So last evening my son was getting ready to leave and asked for a key to the cruiser to unlock it so he could retrieve his wallet he had left inside. He used my wife's key, and after a few minutes came in to ask to use my key. I came out and tried the lock with my key but it wouldn't turn. The two keys only ever worked in the drivers side door lock to unlock it only, but they wouldn't lock it. Maybe the keys and/or lock cylinder are worn out? But now, they wouldn't even unlock it. And, they never did work on the passenger side or the hatch. Great, now I have to find a way to break into the vehicle.
After wedging open to top of the drivers window frame, I was able to fish an old vehicle antenna down inside. It was bendable, but stiff enough to push down onto the door lock switch. When I hit the switch, nothing happened. What?????? I inadvertently hit the lock side of the switch also and I heard all the mechanisms in the vehicle click to lock. But when I tried the unlock side of the switch nothing happened. Now, I was getting a little ticked. After a quick search here on mud, I discovered most people would break in another way. I won't say actual name of the window, but it rhymes with "sear glider". A coat hanger with a small, tight hook on end can be deftly placed between the two glass and then catch on the plastic releases.
Once I had a way in I opened up all the other doors, but I still couldn't unlock the drivers door. Double weird!?!? I started to remove the door panel best I could with door closed. I could roll the window down too which helped me to peer down on the inside to the door latch, actuator, and all the linkages with the help of a flashlight. After studying everything for awhile I figured out how the door would normally open and with the help of a slim carpenters square I used it to press down on a "tab" that worked the latch. The door opened!! Yay!! By now though it would soon be dark so I decided to shut everything down for the night and try again in the morning to discover what the real problem was now that I had the door unlocked.
This morning I completely removed the door panel to gain access to unhook all the actuator linkages and unbolt the latch from the door. Once out the problem became clear. There is a place on the mechanism that holds a return spring, but the spring was missing. I found the spring in the bottom of the door and saw that the loop on one end had broken off. Basically this spring keeps a certain plate held up which then allows the lock/unlock pivot plates to move with either the key cylinder, door switch, or electric solenoid. Without the sping, the plate falls down and prevents the other plate from pivoting over. With the spring, the one plate is held up, the other plate moves over, then when the door handles are used, yet another plate pivot comes in contact with the aforementioned tab and releases the latch. Clear as mud??? It's easy to understand when you can see it all working. The spring also serves the function of returning the door handles to their normal resting position.
Well, today was a holiday here in Canada (Victoria Day or the May Long Weekend), so I wasn't sure any parts stores were open, but I did find one that was. I checked over their assortment of springs but found they were all too long. Bummer. So I improvised by taking the existing broken spring, and using a pair of needle nose pliers, I pulled up the last coil on the broken end of the spring and bent it into the shape of a new hook loop. I reinstalled the spring on the mechanism and it appeared to work very well. I reinstalled the mechanism/latch into the door, and then reattached the door panel. Everything seems to work nicely, except that I notice the door handle is a little stiffer to pull up on now that the spring has been shortened. Baring spring fatigue and re-breaking, I am hoping this fix will last for some time.
After wedging open to top of the drivers window frame, I was able to fish an old vehicle antenna down inside. It was bendable, but stiff enough to push down onto the door lock switch. When I hit the switch, nothing happened. What?????? I inadvertently hit the lock side of the switch also and I heard all the mechanisms in the vehicle click to lock. But when I tried the unlock side of the switch nothing happened. Now, I was getting a little ticked. After a quick search here on mud, I discovered most people would break in another way. I won't say actual name of the window, but it rhymes with "sear glider". A coat hanger with a small, tight hook on end can be deftly placed between the two glass and then catch on the plastic releases.
Once I had a way in I opened up all the other doors, but I still couldn't unlock the drivers door. Double weird!?!? I started to remove the door panel best I could with door closed. I could roll the window down too which helped me to peer down on the inside to the door latch, actuator, and all the linkages with the help of a flashlight. After studying everything for awhile I figured out how the door would normally open and with the help of a slim carpenters square I used it to press down on a "tab" that worked the latch. The door opened!! Yay!! By now though it would soon be dark so I decided to shut everything down for the night and try again in the morning to discover what the real problem was now that I had the door unlocked.
This morning I completely removed the door panel to gain access to unhook all the actuator linkages and unbolt the latch from the door. Once out the problem became clear. There is a place on the mechanism that holds a return spring, but the spring was missing. I found the spring in the bottom of the door and saw that the loop on one end had broken off. Basically this spring keeps a certain plate held up which then allows the lock/unlock pivot plates to move with either the key cylinder, door switch, or electric solenoid. Without the sping, the plate falls down and prevents the other plate from pivoting over. With the spring, the one plate is held up, the other plate moves over, then when the door handles are used, yet another plate pivot comes in contact with the aforementioned tab and releases the latch. Clear as mud??? It's easy to understand when you can see it all working. The spring also serves the function of returning the door handles to their normal resting position.
Well, today was a holiday here in Canada (Victoria Day or the May Long Weekend), so I wasn't sure any parts stores were open, but I did find one that was. I checked over their assortment of springs but found they were all too long. Bummer. So I improvised by taking the existing broken spring, and using a pair of needle nose pliers, I pulled up the last coil on the broken end of the spring and bent it into the shape of a new hook loop. I reinstalled the spring on the mechanism and it appeared to work very well. I reinstalled the mechanism/latch into the door, and then reattached the door panel. Everything seems to work nicely, except that I notice the door handle is a little stiffer to pull up on now that the spring has been shortened. Baring spring fatigue and re-breaking, I am hoping this fix will last for some time.
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