How To Repair Key Door Entry Lock 2007 Suburban

Car door lock actuators are designed to lock and unlock a door without the effort of pulling on a cablevision and rod.

In some cars, the door lock actuator is positioned beneath the latch. A rod connects the actuator to the latch, and another rod connects the latch to the knob that sticks up out of the top of the door.

When the actuator moves the latch upwards, information technology connects the outside door handle to the opening mechanism. When the latch is downward, the exterior door handle is disconnected from the machinery so that it cannot be opened. This makes the exterior handle move without moving the latch, preventing the door from opening.

The power door lock actuator is a simple mechanical device. This organisation is quite small-scale in size. A pocket-size electric motor turns a serial of spur gears that serve every bit a gear reduction. The last gear drives a rack and pinion gear set that is connected to the actuator rod. The rack converts the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motility needed to move the lock.

There are a number of means that you can unlock car doors that have door lock actuators, including:

Using a central
Pressing the unlock button inside the car
Using the combination lock on the outside of the door
Pulling up the knob on the inside of the door
Using a keyless entry remote control
Signaling from a control center

At that place are two ways to determine if the actuator has failed:

By operating a remote device or keypad to unlock the door
By pressing on the unlock push button on the door panel cluster

If the door remains locked in either or both of these cases, the problem is the actuator.

In that location are several reasons why a door lock actuator may need to exist replaced. Sometimes a door lock actuator stops working completely. In some cars, a door lock actuator becomes noisy and produces a squeaking or buzzing racket when the power door locks are locked or unlocked. If the electric motor or the machinery inside the door lock actuator wears out, the door lock may lock or unlock slowly or work sometimes but not all the time. In some cars, a failed door lock actuator may lock just won't unlock, or the other way around. In nearly cases, the trouble with a door lock actuator is express to only 1 door.

In some vehicles, the cable that connects the door lock actuator to the inner door handle may be congenital into the actuator assembly. If this cable breaks and information technology's not sold separately, the whole door lock actuator may need to be replaced.

Office 1 of half dozen: Verifying the status of the door lock actuator

Step 1: Inspect the afflicted door and lock. Locate the door with the damaged or broken door lock actuator. Visually look at the door lock for whatever exterior damage. Gently lift upward on the door handle to see if in that location is any binding of the mechanism inside the door.

This checks to encounter if the actuator has frozen in a position that makes the handle seem as if information technology is jammed.

Step 2: Open the affected door. Get into the vehicle from another door if the door you lot are working on will not let you enter the vehicle. Open the door with the broken or damaged actuator from the inside of the vehicle.

Step 3: Rule out the door lock. Endeavour operating the door lock switch to rule out the idea that the door lock is not working. Then try to open the door from the inside of the vehicle.

Whether the door is locked or non, the door should open from the inside when operating the inside door handle.

child safety lock latch

Note: If you are working on the rear doors of a four-door sedan, keep the child safety locks in mind. If the child safety lock is on, the door will not open when operating the within handle.

Part two of 6: Preparing to supervene upon the door lock actuator

Having all of the necessary tools and materials and preparing the vehicle prior to starting the work will allow you to go the job washed more than efficiently.

Materials Needed

1000 grit sandpaper
Boxed terminate wrenches
Cross tip, or phillips head, screwdriver
Electric cleaner
Flathead screwdriver
Mineral spirits cleaner
Needle nose plyers
New door lock actuator
Nine-volt battery
Nine-volt bombardment saver
Ratchet with metric and standard sockets
Razor bract
Removal tool or pry tool
Small hammer
Super glue
Test leads
Torques bit set
Wheel chocks
White lithium

Step ane: Position the vehicle. Park your vehicle on a flat, hard surface.

wheel chocks placed around a tire

Footstep 2: Secure the vehicle. Identify wheel chocks around the tires. Engage the parking brake to the lock the tires and keep them from moving.

Step 3: Install a 9-volt bombardment saver. Plug the battery saver into your cigarette lighter. This will keep your computer live and keep your vehicle settings electric current. If yous practise not take a ix-volt battery saver, though, that'due south okay.

hand disconnecting the battery cable

Step four: Disconnect the bombardment. Open the vehicle'due south hood and locate the battery. Have the footing cable off of the battery's negative post, disabling the ability to the door lock actuator.

Note: If you accept a hybrid vehicle, apply the owner's manual for instructions on disconnecting the small bombardment simply.

Part 3 of half-dozen: Removing the door lock actuator

hands using a removal tool to pry off the door panel

Footstep ane: Remove the door panel. Start with removing the door panel from the affected door. Gently pry the panel away from the door all the way effectually. A flat screwdriver or removal tool (preferred) helps hither, just be gentle so y'all don't damage the painted door around the console.

One time all the clips are loose, take hold of the panel top and bottom and curve it slightly away from the door. Elevator the whole panel straight up to clear it of the catch backside the door handle.

Note: If your vehicle has electronic door locks, y'all will need to remove the door lock cluster panel from the door console. Before removing the door panel, remove the screws attaching the cluster to the panel. If the cluster cannot be detached, you may be able to disconnect the harness connectors under the door panel as y'all pull it off. If the vehicle has custom speakers that are externally mounted on the door panel, these would need to be removed prior to removing the door panel as well.

hands peeling back the plastic sheeting from the inside of the door

Step 2: Remove the plastic sheeting behind the console. Peel back the plastic cover that sits behind the door console. Do it gently and you'll be able to reseal the plastic subsequently.

Tip: This plastic is essential to forming a h2o bulwark within the door panel as some water always gets into the inside of the door during rainy days or a car wash. While you are at it, bank check that the 2 bleed holes in the bottom of the door are clear and there is no buildup of debris there.

yellow clips that need to be removed

Footstep three: Locate and remove the clips and cables. Look inside the door near the door handle and you'll encounter ii metal cables with yellow clips on them.

Pry off the clips. The acme one pries upward and out away from the door handle, and the bottom ane pries up and toward yourself. So pull the cables out of the sockets.

two bolts around the door lock actuator to be removed

Step 4: Remove the door lock actuator bolts and the lock screws. Find the ii 10mm bolts above and below the actuator and remove them. And then remove the iii screws from the door lock.

black electrical connector to be disconnected

Step 5: Disconnect the door lock actuator. Let the actuator to drop down, then disconnect the black electric connector.

white plastic cover removed from lock and actuator assembly

Step vi: Remove the lock and actuator associates and take off the plastic cover. Pull out the lock and actuator associates forth with its cables.

Separate the white plastic cover that is held on by two screws, then separate the plastic door lock actuator that's held in place by two screws.

Tip: Go on in mind how the white plastic cover is mounted onto the lock and actuator associates so that yous will be able to properly reassemble it later.

Part 4 of 6: Repairing the door lock actuator

At this betoken, you lot will begin working on the door lock actuator. The idea here is to pry the actuator open without damaging it. Since it is not a "serviceable function," the actuator housing is molded together at the factory. This is where you will demand your razor bract, a pocket-size hammer, and some patience.

razor blade being used to slice open the seam of a plastic actuator

Step i: Use a razor blade to open upwardly the actuator. Start on the corner past slicing your razor through the seam.

Warning: Be very careful not to injure yourself with the sharp razor blade.

small hammer being used to tap the razor blade into the seam of the actuator

Position the actuator on a solid surface and tap the blade with the hammer until it gets in pretty deep. Continue going around the actuator to become every bit much of it separated by the razor as y'all can.

actuator fully pulled apart to reveal inside motor and gears

Carefully pry through the bottom portion next to the pivot housing.

actuator with its gear motor and worm gear removed

Footstep two: Remove the electric motor from the actuator. Pry upwardly on the gear and pull it out. Then pry the motor upwardly from its plastic portion and pull information technology out. The motor is non soldered in, so there are no wires to worry almost.

Remove the worm gear and its bearing from the plastic housing.

Note: Take notes on how the bearing is installed into the housing. The bearing must go back in the same way.

plastic backing removed from the metal housing of the motor

Stride three: Take apart the motor. Using a sharp pry tool, pry out the metal tabs that hold the plastic backing in place. And then very carefully pull the plastic portion out of the metal housing, taking circumspection not to damage the brushes.

clean plastic backing and metal housing

Step iv: Make clean and reassemble the motor. Use electrical parts cleaner to spray off old grease that has built upward on the brushes. Use one thousand dust sandpaper to clean up the copper drum on the coil shaft.

Put a modest amount of white lithium on the copper parts and reassemble the motor. This cleans up the electrical contacts for a proper connection.

test leads connecting a nine volt battery to the motor

Step 5: Test the motor. Place your test leads on the motor contact points and connect the leads to a ix-volt battery to cheque the motor performance.

Alarm: Do not connect the motor to the battery for longer than a few seconds as these motors are non designed for that.

diagrm showing where to put super glue to reattach the cover and housing

Step 6: Reinstall the motor and gears. Place the parts in reverse order from that in which yous took them out.

Utilise super glue to the cover and join the cover and housing back together. Hold them together until the glue bonds.

Part 5 of six: Reinstalling the door lock actuator

Stride 1: Reinstall the plastic embrace and supersede the assembly. Adhere the plastic door lock actuator back onto the assembly with two screws. Install the white plastic cover back onto the lock and actuator assembly past securing it with the two other screws you removed previously.

Identify the lock and actuator assembly, with the cables attached, back into the door.

Step 2: Make clean and reconnect the actuator. Spray electrical cleaner onto the black electrical connector. Later it dries, reconnect the black electrical connector to the door lock actuator.

person reinstalling the lock screws

Step 3: Replace the door lock actuator bolts and screws. Reinstall the three screws into the door lock to secure it in the door. And then reinstall the two 10mm bolts to a higher place and below the location of the door lock actuator to secure the actuator.

Step 4: Reattach the clips and cables. Reconnect the metal cables near the door handle by connecting the yellowish clips back onto the sockets.

plastic sheeting over the inside of the door panel

Step 5: Reinstall the clear plastic sheeting. Put the plastic cover that goes behind the door console dorsum into place and reseal information technology.

hands replacing the door panel

Stride 6: Supercede the door panel. Put the door panel back onto the door and reattach all of the tabs by lightly snapping them into identify.

Annotation: If your vehicle has electronic door locks, you will need to reinstall the door lock cluster panel back into the door console. After replacing the door panel, reinstall the cluster into the panel with screws. Make sure the cluster is connected to the wiring harness. You may accept to attach the connectors under the door panel before yous fully reinstall the panel into the door. If the vehicle has custom speakers that are externally mounted on the door console, these would need to exist reinstalled back onto it after replacing the panel as well.

Part 6 of 6: Reconnecting the bombardment and testing the door lock actuator

Step 1: Replace the battery cablevision and remove the battery saver. Open up the vehicle's hood and reconnect the footing cable back onto the bombardment's negative post. Tighten the battery clench upwardly tight to ensure that the connection is good.

And then unplug the nine-volt bombardment saver from the cigarette lighter.

Note: If y'all did not take a 9-volt battery saver, yous will have to reset all of the settings in your vehicle, similar your radio, electric seats, electric mirrors, and then on.

Step 2: Test the repaired door lock actuator. Pull on the outside door handle and ensure that the door opens from the latched position. Shut the door and get inside the vehicle through another door. Pull on the inside door handle and ensure that the door opens from the latched position. This ensures that the door will open with the door unlocked.

hand activating a lock actuator switch

Sitting in the car with the doors close, press on the locking switch of the affected door lock actuator. Then operate the inside door handle and open the door. If the door lock actuator is operating correctly, opening the interior door handle will override the door lock actuator.

Note: If you are working on the rear doors of a four-door sedan, brand sure that you turn off the child safety lock to examination the repaired door lock actuator correctly.

While standing outside of the vehicle, shut the door and lock information technology with your electronic device only. Operate the outside door handle and to ensure that the door is locked. Unlock the door with the electronic device and operate the outside door handle again. This time, the door should open.

If your car door lock still does not office properly after repairing the door lock actuator, then there may exist further diagnosis of the door lock and actuator assembly or a possible electronic component failure. Yous tin can always Inquire a Mechanic to get quick, detailed communication from one of the certified technicians hither at YourMechanic.

You may demand to fully supervene upon the actuator. If you lot would rather a professional person perform this job, you can have one of our qualified mechanics come and supervene upon your door lock actuator for you.

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