So I decided to switch my door locks out yesterday!!!!!

[redgtxdi]

What a royal PITA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First the door panels..................

Actually ended up separating the top portion from the bottom portion only to find that the top portion is actually adhered to the bottom portion via little metal tabs. You almost need a tuning fork to remove the clips from the windows cranks. Some of the plastic retainers actually let go of the door panel & you're left to wonder how many more times you can take the door panel off before it's no good, after you remove he plastic tabs with pliers & reinstall them in the panel.

(Best part about door panels................Unlike the Camry, these have to be slid *FORWARD* to release after you remove the single center screw............Nothin' like makin' 2 different model cars removing similar pieces in 2 COMPLETELY different ways)

Onto the door lock..................

First pull down the plastic to an extent. (I've done this on my Camry before so no biggie) Beware the black gooo if it's warm outside it'll stick to everything. Next peep thru one of the holes in the door & try to figure out how it's all connected. (More plastic elbows that are fairly easy to *snap* into place, but a PITA to snap "off"........Well, unless they simply break like they did on my Camry at 4 years old.........niiiiiiice)

Then remove the bolt for the lock (being careful not to drop the bolt in the door) and wonder why it still ain't coming out. Then remove the other bolt for the door & realize you need to remove the handle from its cavity to get to the rod for the door lock. After about 20 minutes of cursing, get the plastic elbow to let go & fish for the door lock that falls to the bottom of the door.

(Repeat process on other door) grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Then after you realize that they "Right-side" & "Left Side" wonder what the hell you're gonna do for about 5 minutes & then............

MAKE THE DECISION TO ACTUALLY TAKE THE LOCK TUMBLERS APART?!?!?!?!?!?! (Yup, I actually took 'em apart)

Wow.......................didn't want to become a locksmith yesterday, but had to. Came that far, wasn't gonna stop then.

C-clip to the rear of the tumbler, retainer cap to the front. Spring in the back that gets "twisted" to provide resistance. Pins within the tumbler that won't let you get the damn thing back into the cylinder................ #&!#$%!$#% $&!#$%^*!% son of a ^^%(*&^%&(* mother f()*&%(*&^)(* piece of *&()(*&)(*%($ mother (*^)(*^!!!!!!!!!!!

After a good half hour of cursing, recompose and put everything back together. Be sure to almost BREAK the friggin' door handle when you reinstall as you sandiwch the bolt loop for the door lock in the wrong position & start cranking on the bolt only to find that you're pulling the plastic door handle into the door cavity too far. (Backed off in time to salvage the door handle, thank GOD!) After you figure it all out start putting things back together, then realize the thing about the door panels & curse some more as you reattach the top portion to the bottom portion.

After you're all done, test the door locks. Presto!!! it worked!!!!!!

Then realize it's not even something you can go take a test drive for. It's just a friggin' door lock. 5 hours later & not much to show for it.............Curse a little more to feel better....... ##$&&(##^$#%&*(#%^&#^&$&^(*&)%(*&^!!!!!!!!! Ahhhh............that's better!!!!

[Flashmn]

Hey its your call, tho thats nothing compared to the metalwork I'm doing.... Maybe I'll post some pics later.

[REN69]

LOL I switched door handles on my 89 GTS yesterday.. it was working fine so I put all the panels back on.. tried opening the door and all I heard was CLICK and the door wouldn't open! now I have to take everything off and figure out why it came out.

[redgtxdi]

Ya, I should mention though that I'm a pretty big guy w/ pretty large hands (palm a basketball fairly easy) so reaching inside those doors is NOT fun for me!!


Also...........I think the worst part of the whole job was putting the whole tumbler assembly back together.

Once you're done feeding the tumbler into the housing, then you've got to get the cap ***AND*** maintain the whole front-end of the lock assembly because you know that little metal spring-loaded door that puts pressure against your key when you push it into the lock??? (Ya, that thing) .........well, it keeps wanting to fork itself every time you try to put the assembly back together again.


All this before you even THINK about putting the assmebly back together again!!!

Let me take this moment to curse a little more just for s's & g's......^**#$&^#$% !#$!&!&!%&!#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhh.................that's better!!!!

[REN69]

hehe.. mine too, it kept coming out and I kinda figured out how to put it back so it wouldn't come out and it stayed.

[karugs]

OK I'll postpone the doorlock repairs!! Thanks for the warning LOL

[REN69]

[Ukrainian102]

Yeah taking interior panels apart with the little plastic clips that break is always a bitch. I just go to the junkyard and stock up on various clips so I have spares when I break some.

Anyway last year my rear driver's side lock wasn't working with the power locks. I took it to the dealer and they said its the actuator ($200+ to replace), but I knew they were shitting me cause I could hear the sound when I pressed the power lock button, just the lock itself didn't budge. I took the door panel apart (first time for me with the rear door) and couldn't really figure out what was causing the problem.

In the end I was just like "f this" and I sprayed WD 40 all over where the hard-to-reach lock/handle assembly is. I press the power lock button, now none of them work. I'm like SHIT. I waited 5 minutes, came back, tried it again... all the locks worked perfectly. Haven't had trouble since.

Just wanted to share my lock story I guess.

[redgtxdi]

What's really funny is how little things have changed.


I had a 1963 VW Bug that I showed all over the western states and did a lot of the work myself. Obviously engine induction has changed quite a bit which is why I hate all this fuel injection/sensor/relay crap. Give me good old fashioned carburetors.........(though I'll be the first to admit that carburetors are just worthless)..........and shocks.......(F this strut crap)...........and let the only sensor on the whole car be the oil pressure sending unit that screws directly into the side of the case with one wire connected to it........LOL!!!!

Now THAT'S what I call a car!!! Har har har!!!

Anyway...............................if you're ever in a junkyard & see a 30+ year old Volkswagen bug sitting in there..............go ahead & pull a door panel apart. You'll literally LAUGH at how little things have changed over 30+ years!!!!

NO LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!