Door Lock Actuator Repair
 

To get your PSD doorlocks to work again WITHOUT spending a dime.

There has been discussions about possible issues and that the majority of us are seeing actuator motor problems and not relays, switches etc. Ill start by saying the problem is that when you hit the switch, the locks attempt to move and after repeated attempts, the signal appears to get weaker and weaker until nothing....seems like a relay or switch.....not the case at all.

If you test the signal at the harness plug to the actuator, its good. No issues here. Now if you completely removed the actuator/lock mechanism and bench test them with 12V heres what you will find. The actuator will act the same as when in the truck. Here's where it gets tricky. These things are built so that they are not serviceable, but they will comes apart relatively easily and can be put back together once apart.
First, drill out the two small rivets and then pry the case apart. As you pry the case apart you'll notice these small little plastic rods protrude up through the case cover. These rods are then "mushroomed" with heat through the upper case and then sealed with some kind of silicone. When you pry apart the case the "mushroom" head breaks off and the rod remains. You can dig out the silicone and mushroom head with a pick. It comes out very easy. Inside you will find a very small motor and some gear mechanism. Inside of the plastic brush housing, you'll find a small, thin rectangular thermal resistor relay, thingamabob - I'm not sure what its called. This little part is what keeps you from burning up the motor, should you continue to press the switch once the lock has been actuated. This thingamabob wears out over time and will not allow enough signal to get through to the motor to make it work.
THE FIX. Take a small piece of aluminum foil and wrap the "thingamabob". voila! Perfectly working motor!
To reasemble it: you cannot glue the unit together as there is a rubber gasket around the perimeter of the case and if you tried to glue the rods into the case, you would not have enough pressure on the two halves of the case to keep the gears in place (these things actually apply a great deal of torque on the case). So what you can do is break off the plastic rods flush with the bottom side of the case and then drill out the bottom case and screw it together. You'll need screws that are the same diameter as the holes in the top of the case to keep it alinged. The screws should not protrude through the back of the unit as some of the mechanism has some pretty close tolerances and a screw sticking through the back would get in the way of these mechanism - this can be remedied with a decent set of wire dikes or a hacksaw. Give it a try, its easier than it may sound!

Thanks for the tip. It got to the point that I stopped using my keyless entry since the dorrs wouldn't lock or unlock anymore...

I have a question, yes sirthomas what would that be. how do you get the actuator/lock mechanism out of the door? ( whoa had way to much coffee ) can someone answer that? I looked in there and couldn't really figure it out.

Just replaced one in a '99 F-250 Super-Duty
 

In response to the question of how to remove the faulty actuator, cause I couldn't find anything on the internet either, and I'm damn good at some googling...

Remove the door panel, not going to go into detail here, just to say there are 2 screws, one under the lock/window control panel, and one behind the marker light lens.

Remove the 3 Torx screws around the latch, seen on the edge of the door, be careful, these are very tight and from what I've read everywhere, strip easily...

Remove all the linkage from the latch assembly

Follow the lock rod down from the top of the door, it goes horizontal then turns into the actuator assembly, there is a small plastic clip that flips off the rod radially around it.

The interior handle cable does not need to be removed.

The exterior handle linkage is a threaded rod that has a plastic clip holding it on, it is easily flipped open.

A the very back of the assembly you will feel another rod, it runs behind the threaded rod, this is the one that messed me up for a minute.. simply follow it up, it terminates in another plastic clip, stick a long screwdriver through a hole further up the door, and pry one of the catches open to remove the rod.

Unplug both cables, the door lock actuator and the latch sensor.

You should now be able to pull the whole assembly out past the vertical brace.

The actuator is removed by prying on a plastic clip on the rear of the assembly


Hope this helps someone....

Thanks for that! Drivers side is getting weak...

Chenery you were absolutely on target. The only thing I did different was to file off about 1/32 from the plastic stud and then drilled them out with a #47 bit and put in #6 x 1/4" sheet metal screws:U::U::U:

2001 Ford F350 door actuators
 

In response to Clay Henry, I wanted to let everyone know, who has door actuator problems on their F350, that I tried this and was a skeptic at first but after the first door and the results, I did all three doors (the last one is not giving me problems....YET) and using the tin foil on the "thingamabob" made the locks pop up like new. The dealer wanted to sell me a new actuator for $56.00 each. Here is my experience...instead of drilling out the rivets (I did on the first two) but found it easier to break that portion off carefully (rivet would spin and it was difficult to stop the spinning rivet and drill at the same time, not to mention once the rivet was drilled out the holes were not of much use), I cleaned the motor using an electronic spray with the brushes still in good condition, and I drilled two small pilot holes into the original two center posts and used small screws to keep it together. Thanks for this post.

Hi Henry sounds like an interesting fix.

I would like to give it a try; however, I am an electrical inspector and am a little skeptical.

By rapping the the thermal resistor in tinfoil, in essence you are by passing it. Yes it will work, but I think you may take the risk of the motor burning up or catching fire during overload due to a locked rotor of the motor?

Please let me know your thoughts, I have the same problem with my 2001 f-350 4x4 7.3L crew cab dually.

Zane.

I did mine about a year ago, and have had no trouble. if the motor burns up I'm no farther behind then when I started

I'm now knee deep into following your instructions, and so far (on the first door) they are pretty complete. I did elect to saw on each side of the two rivets (a "V" shape) with a hacksaw blade and break out the plastic section around the rivets - worked well. However I am to the part "Inside of the plastic brush housing", and am having trouble removing the plastic brush housing from the aluminum motor housing. It seems to be held on by two small aluminum tabs on the motor housing that are bent over into notches in the plastic. What procedure and tool did you use? The motor is stamped "JOHNSON", and what appears to be a part number "20730 892956".

Thanks for any help.
dcjle

disassembling web site (photos
 

I replaced just the mechanical part and reused the electrical part, still worked fine
It was great and only cost $40.00

Mine locks fine but will not unlock, it slowly went one by one. After checking around, I bought all four actuators, replaced the driver and passenger side first and nothing! I gave up. Do I need to replace all of them to work?? Or could it be the relay switches I keep hearing about but nobody seems to know where they are located!! Any help will be appreciated. It's a long reach to unlock them doors!

so all of the doors on my 00 PSD F350 act the same way, sluggish to unlock and will not lock. are there 4 actuators, 1 in each door and they are all faulty?

yes, I just recently fixed all four of mine 2 months ago. they work like a charm now.:5:

sweet, i need to fix my front passenger door, thanks for all the tips:U:

hey so i am trying to get the actuator out of the door still and there's the rod with the threads on it in the clip and i cant get the clip to come off I tried using a screwdriver and the hook thing came off but the rod wont budge, any ideas? :pca1:

they are tough but should all just pop off. I had to use something to help in pushing the plastic things off the rods.

thanks, i got it off and put the foil on the thingamabob and now it works like new :yeah: now i get to use the keyless entry again

i will be replacing mine this weekend, thanks for the response

Hehe now I gots ta do the driver door :argh:

gotta tell my dad this lol...... Im sick of rolling the window down

Hey folks,
I have replaced all of my wifes 2000 F250 PowerStroke door actuators with these;
DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR | AllElectronics.com
They are super powerful and have an easy mounting kit. Just clamp on to the exisiting door lock actuator rod and thats it. (well you do have to mount the actuator). At 6 bucks each you cant beat them. I just left the old actuators in place and let them pull and push them as well

door locks99 f350
 

my doors will un-lock buywill not lock. this happened at the same time on both doors. is it the actuators. What are the odds of this? both doors two seperate actuators at the same time?????

My actuators slowed considerably over the past 6 months or so. The passenger side went first then the drivers, they would work good one day and poorly the next. Went to the dealer today, $550 to R&R all four. The interweb is great, I just saved myself a little cash. Thanks for the info guys. I'll let you know how my repair project goes.:tu:

thanks... this was a big help

Door Lock Actuators Replacement
 

I took the advice above and went to this site: DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR | AllElectronics.com
These things were five and change each and they charge a flat rate shipping, no matter how much you buy. So, for twenty something I got all four lock actuators and just overrode the factory ones with the replacements. You need to be a bit mechanical to mount these effectively, but it's not rocket science. Be sure to check if they fit with the window in the up and down position. The outcome is fantastic. They are powerful, and way better than the worn out factory ones. Best thing is you don't have to be a contortionist trying to get the old ones out. Just cut the wires and wire up the new ones and they override the factory actuators. Thanks for posting this solution. It is great.

I was working out of town, wife called and said my F250 door locks were clicking, she said they were jumping up, unlock mode, time after time after time. I asked her to disconnect the batteries until I could get back home.

I found my spare keyfob transmitter in her purse, it was being pressed by something in that all in wonder carry all bag of a purse cause it did it when I came back home and reconnected the batteries. It happened when she gets out of her vehicle and goes by the truck, unlock, unlock, unlock, unlock.
Took the transmitter out of her pocketbook and it stopped unlocking.

Well needless to say the door lock actuators over time kept getting weaker and weaker, until they failed to unlock one by one. Being a former electrical line tech at a chassis up-fitter of conversion vans, found the best price deal on four actuators and replaced them. It's been 7 years since the loss of actuator function and repair completed, no more episodes of the wife's purse pressing the unlock button of the transmitter keyfob. (Took it out of her pockypurse)

By-Passing OE actuator
 

Are there any more specifics on how to mount the "AllElctronics.com" actuator, I haven't torn into the project yet, but would like to have an idea what's in-store before I do. I have to replace/fix the passenger front door on my F-350. Any advice?

Reply to:By Passing EO Actuator
 

After reading all the threads and replacing two of my motors, I decided to replace the other two and took pictures and did a detailed pictorial report of my experience on the front driver door and listed it on eBay here: 99-03 Ford Super-Duty Door Lock Motor Replacement: eBay Motors (item 280515905436 end time Jun-09-10 12:47:21 PDT)

I haven't had a nibble on this auction for $24.99 for the report including a motor and S&H, so would be open to an offer through eBay. I have also taken pictures of the rear passenger side door and could do a similar report and also list it on eBay. I could also just sell you the report which would not involve S&H as I could eMail it as an attachment. Printer ink is a big part of the cost of selling hardcopy with pictures. Message me through eBay and we can come to some arrangement.

There were a couple questions as to why the factory motors seem to go out in multiples. My only speculation is that they've gotten abused and the resistors have burned out at the same time. I think what did mine is I put in an aftermarket tailgate lock which was sluggish from the installation and I had to push the lock button a lot of times to get the tailgate to work hence ruining all my factory motors. I'm going to replace the tailgate lock motor with the same one as on the doors.

These have only been in my truck for six months or so, so there's no telling the long term survival of these. It does seem Maserati uses these as a factory part. Maserati part# 323320195A Anybody able to verify that? They look sthe same.

I don't think the All Electronics actuators have a resistor, so if you have kids who play with the locks you might get a burn out. The factory resistor is to prevent burn-out if someone holds the lock button.

End result of my work was very satisfying.

One thing if you've gotten this far is I've done some University level teaching and from my experience, my report is probably too detailed with nearly 30 pictures plus narrative. That's why I split the front and rear doors into two reports. I just couodn't figure how to do it with less as you have to drill and bend sheet metal on the door metal.

I replaced the Passenger door actuator with one from All Electric, and I have to say I am very pleased with the fix. I didn't take the OE one out, I just mounted the new one inside the door and connected it to the existing linkeage. The actuator works great, what a great inexpensive fix. Thank you for this site and the people involved in it, I saved a ton of money not having the dealer fix it.

2005 Liberty- Drivers side door lock
 

Hello,
This forum is one of the best I have read. So now I am faced with a non working door lock on the drivers side door. Does exactly what you described- moves a little but needs the key to open.
Does anyone have a picture of what this actuator looks like? And if I screw up the repair- not great at following instructions- where can I buy the replacement part and what is it called?
Thanks, Jeff:argh:

Repair for Jeep?
 

Are you inquiring about a door actuator fix for your jeep? Your profile says diesel jeep, just wondering and making sure we're on the same page of a Superduty door fix!:nope:

Fix for Jeep
 

Yes- Thanks for getting back to me- Trying to fix the drivers door lock on 2005 liberty. Jeff

The lock motors I used look like this: POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR 2-WIRE STYLE BRAND NEW: eBay Motors (item 230498310257 end time Aug-11-10 09:26:07 PDT) but were red. I bought a dozen of them and did a pictorial essay of how I replaced mine and tried to sell the whole thing on eBay for $24.95 with no takers. I paid $5.50 each at some electronics place mentioned earlier in the Ford arena. They work totally perfectly and have for a year and a half or more. Anyone want the pictures with description of how I did it on a 99 Ford F350, I'd be willing to discuss getting the stuff to you, but I don't think Dieselbombers wants ads on this site, so you have to contact me. If you want to discuss further, I'm at johnfryiv@yahoo.com. The picture file is wasy too big to send as an eMail attachment, at least via yahoo where I live. If you're any where near Los Altos, CA, I'd be glad to help you with the project on any car. You'd need a manual so we can get the door panel off without trashing it.

door lock actuator
 

i got the door lock actuator out and apart- i cant see the resistor. do some actuators not have a resistor thanks

Sorry for slow reply. I've been up in the mountains working a job where there's no cell or computer service.

I didn't bopther taking out the factory motor. I used the All Electronics aftermarket motor mentioned in an earlier thrread and just disconnected the factory motor. The replacement motor overrides the ford motor and works very well.

I put toghether a set of photographs and instructions on how I did the replacement and tried to market it on eBay to no avail. If you're good enough to get the factory motor out, you could do this yourself. If you want I'd send you the pictures with the notations on how I did it for ten bucks. If you want I'll throw in an aftermarket motor for another ten or you can buy them on eBay for closer to $7 including shipping.

I tried sending my documentary on my replacement as an eMail attachment, but the file is way too big for most eMail servers, so I've just been printing them up and popping them in the mail.

I'd do it on eBay as a "Buy It Now" transaction. You'd get full buyer protection, but what I'm really looking for is a nice positive feedback so I can sell more of these.

I talked a guy in Half Moon Bay through it and he didn't have any trouble at all. Like I say if you're good enough to get the factory motor out, you can likely handle this. Over the last few years I've replaced all my motors and they're working great.

you can find me at johnfryiv@yahoo.com

I have the door locks does any body have some pics on where to mount it

Still need help guys