Hi everyone,

I've been trying to get the electric locks working through the central locking button and keys on my 86.5. I decided to stop where I was after reading many of your posts that mention removing the latch mechanism and cleaning out the old grease and lubricating it. I removed the driver's side first since it had been binding when either using the key or the inside ****. They were really difficult to turn and would pop when unlocking, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to clean them out while I'm in there.

While I had the mechanism on the bench after cleaning and lubricating with lithium grease, everything worked perfectly smooth by hand. I put the mechanism back in the car and had the outside latch loosely connected. I tightened the lock cylinder and connected the arm, then tested the key, and it was really smooth. Next i connected the external door handle linkage and tested everything again, also smooth. I put back the inside **** piece and found it binding with the electric lock linkage. I re positioned the arm and the **** worked smoothly. When I tightened the 2 screws that hold the external latch, it was back to operating like before I started. I had to loosen up the external latch to be floppy loose before the **** and key would work without binding.

What am I missing here? As far as the WSM, it is useless for any adjustments to the latch, and I can't find any extra parts in PET. Are there supposed to be some spacers that keep the mechanism in the door from getting pulled up against the door metal? Could the screws be too long and causing the binding themselves?

Thanks,

Steve Davis

 

I'm betting something is maladjusted, though the symptoms are a little different here from what I am used to seeing.

The first things I would be looking at are the door gap and latch to striker alignment. Our door strikers have a lot of adjustment and it is possible for them to fall out of correct alignment. Make sure the latch is contacting the striker correctly. The door shouldn't rise or fall upon contact. It should close effortlessly and open without any "kick". Also, the door edge should be perfectly flush with the quarter panel.

The next place I would look is the interior handle linkage. First clue of incorrect adjustment is that the interior handle will not rest if the linkage is too tight. The handle will have the appearance of being slightly pulled instead of sitting flush to the bezel.

 

Yep, if it can be a different symptom, I'll find it. The door alignment is good and the door opens and closes like it should, with no rising or falling when the latch engages. The symptoms I'm describing are when operating the locks by key and the **** while the door is open. If I tighten the screws #18 on #19 in the PET diagram, it becomes very difficult to operate the lock while the door is open.

I'll disconnect the door handle linkage tomorrow and try again with everything tight. I'll also snake a camera in there to check the #18 screw lengths to be sure they aren't rubbing against any moving parts.

 

You are not supposed to be able to operate the lock with the door open. This is actually designed to make it impossible to lock the key in the car.

You are forcing the mechanism and will probably break #6 in the diagram.

 

Thanks! You should have added 'RTFM page 13'. The most consistent factor in all of the problems I encounter is me.

 

Don't beat yourself up, I think most people including me thought they had this problem until they came here and someone told them it was designed this way on purpose. Pretty clever actually, though some people still manage to lock their keys inside but I don't know how.