MaoMobiles

DIY'er and NOOB to the forum. I've read up quite a bit on locking issues and systems, and seen several posts about my problem ('94 4D AT door locks recycle for 10-15 cycles after locking all doors).

General knowledge would imply that my problem lies in my driver's side door lock actuator. Especially given that all other doors (including DS) lock and unlock completely on first try, and given that the car sat outdoors beneath a leaky rain gutter for 3 yrs until I bought it a month ago (hey, i'm cheap).

Short of buying a replacement DS lock actuator, is anyone able to shed light on a fix? Is it possible/practical to remove the DS actuator and get the microswitches therein to behave properly?

I can find the DS actuator on ebay for $40-$60, but I'd prefer the glory of resuscitating the existing unit. Plus, as I mentioned, i'm cheap.

THX

redbull-1

Usually you can repair this. It is the rubber stops that tear. There are two inside, usually it is only one of them tearing. You can remove the power lock actuator, open it up and glue back with some RTV silicone or some other glue, or put something else in there. I'll try to post up some pics. in a short while.

redbull-1

After you take off the door panel, remove the actuator from the latch, held on by the 3 phillips screws. You may need to remove a small black plastic shield/guard held on by one phillips screw to get better access to the 3 screws. (You do not need to remove the latch.) -- 1st picture.

After actuator is removed, turn over and remove 4 phillips screws to open. -- 2nd picture.

There are two rubber stops, one or both may be torn. Re-glue them with quick drying RTV silicone, super glue, whatever; or even tape something in place. If you ran the power door locks too long like this, too many gear teeth may be broken off though and sometimes need the actuator replaced instead. One or two missing gear tooth won't usually cause much harm.

redbull-1

One other tip: A magnetic tip screwdriver works wonders holding the screws in tight spaces.

opusandcaymus

Do you have to remove the outer door handle to get inside to the actuator? We (my wife and I) took off the door panel today to try and replace the old actuator and found that the space is quite tight. We also noticed that there is apparently a difference in the actuator for each door. Is that correct?

I might just return the actuator I purchased and try and fix the old one per these directions. Thanks for the earlier posts! Any help with this is appreciated as I am new to working on Hondas, but have been working on my Vette for a while.

redbull-1

No, you do not have to remove the outer door handle. Also, do not remove the latch, only the actuator. It is quite tight; but, take your time (take breaks along the way and study it so you remember how it goes together when you re-install). The actuator on each door usually are different (left, right, front, back). You might need to remove the center channel, held on by one bolt to gain easier access to the actuator.

MaoMobiles

awesome posts, Redbull-1. I've gotten the actuator out (by moving the center channel), found the rubber bumpers loose in the housing, glued them back into place, and the actuator is working great.

Only problem: I'm having a hell of at time getting it back in correctly. I can maneuver the actuator back into the right spot and place the screws, but the lever-arm from the actuator clearly isn't engaging the latch/lock correctly.

So far, I've locked myself into the driver's seat, and now I've managed to lock myself out with the car running. While I wait for AAA to come get me back into my car, anyone got any re-mounting tips/ pics?

redbull-1

Hook the tab from the actuator onto the latch first, then put on the screws. The tab I am referring to is the blue arrow in the next picture.

Jdmvillageidiot

Thanks redbull-1. Members like you make this one helluva site. Had an issue with my locks as well, turned out to be a faulty control unit. Saved about $200 doing it myself using ebay parts. So i'm very familiar with the tight working space of the door and i guess i'll be going back in to check those rubber stops since i'm getting those same cycles. Thanks for your input, much appreciated.

MaoMobiles

I echo jdmvillageidiot--thanks Redbull-1! Got the actuator hung on the tab (after hacking away a crappy black plastic cover/shield to get some visibility) and mounted it successfully. Then yanked the passenger rear actuator b/c it squeals when it locks...as you'd expect, same problem with the rubber stops.

So that's at least $80 in parts, plus who knows what in labor, saved. Cheers!

ALVAREZSNTG@AOL.COM

honda accord lx lock aactuator.............

you are amazing I save 200 dollars, just with two drops of silicone..... this trick really works...thank you for you help.......mr Alvarez

3uzfte

Great write up, definetly the best way to save $160, I used super glue, which I had to purchase. Right when I got it apart, I clearly saw the rubber bumper that was torn, shoved it back in, and glued it up. Awesome Fix, can be a bit tricky, but it is striahgt forward, just give it time and patience, you will be rewarded for it, and to think I was going to live with it.... HA! thanks OP.

gabhroo

Thanks a lot redbull. As everybody said, it takes patience. I was about to give up because I could not align the tab, and my hands were getting bruised, but I got it right then.

The pictures helped a lot!

Worth the effort.

Thanks again.

dwayne1413

this is my second time reaplacing this. I replaced the entire actuator on my passenger door and it took me some time to get that little notch in the right place but now im replacing the drivers side and i cant seem to remember how.

I got my maintaince guys from the apartment yelling at me telling me i cant work on my car. Frustrating let me tell you. Im gonna go back down there in an hour or so and finish working on it after they all go home for the day... idiots lol

bright rider

this set up looks very similiar to my 99 civic, a quick question to you red bull,

every time i arm/disarm using my clifford g5 fob key, the actutator works, but works like there is not enough force to actualy pull the locking rods from left to right!?

the problem i have is that the driver side door lock only works once in a life time and the passenger door does not lock-open at all, but i can hear the actutator trying to work from both doors, thanks buddy

JerseyJohnny

Redbull, what a kick@ss writeup. I just did my passenger side front door. I took the actuator off but then it started raining, and then it was too dark before I could put it back (which looks like it will be a major pain), but the buzzing is done with!

Such a simple fix, I can't believe the wastefulness of throwing away and replacing that whole piece, which looks like it's no less than 85 to 100 bucks new, online, and at least 40 or 50 on ebay. If you have to remove to replace it anyway, that's the hard part. To glue the rubber piece on was a piece of cake! I used krazy glue that I had lying around, unused - a few tiny drops and that rubber piece is on there for good. I matched up the ends that were broken and it doesn't even look like it ever ripped, but even if it rips again, it's glued on.

AWESOME write-up, GREAT pics, THANK YOU!

Anyone who has this problem should do it themselves, it's worth the effort.

I will have to drive tonight and tomorrow w/ the panel off, till I can put the actuator back on tomorrow evening and then replace the door panel, but that's a tiny inconvenience to save over $100. Now I have to do the driver's side, but it will be easier knowing what I'm doing.

WORD OF ADVICE - to anyone who does this... When undoing the 3 phillips screws to remove the actuator from the latch, don't be afraid to use a fatter screwdriver head; I used a narrower one and almost stripped the screw head, then used a bigger/fatter one and it came out pretty easily.

This is definitely worth doing yourself, for anyone that can do even basic car maintenance.

JerseyJohnny

OK, I know this is a 6 month old post, but in case anyone else had the same problem (as I just did)...

I just put everything back together. I removed the bolt for the center channel. The center channel is actually a rubber strip in which the glass slides up and down - the metal part of the center channel just holds the rubber straight and still.

As redbull said, remove the bolt. After I did that, I slid most of the metal part of the center channel down and was now able to move most of it out of the way, and that made putting everything back at least 50% easier.

The other problem I had was that the upper part of the actuator (the highest piece to be screwed in - there are the three screws, two are on the same horizontal level, and the third is up above them - THAT one, on top) had to fit behind a black piece while somehow you have to hook the actuator tab onto the latch. Redbull provided a great pic showing it all, but his pic doesn't show a "latch cover" - a black, plastic cover that probably got in your way when you were trying to remove the actuator.

Once I looked up and found that piece was just a plastic cover, I realized I could bend it more and not damage anything. So, with the added room from pulling the center channel out of the way, I pulled back the plastic as best as I could, lined up the top hole, and then after a few tries I hooked the actuator. Remember also, that top hole has to go behind the black plastic latch cover. As I was trying to hook the actuator with one hand (using fingers on that hand to pull back the plastic latch cover as best as I could), I found that locking/unlocking (I think unlocking was better) helped to move the latch to where it could be more easily hooked w/ the tab of the actuator.

It actually wasn't so bad once I moved the center channel and wasn't afraid to pull back the latch cover quite a bit. What I struggled with for 1/2 hour then took only about 2 minutes, if that.

One last thing - after sliding the center channel metal back up, I tightened it all the way. Luckily, I was smart for a change, and tried the power window - it didn't work. The bolt for the center channel isn't meant to be tightened. I let it out about halfway to where the window worked best, and just made sure the bolt wasn't moving, and left it that way. The window works great.

raja slams mods 247

Subscribed for later.

Awesome right up guys, so helpful.

tonyasleep

Hi there,

I have a 98 Accord coupe and think I have the actuator problem as above in my drivers door.The other problem being the door is locked and refuses to open! Any ideas on opening the door will be greatly appreciated.

many thanks in advance

Tony

VeganThug

i signed up just to say thanks. a little super glue and an hour or two, and i have regular locks again. it's been so many years, i had forgotten what a locked door sounds like without the buzzing sound. you also saved me at least 50 bucks and helped me reduce my wastefulness.

if anyone else stumbles upon this thread, here's a link to a nice youtube video detailing the removal and reinstallation of the actuator:

http://youtu.be/lgOgRn8Ygcw

nocode

Just completed the lock acutator replacement on my 95 Accord 2 door (driver's side). Only issue I'm having is I removed the lower channel for better access to the actuator but cannot seem to figure out how to get the lower channel back in place. How does it connect at the top? It just slides on but I can't quite figure out how. There is little room to be able to look and see what you are doing while trying to get leverage to slide it up there. Does it just slide onto the window? Does it help to lower the window at all? Does anyone have any pictures of this connection?

This is the last thing to do to complete this job and I've been struggling over the past 2 evenings trying to get this done. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

75aces

@ redbull, can you help me out on my rear doors? My rear door locks no longer engage with the throw of the switch. I currently lock it manually. I have the parts to make the repair, but from what I've read on the forum, many have spoken of the broken plastic tab at the rod. If you have pictures handy, that would be most helpful. FYI, I know the lock still works because when I use either the switch, I can hear a buzzing sound. Thank you.

redbull-1

IIRC, the center channel just kind of sits there, when re-installing don't try to slide it into anything. The first time I did it, it also was the driver side giving me trouble because I tried to insert it into another track. Found it just was not align right. Don't try to slide it into the window track. Play around with different angles till it works. Good luck.

nocode

redbull that is very helpful, thanks. i would have spent weeks trying to insert that thing into the track!

redbull-1

When I had my 95 Accord, it was a coupe (2-door), not a sedan; so I won't have pictures of the rear actuator and latch. I gave that car to my nephew several years ago. I have to research a little and think about how the rear latch for the sedan (4-door) attaches. What year is your car?

I don't know if I can help you though; but, I'll try if I can.