DIY - Driver's Side Lock Cylinder Repair

[Junkman2008]

So I'm out and about running errands and after a stop at the convenience store, I jump back in the car and close the door. I immediately notice something wrong when the door closes as it doesn't sound right. So I open and close the door a bunch of times trying to pin point the noise to no avail. I finally go home and when I get out of the car, I see where the noise is coming from.

Somehow, I have lost my lock cylinder.



I'm thinking, "Great, where the hell did that fall out?" After examining the cylinder hole for a little while, I realize that the lock cylinder couldn't have fallen out of the door, it has to be inside the door. Thinking it was bad, I purchased a new cylinder just in case I needed one. It wasn't cheap either and I would also need to have a locksmith re-key the new cylinder. Luckily I didn't end up needing it but just in case you do, here is the part number. The cost was around $130.




I can't stand the site of that hole in my door so off to the garage I go. I break out my service manual and tear at it.

Tools Needed

Torx 30 screwdriver.
Small 10mm socket and ratchet.
2 Medium Flat head screwdriver.
Small needle pick or flat head screwdriver (or equivalent).
Some of that black, sticky gunk they use they use to seal stuff.


Step 1 - To ease later steps as well as maneuverability of the door panel, lower the window. Then, using the tiny screwdriver, pry gently in various locations around the elliptical plastic piece behind the interior door handle. See pick below.





Step 2 - Having removed the elliptical piece, you now can see as shown in the photo that the piece hides two size 30 torx screws that are inside the door. Remove these two screws.



Step 3 - There are two horizontal slots just above and below the door handle, as shown in this photo. These slots allow you to remove the plastic oval-shaped bezel that surrounds the door handle. Pull on the handle to access these slots in order to remove the bezel.





Step 4 - Wrap a protective cloth around the tip of the regular sized screwdriver, and push the tip into the slot at the bottom of the door reflector. Start with the tip pointing upward and then pivot the screwdriver handle upward slightly toward you which will push the tip into a more horizontal direction into the door, thereby prying the door reflector upward and away from the door panel. This makes more sense when looking at what holds the reflector inside the door.






There is a nut behind the reflector that you will see once the reflector is removed. DO NOT MESS WITH THAT NUT! It is for adjusting the window.

Step 5 - Now you are ready to remove the door panel. It basically pulls straight out from the bottom, and raises up off the top of the door. There are 6 points that attach the panel to the car.





What you need to do is grab the opening where the reflector was installed and pull straight toward you (NOT up or down, STRAIGHT). This may require quite a tug and you may need to hold the door steady as you do it. It can be done by one person but two people can do it easier as one can hold the door while the other can pull on the panel.

Once the door gives, it will sound like you just tore something up. Work your way around the bottom of the door and free all 6 points that hold the panel on the door.

Once all 6 points are free, you will need to wiggle the top part of the panel off the top of the door. It simply pulls straight up.


Step 6 - The panel is NOT free from the door yet. You need to unplug the window/lock/mirror control module. It is basically just a plug with a tab on it. Just squeeze the tab and wiggle the connector out of the control module.








At this point you cam remove the door panel and raise the window. If you have the Window Valet like I do, it's easy. If not, connect the control module back to the door and raise the window.

Step 7 - Now you are ready to remove the piece that is covering the opening that you will be working in. It is stuck on the door with that black, sticky gunk. Carefully remove it from the door.



Step 8 - You now need to disconnect the door controls as that window drops unbelievably fast. If your arm is in that door and the window decides to drop, the pain will be unbearable!

Unplug the connector pictured below. Just squeeze the tab and wiggle.




Step 9 - Now you can get a look up into the door to see what has happened. Sure enough, the lock cylinder has backed out of the housing it sits in:



At least it was still in one piece.

The piece that holds that cylinder in place is called the lock cylinder retaining clip. According to a locksmith that I talked to, it is supposed to be removed a specific way and that was obviously not not performed correctly when someone removed my door handle before. Thus, the lock cylinder retaining clip was stretched and didn't have enough tension to hold the lock in place. In this next picture, I hung a tool off the lock cylinder retaining clip so that you can see it.





That's the way it is supposed to be anyway. Here's what I did. Some people would bend that clip back into place and reuse it. You all know me... if I've come this far, new parts are getting install. Thus I went and bought a new clip. Less than $5. A no brainer folks.



Step 10 - I went ahead and used that tool you saw hanging on the lock cylinder retaining clip and pulled it off. Then I continued disassembling the door handle so that I could put the new clamp on (it is impossible to from inside the door). To completely remove the door handle required further disassembling of the door handle latch as well as the lock cylinder. I did it slightly differently as I figured that I only needed to pull the door handle out just enough to get that lock cylinder retaining clip in place so that I could then insert the lock cylinder itself. Here's how I did it.

You need to remove these two 10mm bolts.



Once you remove those two bolts, you can see that there is enough slack in the door handle to pull it out and expose the slot where the lock cylinder retaining clip goes.



Step 11 - Now here's the tricky part. You need to get the retaining clip started by placing one-half of the clip in place. Look at the picture below.



Next, grab the top half of the other side of the clip and slip it into place. I used my pick tool to do mine.

Note: There's a small rubber washer that goes into the lock cylinder housing BEFORE you put the lock cylinder itself in place. Make sure you locate that and insert it before going to the next step.




Step 12 - At this point, you can now reach into the door and push the lock cylinder into place. By pushing in on the door handle with one hand, you should easily be able to push the lock cylinder in until it clicks into place with your other hand. Folks, you have just fixed your problem!

At this point, you reverse the install and put everything back together. When you're done, you should no longer be staring at a hole in your door handle. It should look like it did from day one.



That's all folks!

The Junkman

[wwomanC6]

Thanks for the info! Keep the DIY step by step instructions coming. You now me I like Pics!

[Junkman2008]

Originally Posted by wwomanC6

Thanks for the info! Keep the DIY step by step instructions coming. You now me I like Pics!

Me too! Without pics, it's just words to me!

[Vet4jdc]

Good post - glad it all worked out!

[pops98]

Thanks for that post, I hope I never have to do it, but with the pictures,you make it look easy.

[Y2Kvert4me]

Another great writeup, thanks!


One thing I'd like to add...

Once you remove your door panel, be careful when running the window up or down, especially if you have tinted windows.

The inner window guide is attached to the door panel, and with it removed, the window is free to tip inwards and will scrape on parts inside the door if you're not paying attention. (Ask me how I know this ).

Just lightly press outwards on the glass when running it up or down with the door panel off to avoid this.

[Junkman2008]

Good to know Y2K!

[2ez 2spd]

Another great wright up thanks, but I wish it some kind of April fools and you really didn't have to go through that trouble .