Hi Members

Can a faulty door lock actuator cause the door locking mechanism to be stuck in the unlocked position ?

History: My X-Type 3.0 petrol RHS driver door actuator stopped working 3 years ago. So I locked or unlocked the door by hand inside or with the key from outside. The alarm functioned as normal.
Recently, out of the blue the actuator began working again but only iro unlocking. I still had to manually lock the door whilst the remote would unlock the door.

Shortly after the actuator began working again, the locking mechanism became stuck in the unlocked position and no amount of pressure on the button or with the key will move it even the tiniest amount.

My understanding was that if the actuator fails, one should still be able to lock or unlock the door manually.
So did the actuator cause the mechanism to be stuck, or was it just coincidence ? Can anyone make sense of this ?

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi David,

I have no direct knowledge of the door mech per say, but with battling door mechs on my Holdens, Toyotas and Fords over the years, I would suggest that you are possibly looking at either a linkage that has somehow stretched or a return spring that may have failed.
The reason for that is many door latches have interlocks that inhibit one function from working if another function has not fully reached its destination.
If the mech thinks the lock or unlock has not reach it locked or unlocked state fully, then the door handles may not operate properly.
Same for the unlock or locking ....if the mech thinks the door handle is not in a final rest position.

Sometimes you might find a linkage rod has become misshapen due to force, or an end connector or eyelet has been damaged, putting the door lock mech into a intermediate state of rest.
This could be a rod from the inner door handle, inner lock release, central locking actuator or external door handle.

Alternatively, you can sometimes get a failed return spring inside the mechanism that 'lets go' which leaves a crucial swinging lever without the necessary return tension. Toyotas were bad for this in the early to mid nineties.

Either way, I think you are going to be taking the door lining off and starting with an inspection of rods and their plastic end pieces (for broken eyelets or stripped threads).
Possibly you might start disconnecting rods one at a time (central lock, inner door handle, inner door lock) to see what removes tension and hopefully allows the external door lock to manually operate again and take it from there.
If none free up the mechanism to begin working normally, you are probably removing the mech to take a close look at internal springs and any foreign material that might have somehow entered and bound up the mech from moving normally.

Sorry for the pretty generic suggestions, but a door lock mech is pretty universal from maker to maker.

 

Thanks for your reply. I came to realise the faulty actuator was not causing the locking mechanism to jam. I managed to solve the problem (for now) by turning the key towards the unlock position and simultaneously pulling the door release handle and letting it snap back. I tried this earlier without success. The solution was to do this over and over and over until eventually the mechanism returned to normal.

 

Fix it before it fails =

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...en-all-197561/

 

Examine all options for opening the car door, including keys, handles, remote controls, and inside locks.
If none of the above methods fail to open the door, consider removing parts of the internal door panel. Locate and remove the set screws on the door panel.
Find a method for partial disassembly if you can't open the door wide enough to reach in and inspect the lock assembly.
Manipulate the door lock assembly and your internal automobile door lock at the same time once you have access to them.
Look for a temporary way to open the door and move the lock.

 

It's likely that there is a problem with one, a few, or maybe all of the internal and external connections to this door latch if you discover the car door latch stuck in the locked position.
Your door will lock if one of the following components has a bad connection to the door latch: the lock cylinder, the handle, or the internal lock switch/post. Although it might appear that there is a problem with your automobile key, this is only a guess.

 

Uh…..no mention here yet of what very often cures X-Type locking/unlocking issues: simple lubrication without dismantling.
i have used, always with success, a lubricant/rust inhibitor called RustCheck, but other spray lubricants will work (note that WD40 is not a lubricant). Spray the latch of the side of the door, spray the latch handle mechanism from the outside on the door. Manually work the latch mechanism.
In my experience this has cured every latch issue.

Occam’s Razor theory simplified: the simplest answer is often the right one. Of course…not always.