Damn Central locking doesn't work in one door...

[SimonR]

This must have come up before but I did a search and can't find a reference to it so I'm asking the question!

JOE's nearside rear door doesn't lock or unlock with the others. It does move when the other locks are operated but the knob flips up and down very quickly and the door remains either locked or unlocked.

I have removed the door card and tried lubricating the mechanism and replacing the door locking motor but sadly to no effect.

I've tried manually operating the lock by pulling it when the motor is disconnected and it is very stiff but I can't work out howe to free it up.

So: What's the secret?!

[E_T_V]

As you have already said the most usual cause for this problem of lazy rear central door locking motors is a stiff mechanism or a duff motor. Since you've tried to sort this out then there is only one other option the actual door lock catch mechansim is too stiff. I recently had this when doe some reason my drivers door lock on my van became VERY VERY stiff. I think part of the door lock on mine has actually broken but it may be that your door catch needs taking out and cleaning and lubricating up. Failing that you could try a different motor incase the one you've already got was faulty also.

[ChrisM]

Yeh, the N/S/F one on A335 is playing up, although when the other locks are operated it just does nothing! Not tried anything yet - where do I start?

[G51 NAV]

If it's any help, the Maplins door lock motors are a direct replacement (or at least they were three years ago when I fitted one to my MG Maestro 2.0i).

http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/Full/12304i0.jpg

Can't remember off hand whether you want the two-wire or the five-wire one. I think its the two-wire one. You can find out by looking at what's already in there. Either way you get change from a tenner.

Basically the CDL motors on MMM cars are intrinsically a poor design. I pulled one apart and can't believe how crude it was inside.

[E_T_V]

I've got a maplin central door lock kit on my van however I couldn't get it to fit in the origjnal location (it fouled the window mechanism) but I found somewhere it fitted just fine. The drivers door one will be 5 wire whilst the rest are 2 wire I think.

They definatly seem to be much stronger than the orignal ones. Also I think late metro ones are direct replacements but are slightly more reliable.