A Side Door Lock Problem
Diving Deeper
For Everyone
Updated:
In the last few weeks, it's been very difficult to lock and unlock the side door. What used to be a single, smooth sliding sound has become a noisy affair, requiring a good number of attempts and a lot of patience. Have a listen:
Listen: side_door_lock_noise.mp3
Yesterday, it became impossible to open the door. The lock seemed to be stuck some way through the locking cycle, and the above sound was all I could get out of it. Not ideal, as my tool cupboard is only accessible from the side door - that's going to need revision.
Needless to say, a good dose of WD40 did free it up, and I was able to get the door open, again, and actuate the latch a few times, to work the fluid into the parts. But the problem came back, almost immediately, once I'd convinced myself it was fixed. Doing some research, I've discovered a few things that could be responsible, and I've listed them here, in case one of them if affecting you, as well (you are reading this for a reason, I assume).
1. Dirty electrical contacts
2. Worn or stuck rollers *
3. Worn locking mechanism
4. Door not fully closed
Dirty Contacts
This one's easy enough. When the door closes, those pins in the door frame come into contact with those little plates on the door, completing the circuit that powers the lock. Spray a bit of WD40 on the pins and the contact plate, and give them a good rub with a cloth, to clean them up. If that makes no difference, that wasn't your problem, but it's so quick, it's well worth a try.
Worn Rollers
The rollers that your door sits on should move freely. If they're stuck with gunk and don't roll well, it could lead to the outer rubber ring being worn down or falling off, which will cause the door to hang lower than it should - possibly resulting in your contact pins not reaching the contact plates. This seems unlikely, but in my case, the middle roller has lost its rubber ring, so I will be investigating this option, very shortly. A new roller kit costs about €10 on eBay, and isn't difficult to change (so long as you can get the door open!).
Worn Locking Mechanism
If the lock, itself, is worn out, the gears inside could be slipping, meaning that they are not engaging with the motor and will not have the strength to properly move the bolt. That seems like the most likely cause, given the atrocious noise the mechanism makes on actuation. If this is the case for you, replacing the lock is only a matter of removing the door card, disconnecting the plug and unscrewing the lock from the door. If I have to do this, I'll post a guide on it. If not, you'll probably find it on the internet.
Door Not Fully Closed
This might sound stupid, but actually, your side door's really heavy, and the hangers can wear out. If that happens, they won't hold the door up properly, or they might no longer be able to pull it in firmly, when it's closed. This would result in lock misalignment, which means that the lock can't actually pass through the receiver in the door frame. You can test this by pushing your weight against the back edge of the door as you lock or unlock it. If it works without problem, but only with your weight on it, that's your problem. Door hanger replacement is a bit more involved. If I need to do it, I'll put a guide here.
So, that's where I'm at, today. I'll update this article, once I've figured out which problem I have (or if it's something else).
UPDATE: After a quick poke about, it looks like a middle roller replacement is in order. As the rubber ring is not seated on the middle roller, anymore, the door is, indeed, hanging low. This is probably causing the lock to be mis-aligned, so the bolt can't engage. I lifted it up with a long knife and was able to lock and unlock the door several times, without issue. The trouble, now, is going to be finding a side door roller for an RHD van in Europe...