Power door locks - Diesel Forum

wittmeba · 12-21-2008, 07:43 AM

I recall someone posting a thread/link regarding repair of power door locks. It seemed to involve removing the lock, spearate the housing for the solenoid and wrapping the solenoid with a bit of tin foil. This seem to do 2 things: made the solenoid more stable in the case. Changed some resistance (I dont understand this part).

Is it difficult to remove the solenoid from the door jam?

boomerbust · 12-22-2008, 07:10 PM

Im looking for that thread also, it was about twenty pages and i got through page 8 or something before I started the job. I have fixed the front two and failed with the rear excursion door{the plastic housing broke) Just go ahead and start tearing all the inner and outer handles and the latch out. Once you get everything undone(this is the hardest part) remove the whole housing along with the inner cable,unplug the harnesses and take out of the door. Carefully drill the two rivets out,remove the clear glue and crack it open along the seam with a screwdriver. Remove the motor, put it in a vice,bend the two tabs holding the metal to the housing outwards and mark the shell before splitting. under the plastic part there is a flat piece that you pull out with needlenose and wrap 3 or 4 times around with foil and reinstall everything. Dont stop halfway it seems for a while that this is more complicated than it turns out to be. it goes together easily and I cracked the other outer handle open to make sure I was right

wittmeba · 12-26-2008, 12:07 AM

boomerbust, Thanks for your information.

I apologize to the original poster, but I found this old post (I captured the information). I was really hoping to talk live to someone who has done this recently just to refresh the ideas.

- How big of chore is getting this stuff out of the door?
- I wanted to know that if something doesnt go right, is the door out of commission until you reassemble the non-working parts?

===
WARNING: The following is long winded, but if you want your PDL's to work again WITHOUT spending any $$ read on.

I finally got tired of my non-working PDL's and decided to tear into my truck and find/fix the problem. There has been many discussions about possible issues and I have concluded that the majority of us are seeing actuator motor problems and not relays, switches etc. Ill start by saying the problem I have had is that when I hit the switch, the locks attempt to move and after repeated attempts, the signal appears to get weaker and weaker until nothing....I assumed relay or switch.....NOT THE CASE!

First I started by testing the signal at the harness plug to the actuator. Perfect. No issues here. Next I completely removed the actuator/lock mechanism and bench tested them with 12V..Here lies the problem. The actuator acted the same as when in the truck.

First I did a thorough cleaning of all of the mechanism so it works freely and still had the same results.

Here's where it get's tricky. These things are built so that they are NOT serviceable. I had already decided that they were going to need to be replaced, so I decided to break them open for closer inspection. It comes apart relatively easily, but appears that it cannot be put back together once apart. I drilled out two small rivets and then pried the case apart. As you pry the case apart you'll notice these small little plastic rods protrude up through the case cover. These rods are then "mushroomed" with heat through the upper case and then sealed with some kind of silicone. When you pry apart the case the "mushroom" head breaks off and the rod remains. You can dig out the silicone and mushroom head with a pick.

It comes out very easy. Inside you will find a very small motor and some gear mechanism. I believed the problem at first to be worn brushes or dirty commutator contacts in the motor itself. You'll have to bend two little metal tabs out and pull off the brush housing on the back of the motor. I cleanded the gunk off the brushes and took 1500 grit to the commutator contacts and reassembled the motor. The motor worked, but if you applied even a slight amount of resistance on the armature, it would stop the motor. It should have been WAY stronger than this. I was stumped until I looked a little closer at the inside of the plastic brush housing.

Inside you'll find a small, thin rectangular (thermal resistor relay, dodad, thingamabob??) pardon my ingnorance, but I'm not sure what to call it. All I know is that this little part is what keeps you from burning up the motor, should you continue to press the switch once the lock has been actuated. It appears that this thing wears out over time and will not allow enough signal to get through to the motor to make it work.

THE FIX . I am cheap. Since I had done so much work up to this point, I decided that I would go a little further and try to make it work without spending the $$. I have better things to spend my money on than actuators. I took a small piece of aluminum foil and wrapped the "thing" voila! Perfectly working motor! I sat there and operated the thing for 10 minutes including one or two times stopping the armature and holding down the switch to see what would happen. The motor builds heat, but not much. Not enough to worry about. Now that I had a good working motor I decided I would try and reassemble the unit.

The problem is you cannot glue the unit together as there is a rubber gasket around the perimiter of the case and if you tried to glue the rods into the case, you would not have enough pressure on the two halves of the case to keep the gears in place (these things actually apply a great deal of torque on the case).

What I decided to do is completely break off the plastic rods flush with the bottom side of the case and then drill out the bottom case and screw it together. This worked perfectly. You'll need screws that are the same diameter as the holes in the top of the case to keep it from "wandering". Also the screws should not protrude through the back of the unit as some of the mechanism has some pretty close tolerances and a screw sticking through the back would not allow some of the mechanism to work (this can be remedied with a decent set of wire dikes or a hacksaw).

I know all of this is hard to picture, but if you do decide to try this fix, you'll see what I am describing here. The locks are back in and working flawlessly.
===

rutwad · 12-26-2008, 03:18 PM

Sound more difficult than what I just did. I ordered power door lock actuators from Ebay. I removed the door panels (only 2 screws per panel), but the wires going to the factory actuators, mounted the new actuators, and connected the factory wiring to my new actuators.

I do not have keyless entry on my truck, so I cannot say if that will make a difference or not.

Good Luck!

wittmeba · 12-26-2008, 03:55 PM

rutwad,

I dont know if having existing PDL would make a difference either - whether anything will get in the way with aftermarket installations. I do know that many have had factory units fail after 5-7 years of use.

catch&release · 12-27-2008, 11:00 AM

My right rear PDL will not lock or unlock with the door switch or the key-fob, but I seem to have a problem with door panels.....or they have a problem with me

, so I haven't even attempted this job. Also, when it comes to electrical stuff, or finesse type stuff, I might as well leave it alone. I know how this would end.......a 10-pound sledge would ultimately demolish the actuator motor and I'd end up having to get a new one anyway. And the door panel would now be in two or three pieces instead of one.

So, I believe I'll just have to continue unlocking manually for now, unless someone locally has done this job before and can come over and help me out.

wittmeba · 01-26-2009, 10:44 AM

I am getting ready to tackle this project of fixing my PDL's - both are not working.

I have done lots of reading of all the ideas but still hesitant. My concern is I will get my truck inoperable which I cant afford right now...mama broke her right ankle and I am her taxi. She is out of the cast, but still not driving.

Anyway, my question is there a way to remove the actuator without disconneting all the door latching mechanism? Any issues with dropping/losing parts inside the door? Im affraid I know the answer on the disconnecting.

Here is my main reference link - great write up even though it is a replacement - I will be trying the repair first. If it fails, replacement will be the only option.
Door Lock Replacement Procedure (1 HR) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

It is my understanding that the repair fix is:
1 - mark the motor in the case so you get the operation (up/down) correct on replacement.
2 - wrap the coil/motor with 2-3 layers of tin foil. This serves to discipate heat and change the resistance which is needed to avoid burnout of the motor.

Can someone who knows about this verify?

Thanks,
Bruce

lariatrob69 · 01-26-2009, 07:21 PM

I recently finished repairing my actuators as per the post "Power door locks fixed!" you're referring to. I had 3 of my actuators not working anymore, and after following the procedure listed in that post, they are all working like new again.

Don't let rutwad scare you, either.

The worst part of the whole job is removing the actuators in the first place, which you have to do even if you find replacements from ebay, or anywhwere else. After you have the first one behind you, the rest won't be so bad.

I would recommend that you plan on taking the better part of a day, and rebuild all 4 of your actuators, (if you have a crew cab) and just get it over with while you're set up, and everything's fresh in your head. You can complete 1 door at a time, and once you get rolling, the rest will go smoother. I would also recommend having truck parked somewhere warm, and out of the elements. Removal and replacement of actuators will be much more pleasant with warm hands.

Your main reference link for replacement doesn't look bad, but since I've recently finished mine, let me see if I can add some input to that procedure.

TOOLS NEEDED: #27 Torx driver, 9/32" socket, or nut driver, large flat screwdriver, small flat screwdriver, Locktite, (blue), 1 tube silicone caulk, or clear adhesive caulk, masking tape, small flashlight, old-school drum brake adjustment spoon, or check glove box for small metal spoon looking device with a hook on the end of the handle. This tool looks like it was made for un-clipping the green and white retainer that connects to the outer door handle. Unfortunately, I didn't find mine until I was all done.

I'm not sure if it was there from the factory, or was left there from a previous repair from a shop, but worth checking for. Last, but not least, you'll need a six pack of your favorite beverage.

STEP 1: for front doors, using your hands, remove the pillar cover from door by pulling it straight away from the door. start at top, then work the bottom. Then, using your hands, pry the power window / door lock panel up, starting from the front. use a small flat screwdriver to un-clip wiring harness from rocker switches, and place switch panel in a safe place. Then, use a small flat screwdriver to gently pry off door light / reflector lens, and put it in a safe place.

STEP 2: using a 9/32" socket (7mm?), or nut driver, remove the 2 trim bolts from under the switch panel, and behind the lens. Pull up on door panel, and then a couple of inches away from the door. Twist, and remove the door light from a front door panel, and place door panel out of the way. Then, peel back the plastic cover from the latch side, to about 1/3 the way towards hinges, and tape up out of the way.

STEP 3: ON FRONT DOORS ONLY: remove door key actuator rod from upper mount, using large screwdriver to push apart retainer. Pay attention to the orientation of this rod for putting back together.

STEP 4: push yellow plastic door lock button retainer that holds door lock button rod through door, then un-clip yellow plastic retainer from actuator end of rod, and remove rod from door latch assembly.

STEP 5: push white plasic inner door handle cable retainer through door.

STEP 6: (the worst part of the whole job.) Use either the tool from your glovebox, (if you're lucky enough to have one,) or I used the brake adjustment spoon, to un-clip the green and white retainer from the outer door handle rod. Use a light to spot the tiny little tab that you have to hook something on to, and pull it straight toward the hinges to unclip the retainer from the rod.

STEP 7: remove the 3 door latch screws with a #27 torx driver.

STEP 8: fiddle the lock mechanism with actuator down and twist 90 degrees to roll around window track, and work it out of the large door cavity. Un-plug the actuator, and use a small screwdriver to pry the retainer on the inside of the actuator where it slides sideways onto the lock mechanism. Pull actuator at the same time to remove it.

STEP 9: installs in reverse order with new actuator. Skip the first part of step 1, and all of step 3 for rear doors. Use locktite on screws, and caulk to glue plastic cover back to door. I also took the time to clean everything really well while it was apart, and lubed the lock mechanism and hinges with white lithium grease.

lariatrob69 · 01-26-2009, 08:34 PM

The post for "Power door locks fixed!" is pretty well spot on.

I pretty much followed it to a tee, and learned a few tricks along the way. I won't repeat the procedure, but I do have a few things to add to it.

TOOLS NEEDED: 9/64" drill bit, tiny flatblade screwdriver,(eyeglass), 1-1/4" putty knife, screwdriver that fits screws used to re-assemble actuator case, air compressor with blow gun, WD40, and tin foil.

#8-32 SCREWS NEEDED TO RE-ASSEMBLE 4 ACTUATOR CASES: 20 - 1/2" for most screws, 8 - 3/8" for replacing rivets, and 4 - 1" for thick part of case. You'll need half as many screws for two-door models.

I used a 9/64" drill bit to drill halfway through the case from both sides, being careful to keep drill straight with plasic pins, and not wander off to the side. I centered it on the '"mushroom head" on the one side of the case, and used the pilot holes on the other side of the case as a guide. I used the same bit to drill out the rivets, and eventually had all the holes drilled all the way through the case with this bit. Then, using a putty knife, carefully pry the case apart, and pick out any plasic shavings that may have gotten inside the case. Use the putty knife to break off any remaining plastic rod left in the case.

I re-distributed the grease already in the case to pivot points, and gears, using the tiny screwdriver. I also used the tiny screwdriver to pry the little metal tabs on the motor, and remove the brush housing.

Once the motor was apart, I used WD40 and compressed air to clean the brushes, and the commutator contacts on the motor, being carefull to hold my finger over the end of the commutator shaft, and retain the tiny plastic washers that are on it. remove the resistor thingamabob from the brush housing, wrap it with foil, re-assemble motor, re-install it in the actuator housing, and re-assemble housing with screws listed above. Everything will only go together one way, none of the screws will need to be cut, and you should now have a working actuator! Clip the assembled actuator on to the door lock mechanism, plug it in, try it, and prepare to be amazed!

I was so stoked. This little trick saved me $189.00 for 3 actuators, and isn't at all difficult to do. I would highly recommend it to anyone with dead or dying actuators.

Big thumbs up to whoever took the time to do this for the first time, and share it with the rest of us!

lariatrob69 · 01-26-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wittmeba

I am getting ready to tackle this project of fixing my PDL's - both are not working.

I have done lots of reading of all the ideas but still hesitant. My concern is I will get my truck inoperable which I cant afford right now...mama broke her right ankle and I am her taxi. She is out of the cast, but still not driving.

Anyway, my question is there a way to remove the actuator without disconneting all the door latching mechanism? Any issues with dropping/losing parts inside the door? Im affraid I know the answer on the disconnecting.

Here is my main reference link - great write up even though it is a replacement - I will be trying the repair first. If it fails, replacement will be the only option.
Door Lock Replacement Procedure (1 HR) - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

It is my understanding that the repair fix is:
1 - mark the motor in the case so you get the operation (up/down) correct on replacement.
2 - wrap the coil/motor with 2-3 layers of tin foil. This serves to discipate heat and change the resistance which is needed to avoid burnout of the motor.

Can someone who knows about this verify?

Thanks,
Bruce

Bruce, the short answers to your questions are as follows:
I don't think you can remove the actuators without removing the door latch mechanism.
Don't sweat dropping or losing parts inside the door. Not gonna happen.
As stated in my previous post, the motor and actuator case will only go back together one way, and it's pretty easy as long as you're paying some attention when you're taking it apart.
You don't wrap the motor, or brush housing with foil, only the little rectangular resistor thingamabob. The foil acts as a conductor, and bypasses the resistor thingamabob.
I wouldn't worry about down time either. If you follow my instructions, and get your screws, supplies, and tools ready ahead of time, you should easily be able to do both doors in about 3 or 4 hours tops. I did all 4 of mine in a day, (even though only 3 were not working), and I had little idea what tools to use, or exactly what screws, and drill bit to use.
Good luck, and I'll be watching for your success story!

wittmeba · 01-27-2009, 05:34 AM

Thanks for the encouraging words. Im glad I asked about the wrapping. That was never really clear to me.
Yes, I will post back.
Bruce

rutwad · 01-27-2009, 05:37 AM

I'm not trying to scare anyone. I never tried to rebuild my actuators. I am just saying that I think what I did is faster and easier. As far as keyless, my truck never had it. So the aftermarket keyless may not work, or either I did not have it hooked up correctly. I'm just happy to have working locks!

wittmeba · 01-28-2009, 07:44 AM

rutwad,

I dont think anyone would dispute your solution, but it is proven they can be repaired.

Its like any other issue with a vehicle. There are certain levels of repairs I will do myself to save money. Others that I will do myself just to be sure I know what is being done - and it may cost me more but if there is a problem I can better troubleshoot the problem. Other matters I wouldnt attempt to challenge.

This is one that the options seem to be:
Dealer R&R
Dealer buy and self install
Ebay or equal and self in stall
Self R&R

It seems those who do the repair are having great success and havent had subsequent failures after the repair. Maybe time will prove differently.

wittmeba · 02-01-2009, 11:06 AM

Help!

Where is the transistor/thingamabob?

lariatrob69 · 02-01-2009, 11:30 PM

Almost there! You just need to pull the white plastic brush housing off of the back of the silver electric motor case. (opposite of gear) There are 2 little metal tabs that you'll have to bend out slightly to allow the brush housing to slide off of the case. The little rectangular resistor thingamabob is inside the brush housing. Pull it out of the housing, wrap it with a little foil, put it back in the housing, and re-assemble everything. You should now have a working actuator!