is listed as "door lock".

Other than how to purchase the motor, the only remaining issue is the copper colored collar on the motor shaft that engages the worm gear (see photo).



I'm hoping the collar is just press fit on to the shaft splines. I will try to remove it and see what happens.

[socalsuv]

Originally Posted by uzj100

Bad Door Lock Actuator - Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada)

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-NEW-Mabuchi-Mini-Motors-9V-12V-DC_W0QQitemZ180281163667QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item18 0281163667&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C 65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Check out the ebay link. THis is the one used to fix lexus door locks.

Does the gear on the front of the motor unscrew?

Wow.....YOU are the man. That looks like the exact motor, with the copper colored collar. The dimensions match exactly. 5 motors for $4.98!!!! I'm going to buy these and see what happens.

[uzj100]

Now we need to figure out how to fix the windows and those motors!

Thank you for the great pictures and write up.

[socalsuv]

I just ordered the 5 door lock motors from eBay for $10 shipped. My door lock assembly order had not yet shipped from CruiserParts so I just cancelled it. If these motors work, I think we found a $10 solution for all 5 door locks failing on our cruisers. Thanks for the eBay link UZJ100!!! I will follow-up on this thread once they arrive and I try them out.

[ringpinion.biz]

Nice work on this one. Looking forward to the results.

[Travis351]

Originally Posted by uzj100

Bad Door Lock Actuator - Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada)

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-NEW-Mabuchi-Mini-Motors-9V-12V-DC_W0QQitemZ180281163667QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item18 0281163667&_trkparms=72%3A552%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C 65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Check out the ebay link. THis is the one used to fix lexus door locks.

Does the gear on the front of the motor unscrew?

Amazing! What did you use for search terms to find them so quickly? Great thread!

[uzj100]

I just googled, "door lock mini dc motor" and the Club Lexus - Home started popping up all over and then on to Ebay.

I hope it works. My door lock is driving me crazy.

[socalsuv]

I already got a notice from the eBay seller that he put the motors in the mail today. I'll be on vacation for a long Labor Day weekend until Tuesday night. I'll try the motor out first thing Wednesday and post back the results.

[pint]

Originally Posted by socalsuv

I just ordered the 5 door lock motors from eBay for $10 shipped. My door lock assembly order had not yet shipped from CruiserParts so I just cancelled it. If these motors work, I think we found a $10 solution for all 5 door locks failing on our cruisers. Thanks for the eBay link UZJ100!!! I will follow-up on this thread once they arrive and I try them out.

Let us know if this works as my drivers door is acting up occasionally. You da man!

[socalsuv]

So I got the 5 new DC motors in the mail from eBay. They fit perfectly in to the actuator.



I applied some dielctric grease on the contacts of the actuator clamshell and then epoxied both halves of the clamshell back together in a few spots. There is a lot of torque in that little motor and if you don't secure the clamshell together, it will blow apart. You don't want to go overboard on the epoxy / adhesive either or else you won't be able to open it up again to replace the motor if/when it dies.

I then plugged in the actuator (disconnected from the assembly) to verify that it worked and worked strongly....it did.



Here is the "actuator" attached to the door lock assembly. This is the entire assembly that all dealers will want to replace.



SUCCESS!!! I now have a perfectly functioning door lock!

So as a recap.....the 5 motors cost me $4.98 plus shipping.

[uzj100]

Sweet. How did you get the little gear off the original motor and on the new motor?

[socalsuv]

It just slides right off....almost too easily if you ask me. There is a flat spot on the shaft collar that drives the gear.

[uzj100]

Thanks for all the leg work on this. I am ordering motors now.

uzj100

Ordered!

[knorrena]

Here is another way. Order the rear door lock actuator from an lx450 at cruiserparts.net. These cost $30 a pop. Inside is the little motor you need. I have replaced 2 door lock actuators this way, and keep a few of these actuators in my spare parts bin. In fact almost any toyota product uses these little motors - my wifes rx needed the rear actuator replaced and I ordered a new one (it had mechanical issues not elector-mechanical) and the left over one has that little motor in it as well.

Cheers,

Karl

[socalsuv]

Originally Posted by knorrena

Here is another way. Order the rear door lock actuator from an lx450 at cruiserparts.net. These cost $30 a pop. Inside is the little motor you need. I have replaced 2 door lock actuators this way, and keep a few of these actuators in my spare parts bin. In fact almost any toyota product uses these little motors - my wifes rx needed the rear actuator replaced and I ordered a new one (it had mechanical issues not elector-mechanical) and the left over one has that little motor in it as well.

Cheers,

Karl

Good to know, but don't think that its necessary to pay $30 for a motor when we've found them for under $1 a peice.

If the eBay seller runs out of these motors, they are made by Mabuchi. The Mabuchi part number is: fc-280pt-22125. You can google the part number and find them many places.

[BillWms01]

WOW! You guys are amazing!

Not a solenoid, huh? Must be a fast motor, or geared up to actuate the lock quickly.

Might have to buy me a few motors as spares...

And, to think that the Club Lexus forum found about this before IH8MUD!

EDIT: I noticed on the Ebay listing the motor is 14,500 rpm! Fast motor indeed!

[socalsuv]

Originally Posted by BillWms01

EDIT: I noticed on the Ebay listing the motor is 14,500 rpm! Fast motor indeed!

Yep....when I first tested the new motor in the actuator, I didn't yet epoxy the actuator shut and didn't think to clamp it. I hit the door lock button and one half of the clamshell flew about 10 feet across my driveway.

[uzj100]

Club Lexus has been using this fix for a while on many different models. The question is now, how do we fix the window motors? Mine windows are as slow as molasses in winter time. We need chevy speed on the windows.

[pint]

Thanks guys for finding the motors and the great writeup! I just ordered mine to fix my drivers door.

[Trunk Monkey]

Adding to the FAQ, great find.

[donco]

Thanks so much for this post. I bought the new motors from Jeff on the ebay link & they arrived a few days later. With a freshly R&R'd actuator, I was finally able to program my spare remote:

IH8MUD™ Forums - View Single Post - Programming instructions for Remote Key Buttons

here's a link for removing the door panel:

newbee_mechanic/Door Panel - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Some stuff like this bears reposting. Credit to originators -- Thanks!

[ArizonaCruiser]

This is a fabulous thread and it is an excellent addition to the FAQ. Great photos and step-by-step instructions. Bravo!

[GILBERTO PEREZ]

I JUST RECIVE MY 5 NEW MABUCHI MINI MOTORS. IM GOIN TO R&R THE RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK MOTOR, TANK YOU FOR THE INF.

Originally Posted by ArizonaCruiser

This is a fabulous thread and it is an excellent addition to the FAQ. Great photos and step-by-step instructions. Bravo!

[day_dreamer]

Hi there,

Guys you are doing great job!

I have just registered to ask this question..

I am not sure if i'd be welcome to post it thought ... since it's related to Jeep Grand cherokee?

It's in this very subject you guys are talking about. I basically need to replace the mini motor inside the door lock actuator. I have searched the net for that part but no success!

I have found that the brand is a Mabuchi but i just can't get the specs, like the RMP and the others! otherwise i would have bought it from eBay.

So, just in case it's OK to post it, here goes my question, does it matter that i pick the exact specs for that motor or just having a 12V DC motor (same brand and size) with any rpm will do?

Thanks and sorry for intruding!
day dreamer

[100 TD]

Originally Posted by day_dreamer

Hi there,

Guys you are doing great job!

I have just registered to ask this question..

I am not sure if i'd be welcome to post it thought ... since it's related to Jeep Grand cherokee?

It's in this very subject you guys are talking about. I basically need to replace the mini motor inside the door lock actuator. I have searched the net for that part but no success!

I have found that the brand is a Mabuchi but i just can't get the specs, like the RMP and the others! otherwise i would have bought it from eBay.

So, just in case it's OK to post it, here goes my question, does it matter that i pick the exact specs for that motor or just having a 12V DC motor (same brand and size) with any rpm will do?

Thanks and sorry for intruding!
day dreamer

At $5 plus postage you can hardly go wrong, I'm buying some at that price just in case mine fail and these possibly fit the later models!

[Travis351]

Alright...any real time details on how to "Pop off" the Actuator cover? Mine is pretty stuck. Prying with a screwdriver isn't working well.

Also...I broke part of the little yellow plastic thing that holds the metal rod from the assembly into the lock cylinder tab on the door. It might hold with one tit left, but any advice on a more secure solution for this would be welcomed while I have the door apart.