Good evening every one.aspire_helen wrote: 21 Jun 2023, 23:51 The usual fault is that the door cannot be opened from the inside and outside, and can be very intermittent. There are 2 small 12v electric motors and 2 microswitches in each lock. The motors can jam, and there is a very, very small chance it may be released by banging the door at just the right time. I had one where one of the microswitches failed.
I have used two methods to open the door, WITHOUT damaging the door.
1. Go through the rear wheel arch and remove a window of metal skin to access the anchor nuts securing the striker plate screws. Very carefully drill away the anchor nuts and bolt shafts until the heads are released. The door will then open with the striker plate stuck in the lock jaws. The lock can then be removed as normal. Fit a second hand lock and recover the striker plate which can be re-attached with nuts and bolts.
2. Having dismantled several locks I devised a fool-proof method of opening the jaws of the lock using only a soldering iron and instrument screwdriver. PM me for a detailed illustrated guide. In brief, remove the door card (yes it can be removed with the door closed), access the door lock body, using the soldering iron melt a small hole in a very specific place in the plastic casing, insert the instrument screwdriver in a specific way and release the internal over-lock mechanism with a satisfying click. I have so modified both my rear locks.
aspire_helen, your method for opening a door locked shut is interesting, especially the second one using the soldering iron.
My rear passenger door (right side, the one we rarely open) does not open, neither from the inside nor from the outside.
When i use my physical key (remote control does not work) to unlock the four doors, i don’t hear any sound of unlocking from this rear right side door.
So i decided to remove the door card in order to access to the door lock body. I used a small saw to remove a part of the black plastic covering the decentralization motor. Now i can command manually the decentralization on this door. I mean, i suppose, because it produces the noise of the decentralization when i touch the mechanism behind what it remains of the black plastic. Nothing in sight, just touching.
But the door still does not open. I also checked the safety children lock from this sight => not guilty.
All the linkage between the 2 handles and the door lock body move perfectly.
So, at this point, considering the little surgery i just did, i want to go further and try your method.
Could you send me more details about the method using the soldering iron ? I can not send PM because i just registered on the forum.
This door locked shut is the last issue to solve before to (legally) turn on the V6.
Thank you for reading me