I have a 1994 ES 300. This recently got worse over time. The door will not open when you pull the inside handle. I have to sometimes bang, and elbow the door atleast 20 times before It will finally open. Im not sure if its an electrical connection behind the panel or if its a fuse or what ever because it will eventually open the longer I sit there pulling and elbowing so I just open the window and open it from the outside. Any suggestions?

 

The handles are mechanical no electronics involved. If it was my car I'd grab a door latch with cables from a salvage yard, but before you do that remove the door panel to see what's up.

 

Word!! Preciate that, I dont think its mechanical, I think its something to do with an electrical connection because when you pull the handle and hold it (when it actually works), what ever it is that has it locked just releases and it pops open and then I'll close it and try it again and NOTHING. I'll pull the panel off and tinker around with it, I just thought someone may have had the same issue.

 

Disconnect the battery and see if you still have the problem. There is a switch in the latch that senses if the door is locked or not if that is flaky then you'll be fighting with the actuator motor.

 

And that switch is inside the actuator motor? Now that you mentioned the battery, I just had the battery replaced because it had been in the car for 5 years, battery was failing. Got it replaced and the first maybe 10 times, the door opened right up with no problem but after that, started not opening on the first 10 tries or maybe even none LOL.

 

I think so I never took one apart. Either way the central locking computer needs to know the position of the door lock if it gets an unreliable signal you're going to have issues.

 

So I took the panel off and looked at the set up. The mechanical portion does in fact link from the outside handle and to the inside handle but the outside handle is the (guaranteed) hard open but the inside is totally at the whim of the electronic part that is has a wire coming from that area at the locking mechanism. I would have to take the whole door apart to even get to it and somehow get that part out to even change it but there is a wire going to the locking mechanism so I just pushed pulled and prodded the wire because you cant see it, you have feel behind the door wall in that general area. And so i had it at one point opening every time I opened and closed it and then it started slowly going back to what it was doing but it does open after one or two hard elbows instead of 10 lol

 

You are saying there is no physical connection between the inside handle and the latch? I find this hard to believe this would mean if the car was in an accident and the car lost power you would not be able to open the door. Going by this diagram it looks like metal rods connect the handle to the latch.
http://www.japan-parts.eu/lexus/us/1...or-lock-handle

I replaced the glass on a 2nd gen ES it was pain there is not much room in there to do anything.

 

oh no no no I didnt mean there was no physical connection, there IS a physical connection from the inside handle to the door latch but its not the same connection as the outside handle. The outside handle will open the door even if theres no power period. if theres no power at all (in which I did not check) the door may not open since its having a problem opening (with) power. Its absolutely something to do with that box that both the physical connections from the inside handle and outside handle goes to.

 

Brother, I want to extend the deepest apology in regards to saying that the door problem wasnt mechanical!!! When you see these pics youre going to laugh at me because of the simpleness of the problem aaaannndd because I tore my whole dam door apart. I broke every last appendeture that latches anything to the inside door panel!!!! the gas tank and trunk opener piece is broken, the master window switch all three places where the screws go are broken, oh aaaanndd the whole dammed piece that it screws to was broke in half!! Bro I made the whole door panel inoperative BBBBUUUUUTTTTT, my door opens and closes EVERYTIME without a hitch LOL. Again bro, sorry bout that confusion on MY part and thanks for your wisdom and help!!!

As you can see in this pic BOTH the linkages are in line going straight across and in place.

NOW scroll to the next pic!!!!!




AS YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOW!!!!!! the **** wasnt latched into the plastic piece!!!! Im such a dumbass!!!!!