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Mirror and door lock issues

3K views 18 replies 6 participants last post by  lorenso.vudric 
#1 · (Edited)
My passenger mirror adjusts left and up but not down or right.

Also, my front passenger door is stuck closed and locked. There was no warning at all (actuator wasn't getting slow/weak). I can hear a brief click/electrical noise from that side when locking/unlocking but nothing happens and pulling the interior door handle only makes the pin pop up for as long as you hold it. Not sure if the actuator has just failed out of the blue or if there is some kind of electrical issue.

Backstory: I had my windows re-tinted recently and the front pass window regulator got broken in the process. So the tint installer agreed to replace it. Well, it wasn't the best work I've seen. I actually took the door panel off in advance so they wouldn't have to mess with it. When I got the car back the vapor barrier wasn't sealed up at all and the airbag light was on. The window seems to be working fine and I'm sure the mirror module was fully connected when I resealed the vapor barrier and put the door panel back on. Fast forward 5 days later and the door is now stuck shut and the passenger mirror is acting up. So I took the driver's door panel off and checked the wiring to/from the window/mirror switch and didn't see any damage. Weirder yet, before I took the driver's door panel off, the driver's door mirror wouldn't adjust at all or fold up. That side seems to be working now that I got the switch out.

Does this point to an issue with the mirror module or the mirror motor itself? Is there anything I can try electrically to try to get the door unlocked? If the lock actuator is toast, can anyone provide some tips on getting the door panel off with the door closed? I assume I'm going to have to break the vent screw.

Any help is appreciated.
 
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#2 ·
Oooh, I don't think trying to get the trim off with the door closed will work very well; you'd be pretty liable to break something on the door card. I'm pretty sure there must be a way to get it open from the inside even with a malfunctioning actuator, but sadly I'm not sure yet what that is. Hopefully someone will chime in with the procedure, and I'll poke around some for ya too!
 
#3 ·
Ah, here you go. First try unlocking with the physical key in the drivers door to see if that 'undoes' the dumb double-lock feature on the passenger door. I doubt it, but worth trying before surgery. If not, found this DIY for you!
 
#5 ·
So does anyone have any suggestions on things to try to get the door open before I break the vent on the door panel? Is the method of breaking the airbag cover open a better option?

How about the odd mirror behavior? If this is a problem with the mirror motor, why wouldn't I lose up/down or left/right together instead of losing only down/right?
 
#6 ·
I suppose you could TRY peeling out the door seals from the inside to try to gain yourself enough room to try to pry the door panel off. . . not really sure if that's a good or bad idea, just and idea.
As for the mirror, at least you can get the glass off with the door closed, though you really need to try to get them pointed 'up' first, then there's a little lever on the bottom that you stick a screwdriver in and slide to one side and then the glass mirror comes out and you can access the motor. As for WHY the motor is behaving so weird I sadly don't have any ideas there, but checking the wiring is at least the place where I would start trying to troubleshoot. 🤷‍♂️ Not much help I know, sorry, but hopefully enough to get you started somewhere!
 
#7 ·
There are videos on how to open a locked door. The same applies to a broken actuator. Most tow truck drivers can do but a lock smith might be your best bet, they have the same know how and it is not fidgeting with the lock. There is a rod from the actuator you can grab hold of, that is all I am going to say.
The electric issue might be the harness that comes through into the door. Since it is free to move you may have changed how it is shorted and that is why the change. When you have the door open you can look at it.
 
#13 ·
The actuator is not working - holding the lock in the deadlock position.
If you can pop the actuator off the lock (it’s held on with the black plastic tab) - that will free the levers so you will then be able to pull the inner door handle twice (once to unlock, then once to release catch) to open door.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well, I found the problem...

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The wiring to the lock actuator got smashed under the airbag bracket and must have been shorting out on the door sheet metal. As soon as I separated the wires both the lock actuator and mirrors worked normally. I went ahead and replaced the lock actuator anyways. The wires were not cut so I carefully un-smashed them, wrapped each with a little bit of tape, then routed the harness correctly in the clips at the top of the door.

As far as getting the door open went, I gave up on trying to poke around at the lock mechanism and just pried open the airbag cover. With the airbag cover open I was able to cut a slot in the vapor barrier and have a straight shot at the lock mechanism. Poked at it for a minute and felt something click. Pulled door handle and it opened right up. So, it is actually possible to get it out of double lock if you know which lever to move. I won't post it here since it may actually be reachable with the window up and the right tools, but if anyone is stuck like I was, send me a PM and I can help.

Airbag cover open.

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Cut slot in vapor barrier. Hard to show but it gives you a straight shot at the lock mechanism.

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Door open!

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All fixed. If you don't have a way or can't get the lock mechanism out of double lock with locksmithing tools, I would strongly suggest popping the airbag cover off. Least destructive and easiest method by far. A few seconds with a plastic door panel pry tool and it easily breaks the foam tabs on the back of the panel off. You don't really need to glue it back on but I did. The panel is wedged in place by the armrest and overlapping leather, but I saved the foam tabs and glued them back in with a little hot glue. Enough to keep the cover securely attached, but will still easily break off again should the airbag go off.

941046
 
#17 ·
Great post, I have the same problem and solved it. You can unhook the door trim at the top when the glass is down, create a gap of about 3 cm between the door trim and the metal, and pull the wire gently to release the wires from under the screw, which crushed the wires. Immediately after freeing the wires under the bolt, the lock worked again and I was able to unlock the door. Thanks again.
 
#19 ·
You mentioned something in an earlier post... the airbag light. This is on because it was unplugged without the battery having been disconnected. Provided you have reassembled everything correctly, simply resetting it is all that's necessary.
I did not unplug airbag, because I did not unplug battery, because of manipulation with window regulator during disassemble process.
 
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