DIY: Door latch removal / lubrication

[FlatlanderSJ]

open window slightly to allow movement of the rear window track.

Remove door handle by removing the single torx screw and sliding the handle toward the front of the car. If there's a lock you will need to put the key in and turn it for the handle to pull out.

Remove door card and door pull. Peel back the vapor barrier and loosen the rear window track.

Remove the vacuum line by squeezing the fitting with pliers where there is no lip and pulling it off like so...

Unplug the lock switch and pull it out of the assembly.

unbolt the three torx screws around the door latch

Remove the white clip holding the lever rail to the door.
Rotate the latch assembly horizontally and pull out the lock rail and the lever rail.
After everything is disconnected rotate the latch assembly 180 degrees from mounting so that the latch is now facing the front of the car.
Position your hand so that you can pull on the lever and rotate the assembly out of the car while pushing the window track toward the front of the car for more room.

It sounds confusing but is actually quite simple once you get the assembly into the correct position.
Door latch removal

Now it's out and ready to be cleaned and re-lubed.

remove the torx screw, you may have to pull off the rubber cube to unscrew it. Then gently pry the four clips (red arrows) and pull the lever (blue arrow) away from the assembly while pulling the cover off. The cover has a hinge on the bottom and rotates downward.

Now that you have the cover off, spray the whole thing with WD-40 to clean it. I also used a tooth brush to clean some of the stuff out. Oil/grease the moving joints (red arrows) and re-grease around the plastic lock barrel. Pay special attention to the release mechanism (green arrow) that is under the metal plate. Clean and Grease it well. This is where I believe the close tolerance can easily freeze thus leaving you unable to open the door.

Reassemble in reverse order making sure that the white plastic lever in the bottom left is pushed upward or it won't let you pull the lever (child lock?). Also make sure to get the lock lever inside the hole of the actuator when putting the cover on.

Enjoy being able to open your doors when its cold out.

P.S. it may also be a good time to unbolt the lower door rebar and clean out under it. I had a quarter that was rattling under there.

[audindy]

so would this work if i cant open my door with the outside handle. i just replaced the lock cylinder and the outside handle doesnt work still. nice DIY

[FlatlanderSJ]

Take off the handle first and see if there is anything broken behind it on the handle itself. I have heard that the early handles break.

[audindy]

yeah i have to do that but just put the door panal back on. im too lazy

[FlatlanderSJ]

you don't need your panel off to take the outer handle off. its just the one bolt on the side of the door.

[Sky-Fi]

Excellent DIY. It provided the information I needed to put an end to the Dukes of Hazzard entry when below 35F.. or climbing in through the back seat. Fortunately where I live, cold does not mean snow/ice/slush, so walking on the seats isn't really a big deal.

However, I did make one oops when putting mine back together. The round piece for the locking mechanism (where the paddle from the door handle goes in), mine popped out when I was taking the white cover off of the whole assembly, so I did not get a chance to observe the orientation of this piece. After greasing everything and putting it back together, locking function was exactly opposite of what it was. Was the left-side door. Turned key forward and the lock stem would lift, but the alarm would set and the vacuum system would pull all the lock stems down. Turn key backwards and lock post would lift and alarm light would stop flashing, but alarm was still set and the door could be opened..setting off the alarm.

Tore the door apart again (which..by the way, after doing that three times in an hour, only takes four minutes), popped the cover off the assembly again, and that round piece has two lips/rails/whatever-you-want-to-call-them around the edges of it.. those should be oriented so that they are pointing upward toward the cover, not how I did it which was 180 out. Just mentioning that as a reference in case somebody else makes that mistake.

Also, I had read somewhere before..and I believe Dan mentioned it, but to use graphite lube since it can handle cold and moisture. I couldn't find any of that when I went to the store earlier in the day, but I did find white lithium grease. It seems like it will do the trick, but it only got down to 38 last night due to a front blowing through. Should have some good below-30 nights coming the next few days though.

[stiny778]

So how do you remove the rod that connects to the interior door pull to the latch assembly? and the rod for the lock?

[partwerks]

To get the unit out, does a person have to loosen that black door guide forward to make clearance for it to come out?

[VT-MKJett]

Every single part of the door handle can be replaced or removed. The hook ends that pull the latch inside the door break off often. These can be fixed. The shaft that works the vac system also breaks then you cannot lock your doors. The early MK3s had the crappy ones, then they fixed them in later models I believe. The thicker shafts will not work with an older lock cylinder. I drilled one out to figure out how they go together, but that is not needed. After you remove the pin the hook slides right off.


You can see there is a small pin that holds on the hook on the door handle

[drobdog06]

Does anybody have any input? Little while ago my latch wouldn't lock on my PS of car after I opened it the latch wouldn't even hold the door shut I had to drive home reaching across holding the door shut and Ive tried a few things the latch itself has always been good but it is still doing the same thing I can just freely push it down or take my finger and push up the latching part. I don't know what to do because I cannot afford a new one. Pick a parts I'm having no luck at and this door thing is really bugging me. Especially when I have to leave my car open because the door won't stay closed unless I have a bubbie cord holding it in. Any advice on how I can get this batboy to work again I would really appreciate it.. Thanks

[loligagger]

SO you did the DIY and now it does not work any more? or does the door not work at all and you have not worked on it?

If you took it apart and now it will not latch, take it back apart and redo it. Make sure the locking part is out far enough you can get the arm back in the grove. You will have no idea what im talking about but basically, putting it back together involves blowing into the vac line part of the lock so it pushes the actuator out more so that the locking arm can be reinserted into its position. Otherwise you cant lock/unlock the door.

DOnt know if that helps

[scottybones]

Does anybody have any input? Little while ago my latch wouldn't lock on my PS of car after I opened it the latch wouldn't even hold the door shut I had to drive home reaching across holding the door shut and Ive tried a few things the latch itself has always been good but it is still doing the same thing I can just freely push it down or take my finger and push up the latching part. I don't know what to do because I cannot afford a new one. Pick a parts I'm having no luck at and this door thing is really bugging me. Especially when I have to leave my car open because the door won't stay closed unless I have a bubbie cord holding it in. Any advice on how I can get this batboy to work again I would really appreciate it.. Thanks

I think your current latch is toast and should probably be relaced with a used one. Same thing happened to my car ... a $20 used latch fixed it ... had to use bungee cord to keep the damn door shut before the repair.

Yes, brand new latches are way too expensive but I find it odd that something like a door latch cannot be found at u-pull-it yard or other salvage yard. Perhaps post a WTB thread?

[VT-MKJett]

Does anybody have any input? Little while ago my latch wouldn't lock on my PS of car after I opened it the latch wouldn't even hold the door shut I had to drive home reaching across holding the door shut and Ive tried a few things the latch itself has always been good but it is still doing the same thing I can just freely push it down or take my finger and push up the latching part. I don't know what to do because I cannot afford a new one. Pick a parts I'm having no luck at and this door thing is really bugging me. Especially when I have to leave my car open because the door won't stay closed unless I have a bubbie cord holding it in. Any advice on how I can get this batboy to work again I would really appreciate it.. Thanks

After reading a similar thread last week...I said I was glad I fixed all my door issues...then it got to around zero in VT...went to open my door and the same thing happened...however it was just frozen/stuck and the next day it was fine. DJR mentioned something about this happening to him and it was an easy fix with the latch.

[scottybones]

After reading a similar thread last week...I said I was glad I fixed all my door issues...then it got to around zero in VT...went to open my door and the same thing happened...however it was just frozen/stuck and the next day it was fine. DJR mentioned something about this happening to him and it was an easy fix with the latch.

Sounds like water got in yours and had a chance to freeze ... let me guess, door handles move but latch didnt disengage? That is, until it thawed out, right? ... not broken but just frozen.

Im thinking the other dudes latch is toast given that it wont even keep the door shut.

[drobdog06]

Ya Well I did actually grab a latch finally from a random pick a part. I just moved pretty far away for school so ya mark 3 gtIs r not to common n these damn yards. Neway the other latch didn't work either when i installed it I took the cover off looked at it a lot of springs where n different places and just pissed me off cuz I pretty much broke it trying to fix it. So now I'm back to screwing with the old latch I havnt removed the cover on this one yet.... Because I think it's pointless. But everything else on the latch works solid besides that damn lathing mechanism. It probably doesn't matter I mid swell take it apart anyway and see what happens

[drobdog06]

SO you did the DIY and now it does not work any more? or does the door not work at all and you have not worked on it?

If you took it apart and now it will not latch, take it back apart and redo it. Make sure the locking part is out far enough you can get the arm back in the grove. You will have no idea what im talking about but basically, putting it back together involves blowing into the vac line part of the lock so it pushes the actuator out more so that the locking arm can be reinserted into its position. Otherwise you cant lock/unlock the door.

DOnt know if that helps

I've worked on it just havnt taken the cover off

[VT-MKJett]

Sounds like water got in yours and had a chance to freeze ... let me guess, door handles move but latch didnt disengage? That is, until it thawed out, right? ... not broken but just frozen.

Im thinking the other dudes latch is toast given that it wont even keep the door shut.

Yes I had washed my car earlier on in the day...but my door would not shut...hook on latch just moved freely on the door.