My driver's door lock mechanism froze up the other day. The lock turns part way but won't disengage.
Key from the outside, manual lever, and power lock all have the same result. Turning the key or moving the manual lever inside both only have about half the range of movement they should and feel kinda springy at both extremes, like something in the mechanism is stuck but flexing or bending. Because the door is closed, I can't get a good look at the lock mechanism. I've got the interior door panel off as far as I can, and the rods for the latch and lock both look undamaged from where they attach to the inner handle until where they dive inside the door and connect to the mechanism.

Is there a way to manually disengage the lock so I can at least get the door open and get a proper look at the locking mechanism? I'm a bit wary of breaking it even more if I go fishing around blindly inside the door.

Thanks.

 

If you are getting at the rods inside, you are getting to what you need to manually disengage the lock.

Is the truck outside in the cold? Have you tried any penetrating oil on the lock mechanism from inside the door?

 

No luck yet. It feels like it's unlocked judging from the range of motion in the key and the rod. Operating the handles still feels the same as if it's locked though. Is there any way to check if the latch is stuck from the inside with the door shut? My main problem is I can't get the interior door panel any further off, so I'm having to bend it as far back as it'll go without breaking, stick my arm back behind it, and blindly feel around for whatever I can reach. I can't even reach far enough in to get at the ends of the two rods.

 

I managed to get the door open last night. Think I broke the door ajar switch when I finally managed to pull the interior door panel off, but that's another problem.

It is some component of the lock that seems to be broken, not the latch. There is a white plastic connector that cracked from fatigue. If I pop it back together the lock rod will disengage the lock, but then the plastic connector pops apart again. Any ideas what this part is so I can pick up a replacement?

 

just take your plastic piece off and hit the "help" aisle at autozone or advance either one should have yours (take your old one to compare) i've gotten mislabeled items from those help aisles far too often to do it any other way.