Door Lock Acutuators DIY ???
07-15-10, 11:38 PM
#512
great DIY! my driver side just broke today. FML. i'll be doing this once i get some motors... they've sure gone up in price once this thread hit! hahaha. Anyone else try their local hobby shops to see how much they are? I am sure they carry them. I'll be attempting mine on a 2004 rx330 so i'll update post with pics for that car when done.
I guess this is why mercedes use vacuum for door locks... lol
I guess this is why mercedes use vacuum for door locks... lol
Last edited by action; 07-16-10 at 12:29 AM.
07-17-10, 10:12 AM
#513
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Fellas, need your opinions please!
on my GS300, the 2 front doors & the right rear one that doesnt lock/unlock electronicly unless manually done by hand. I bought the actuators online but i have a concern. I realise that..there is no noise at all coming from all 3 doors. no grinding, clicking etc... Also, the driver seat memory doesnt work either.
Now, im asking could it be an electrical issue that cause the doors locks to not work or is it the actuator? Please help!
on my GS300, the 2 front doors & the right rear one that doesnt lock/unlock electronicly unless manually done by hand. I bought the actuators online but i have a concern. I realise that..there is no noise at all coming from all 3 doors. no grinding, clicking etc... Also, the driver seat memory doesnt work either.
Now, im asking could it be an electrical issue that cause the doors locks to not work or is it the actuator? Please help!
07-19-10, 08:43 AM
#515
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Fellas, need your opinions please!
on my GS300, the 2 front doors & the right rear one that doesnt lock/unlock electronicly unless manually done by hand. I bought the actuators online but i have a concern. I realise that..there is no noise at all coming from all 3 doors. no grinding, clicking etc... Also, the driver seat memory doesnt work either.
Now, im asking could it be an electrical issue that cause the doors locks to not work or is it the actuator? Please help!
on my GS300, the 2 front doors & the right rear one that doesnt lock/unlock electronicly unless manually done by hand. I bought the actuators online but i have a concern. I realise that..there is no noise at all coming from all 3 doors. no grinding, clicking etc... Also, the driver seat memory doesnt work either.
Now, im asking could it be an electrical issue that cause the doors locks to not work or is it the actuator? Please help!
any suggestions?
07-20-10, 09:01 PM
#516
I did my rear driver's side door today and it was indeed the problem for me. It works now.
Here are some symptoms to help those of you that may be interested.
1) the PDL switch won't work. You press it and nothing happens.
2) Your keyless entry remote also won't work.
3) Somestimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't work depending on how hot it is outside
Anyways, those were my symptoms and now one of the doors work. Took about 3 hours to do 1 door because i found the following to be time consuming.
1) I had to drive to Home Depot to pick up a T27 and T30 driver bits for the actuator. Make sure u get both sizes because the ones on the side and inside the door panel are different.
2) For the rear door, you don't have to take the door handle off, but it's a ***** to jiggle that thing in and out.
3) Splitting the motor housing took the longest. Some people said they did it with razor blades, but i don't see how. That thing is really glued on together tight. I ended up going back to home depot to buy a small circular saw blade, about 2" in diameter - and used my drill to splice it open.
--- It works.. now i gotta do the other 3 doors .. ugh.
Here are some symptoms to help those of you that may be interested.
1) the PDL switch won't work. You press it and nothing happens.
2) Your keyless entry remote also won't work.
3) Somestimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't work depending on how hot it is outside
Anyways, those were my symptoms and now one of the doors work. Took about 3 hours to do 1 door because i found the following to be time consuming.
1) I had to drive to Home Depot to pick up a T27 and T30 driver bits for the actuator. Make sure u get both sizes because the ones on the side and inside the door panel are different.
2) For the rear door, you don't have to take the door handle off, but it's a ***** to jiggle that thing in and out.
3) Splitting the motor housing took the longest. Some people said they did it with razor blades, but i don't see how. That thing is really glued on together tight. I ended up going back to home depot to buy a small circular saw blade, about 2" in diameter - and used my drill to splice it open.
--- It works.. now i gotta do the other 3 doors .. ugh.
07-26-10, 05:45 AM
#517
1) I had to drive to Home Depot to pick up a T27 and T30 driver bits for the actuator. Make sure u get both sizes because the ones on the side and inside the door panel are different.
3) Splitting the motor housing took the longest. Some people said they did it with razor blades, but i don't see how. That thing is really glued on together tight. I ended up going back to home depot to buy a small circular saw blade, about 2" in diameter - and used my drill to splice it open.
3) Splitting the motor housing took the longest. Some people said they did it with razor blades, but i don't see how. That thing is really glued on together tight. I ended up going back to home depot to buy a small circular saw blade, about 2" in diameter - and used my drill to splice it open.
3) mine was glued in tight... i did it with a razor blade first find the seam and tap the razor blade to cut thru the glue... and work your way around the whole housing... after you are done, take a small flathead screwdriver and tap it into the corner... once you have it wedged in there, take another small flathead screwdriver or the razor blade and continue to further crack along the seam...
i was surprised how everything came apart... it was really easy to get the door actuator out... prob 15 mins tops with my first time doing it... but it is always the smaller little things that take the longest...
07-26-10, 10:06 AM
#518
you guys must be pros with the rear door.. i just remove the door handle cuz i couldnt wiggle it out :/
i should buy 4 motors just in case and have it on standby.
edit: or maybe just the brushes... anyone know where we can source our the brushes?? when i played with xmods they used a different type of motor but same size.. just the connections are different :/
http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/A...et__11059.aspx
http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/A...et__11058.aspx
hmm those look like the same type of brushes...
i should buy 4 motors just in case and have it on standby.
edit: or maybe just the brushes... anyone know where we can source our the brushes?? when i played with xmods they used a different type of motor but same size.. just the connections are different :/
http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/A...et__11059.aspx
http://www.atomicmods.com/Products/A...et__11058.aspx
hmm those look like the same type of brushes...
Last edited by vwynn; 07-26-10 at 10:19 AM.
07-27-10, 11:47 PM
#519
I just happened to have generic aftermarket pushrod actuators in my garage so I took it apart to see if the motors were the same.
Sure enough the motor was exactly the same mounting and dimension as well as the connection. Only difference was that it was made by Johnson rather than Mabuchi. So I retrofitted the gears by shaving the shaft a bit to match the detent, and now the Lexus OEM actuator is working fine.
The push rod actuator was sourced from Best Buy's car audio installation department at $23 each, 2 years ago... This is the item number for the same thing.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Directed...k%20&cp=1&lp=2
I guess its cheaper to order online but if you have to do it right away, this is another solution.
Sure enough the motor was exactly the same mounting and dimension as well as the connection. Only difference was that it was made by Johnson rather than Mabuchi. So I retrofitted the gears by shaving the shaft a bit to match the detent, and now the Lexus OEM actuator is working fine.
The push rod actuator was sourced from Best Buy's car audio installation department at $23 each, 2 years ago... This is the item number for the same thing.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Directed...k%20&cp=1&lp=2
I guess its cheaper to order online but if you have to do it right away, this is another solution.
08-13-10, 04:46 PM
#520
hi guys, after a month of loosing the front power door lock on my 2004 RX330, i decided to take it apart and deal with it. With the wonderful help of this thread, i proceeded and hoped for the same internals as the gs. Unfortunately, it isnt. But luckily it was a similiar motor and basic principles. I did screw up majorly however, after taking apart the actuator, it is completely different than the ones on the gs and 1st gen RX. On the 2nd gen rx, the actuator and latch is all within an enclosed unit. I had to take it apart and pull the motor out from inside. However when i put it back together, i forgot the screw back on the 2 screws i took off, 1 being the very important one that held the latch to the rest of the actuator! It was still held on by the case but it wasnt secured. After installing everything back, and trying the door a few times, the actuator finally popped loose from the latch on the 10th or so closing of my drivers door.... this caused neither of the door handles to work and i was unable to open my door..... after a few days of frustration and messing around, it was concluded that the only way to get my door open now was to either 1, tear open my door panel from the inside and gain access from within or 2, cut open my door skin, fix the latch and pretty much get a new door + repaint + blend fender + rear door. New door panel = $960 from dealer, and new door skin + paint + blend = $1000+
In the very end, someone above must of been really looking after me and decided to give me a break and send my body man friend over. I told him the situation and after spending an hour looking at it, both of us still decided the only way is to rip open either side. However at the last moment he thought just to try something for ****s and giggles. I lowered the window and stuck a badminton racket down the crevice and started to hammer and push at the loose actuator towards the latch, hoping it would catch and be able to engage it again. after about 5 mins of hammering and finding the correct angle, the door popped open! I was so relieved and felt like i had wings because it saved me a crap load of money for some stupid mistake. I couldnt believe it and carefully made sure the door didnt close, took off the panel right away and actuator out and screwed in that bolt. Now the door and lock works perfectly as new and i've got a reservation booked to treat my buddy and his wife to a nice dinner
here's some pix to the 2nd gen RX's actuator for those attempting the fix:
take off the door panel via phlfly's (clublexus) instructions:
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=1...thkey=CMDIxccM
once off, the inside looks like this, it's a bit different than the rx300 where the handle/lock mechanism is on the metal door and not pane. the actuator is located on the left side of the image behind that piece of metal. It is also different than the ones in the rx300 and gs models:
lock1.jpg?t=1281741101
actuator, this unit is 1 confined piece with the locking and power door actuator motor in 1 piece. It doesnt look like there is a way to retrofit a piggy back actuator. We're stuck with the crappy rc motors =( The actuator is held on by 3 bolts where the latch is on the edge of the door, remove those, then unscrew the bottom bolt of the left window rail so the actuator and be pulled out. Also remove the plug on the top.
lock2.jpg?t=1281741445
the back, the colored circles correspond to the ones in the picture of inside the door. The red is the key control and blue is the handle mechanism. The green arrow points to the very important screw that i forgot to screw back causing the latch to disconnect from the rest of the actuator and causing me to be unable to open my door.
lock3.jpg?t=1281741465
inside of the door. the left is the side towards the inside of the car and the right is the door skin.
lock4.jpg?t=1281741466
the actuator taken apart. to do this, you need to remove a clamp piece at 1 end (pulls off) 2 screws, the large one holding the latch to the actuator (dont forget to put back in!) and another small one holding the body of the actuator together. Then carefully pop all the tabs and pull the thing apart. Insides look like this:
lock6.jpg?t=1281741658
lock5.jpg?t=1281741658
lock7.jpg?t=1281741660
notice the RC motor. The shaft is a bit different than the ones in the gs. It's slotted and not tappered so the screw thing slides off easily and dont need to be hammered/pulled out. I didnt replace my motor as i didnt have 1 ordered, i was planning on taking it apart to pull the motor out and see if i can source one from a local RC shop. Since i had it apart, i decided i might as well pull the motor apart too and see if i can fix it. I popped the peened tabs on the RC motor holding the plastic white cap and pulled that off and took apart the internals. I then sanded the brushes and the copper conductor shaft inside the motor. It had this black residue on the conductor shaft from the years of spinning against the brush. Once i sanded off the residue, i put it back together and into the casing again. Clamped the 2 shells together + screw back the screws (which i forgot the first time) and put it back in the car. Now it works like a charm! hope this helps anyone with a 2nd gen RX with lock problem.
It took me a total of 20 mins to remove door panel and take out the actuator the first time. 1.5 hours from start to finish first time. The next one im sure i can do everything in under 30 mins.
In the very end, someone above must of been really looking after me and decided to give me a break and send my body man friend over. I told him the situation and after spending an hour looking at it, both of us still decided the only way is to rip open either side. However at the last moment he thought just to try something for ****s and giggles. I lowered the window and stuck a badminton racket down the crevice and started to hammer and push at the loose actuator towards the latch, hoping it would catch and be able to engage it again. after about 5 mins of hammering and finding the correct angle, the door popped open! I was so relieved and felt like i had wings because it saved me a crap load of money for some stupid mistake. I couldnt believe it and carefully made sure the door didnt close, took off the panel right away and actuator out and screwed in that bolt. Now the door and lock works perfectly as new and i've got a reservation booked to treat my buddy and his wife to a nice dinner
here's some pix to the 2nd gen RX's actuator for those attempting the fix:
take off the door panel via phlfly's (clublexus) instructions:
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=1...thkey=CMDIxccM
once off, the inside looks like this, it's a bit different than the rx300 where the handle/lock mechanism is on the metal door and not pane. the actuator is located on the left side of the image behind that piece of metal. It is also different than the ones in the rx300 and gs models:
lock1.jpg?t=1281741101
actuator, this unit is 1 confined piece with the locking and power door actuator motor in 1 piece. It doesnt look like there is a way to retrofit a piggy back actuator. We're stuck with the crappy rc motors =( The actuator is held on by 3 bolts where the latch is on the edge of the door, remove those, then unscrew the bottom bolt of the left window rail so the actuator and be pulled out. Also remove the plug on the top.
lock2.jpg?t=1281741445
the back, the colored circles correspond to the ones in the picture of inside the door. The red is the key control and blue is the handle mechanism. The green arrow points to the very important screw that i forgot to screw back causing the latch to disconnect from the rest of the actuator and causing me to be unable to open my door.
lock3.jpg?t=1281741465
inside of the door. the left is the side towards the inside of the car and the right is the door skin.
lock4.jpg?t=1281741466
the actuator taken apart. to do this, you need to remove a clamp piece at 1 end (pulls off) 2 screws, the large one holding the latch to the actuator (dont forget to put back in!) and another small one holding the body of the actuator together. Then carefully pop all the tabs and pull the thing apart. Insides look like this:
lock6.jpg?t=1281741658
lock5.jpg?t=1281741658
lock7.jpg?t=1281741660
notice the RC motor. The shaft is a bit different than the ones in the gs. It's slotted and not tappered so the screw thing slides off easily and dont need to be hammered/pulled out. I didnt replace my motor as i didnt have 1 ordered, i was planning on taking it apart to pull the motor out and see if i can source one from a local RC shop. Since i had it apart, i decided i might as well pull the motor apart too and see if i can fix it. I popped the peened tabs on the RC motor holding the plastic white cap and pulled that off and took apart the internals. I then sanded the brushes and the copper conductor shaft inside the motor. It had this black residue on the conductor shaft from the years of spinning against the brush. Once i sanded off the residue, i put it back together and into the casing again. Clamped the 2 shells together + screw back the screws (which i forgot the first time) and put it back in the car. Now it works like a charm! hope this helps anyone with a 2nd gen RX with lock problem.
It took me a total of 20 mins to remove door panel and take out the actuator the first time. 1.5 hours from start to finish first time. The next one im sure i can do everything in under 30 mins.
08-20-10, 10:49 AM
#521
I'm baaack! Well, after my post 2 years ago on this thread, the passenger side actuator now needs replacement. Back then, the motor replacement info was just coming in so I paid the 2 bills for whole new actuator assembly on the driver's side. Going to tackle this soon, as I'm awaiting the motor and gear puller to show up.
Thanks to sakataj for linking those videos..this should be a snap this round. Hopefully I can beat my original labor time of 4 hours (ugghh) on the driver's side. CL rocks!
Thanks to sakataj for linking those videos..this should be a snap this round. Hopefully I can beat my original labor time of 4 hours (ugghh) on the driver's side. CL rocks!
08-20-10, 11:06 AM
#522
I'm baaack! Well, after my post 2 years ago on this thread, the passenger side actuator now needs replacement. Back then, the motor replacement info was just coming in so I paid the 2 bills for whole new actuator assembly on the driver's side. Going to tackle this soon, as I'm awaiting the motor and gear puller to show up.
Thanks to sakataj for linking those videos..this should be a snap this round. Hopefully I can beat my original labor time of 4 hours (ugghh) on the driver's side. CL rocks!
Thanks to sakataj for linking those videos..this should be a snap this round. Hopefully I can beat my original labor time of 4 hours (ugghh) on the driver's side. CL rocks!
funny chris was doing mine the other day and had it all out.....only to find out i had ordered a passenger side one
08-24-10, 06:41 AM
#523
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Mabuchi FC280PC-22125
i bought mine from this seller:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/rdlawren...1&_from=&_ipg=
i bought mine from this seller:
http://motors.shop.ebay.com/rdlawren...1&_from=&_ipg=
08-24-10, 06:46 AM
#524
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and also why do some need gear puller and motor too. how do i know if i need gear puller or just motor?