Defender Drivers Door Lock

[White 110]

Had to suffer the indignity of climbing in through the passenger door this morning - reason.... the driver's door lock wouldn't unlock.

Key turns, but just won't turn that last few degrees in the lock. Liberal costing of WD40 hasn't helped. Inside the door lock catch rises about 3/4 of it's normal lift but not the last quarter inch.

Thought about taking off the door trim - ah.... can't do that unless you can get the door open.

Any ideas?

[weeds]

i ahve the same problem all the time however i can unlock the door from the inside

get somebody to tap/belt the outside of the door as you operate the mechanism from the inside

every six months or so i have to remove the trim and WD40 the mechanism on the inside of the door

WD40 is probably not the right stuff to use as it attracts the dust......graphite powder would be better

must be a brisbane thing

[White 110]

Thanks Weeds, I'll give it a go

Happened once before after the January rains but after it dried out it started working again - I assumed it was a coincidence.

But very strange why it's happened again after yesterday's rains.

Must be the shock of getting soaking wet - such a novelty!

[VladTepes]

I think INOX doesn't attract dust like WD40. I think.

[mox]

Regarding accessability to the problem, have left the door trims (except for handle to pull door shut) and the internal lock linkage off permanently on my Defender. To lock from inside, just use lever on lock. Looks rough, but is functional. Also around 40mm of extra elbow room where you like to put you elbow.

On a farm work vehicle, drivers side door lock gets lots of use and have done more than one repair job on something Land Rover obviously intended as a throwaway part. Have also cut out bits if light steel on the frame and the inner panel to make it possible to remove and replace the lock without removing the panel than supports the window winder.

Also rebuilt the striker plates, replacing the 8 mm round bit with plastic around it, which wears out quickly and sometimes squeaks by welding a bit of 10 mm from a bolt in.

In addition to making it quicker and easier to get at components that sometimes malfunction, with door trims off in wet conditions where water normally gets inside the doors, they can readily dry out - not stay wet for long periods causing the frames to rust out.

Have thought about, but not got around to making bits to cover holes in the inner steel panel or some thin, maybe fabric or leather cover to make it look more respectable but haven't yet got around to doing something.

[EchiDna]

geez I can't get mine to lock... unlocking is the least of my problems!!

[rick130]

there's a tiny little screw that goes in the back of the barrel, and if that backs out a touch you won't be able to unlock the door, hell, the button won't even open the door......
A dab of 222 Loctite is needed on it when it's all set up.

I've had all the buttons brake off my outside handles, and only replaced the drivers door so far. I tell people it's an anti-theft device when they try and get in the passenger side :angel:

[White 110]

Thanks Rick130 for the info........, but any ideas on how to get at the offending little screw - whilst the door is locked?

[White 110]

Of course - how stupid of me.

In case anyone needs to know how to fix a broken door lock, the simplest and most obvious way of getting the thing to work is to .......

TAKE IT TO A GARAGE!!!

No sooner had I scambled out through the passenger door one last time and explained the problem to the Shane, the chap at Techo British, the lock miraculously worked - for the first time in days!!! Maybe it was the magic hands of a Land Rover expert like Shane or more likely the Defender making me look like a right e-git in front of a real mechanic.

Either way I'm now the proud owner of a new door lock - just to be on the safe side.

[wowscounty]

gday if it helps my door does the same dont lock with door handle and button use the key to lock from outside and the key to unlock works for me

[abaddonxi]

Found with mine that if you spend some quality time jiggling the inside lock latch it will eventually let go and you can open from the outside. Helps if you are outside the car at the time so you can work both sides at once.

I've had this happen to all four door as one time or another, fortunately not all at once.

Cheers
Simon

[Ranga]

To drag up an old thread - anybody know if you can remove the door panel whilst the door is shut?

[Ranga]

gday if it helps my door does the same dont lock with door handle and button use the key to lock from outside and the key to unlock works for me

Managed to get the door unlocked, and thought I'd try this. It worked all of once, then decided not to unlock itself again :mad:

I've half managed to get the door trim off enough to get a hand down there, but buggered if I can feel what the offending problem is. Guess I'll have to take it somewhere and get them to look at it. :mad:

[abaddonxi]

You could always call RACQ.:angel:

One time I had this wild spraying of WD40 into the lock barrel was enough to get it open. I took off the door card and cleaned the rest of the locking mechanism up and it sorted the problem.

At the time I thought it was an accumulation of dust on everything that caused it, I couldn't see anything else.