drivers side lock pushed inside

[Subie59]

Just as it says, my drivers side lock (the entire steel piece) got pushed inside today when I went to unlock the door. I imagine a clip that holds it in place fell off but I have never had the door skin off so I really don't know. Can anyone who has seen the mechanism from the inside offer any insight into the repair.... Is it a big deal... Is it difficult to get the door skin off?

[Hocrest]

I have one out of a car, I tried to get a picture, but my camera isn't working

There is a wire clip that goes around the sleeve that the lock cylinder fits into. There is a groove in the cylinder, that this clip slides through and into a notch in the lock cylinder.

If the wire clip is missing or broke, you could probably use a thin wire wrapped around the sleeve to hold it in place.

[svxcess]

Removing the door panel is easy. There are 5 screws.

Open the door and take out the 2 screws on the front edge of the door panel, near the door hinge.

There is another screw located under the door handle, hidden behind the plastic plate which justs pops out with a small-bladed screwdriver (preferably magnetic)

There are also 2 more screws hidden under the felt mat inside the door armrest. Just peel it away to expose the screws, These are the most important ones as they hold the entire armrest to the door frame. You cannot remove the panel with these screws in place.

Once all screws are removed, just pop the clips around the bottom of the door panel my pulling gently. Once free, lift the entire panel up slightly and pull away from the door frame to see the wiring. There are 2 electrical connectors that must be disconnected; one is for the switch cluster and one is for the door courtesy light.

Replacement is the reverse order. The only possible minor hassle is lining up the door lock button to slide into the door panel opening, but usually it is not a problem.

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[Subie59]

Thanks guys. Sounds like a pain in the butt to me but at least I know what I am up against. Anyone else had the door lock pop out like this? Or is this a first.

[svxcess]

It sounds a lot harder than it really is. Five minutes.

Members do it all the time (replacing window switches, regulators, door speakers). Actually not too much you can screw up. Hardest part is locating all the screws.

I have never heard of anyone having this problem. I can't see it slipping off, so it must have broken. I'm sure there are members with parts cars who could send you a door lock clip if you asked.
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[It's Just Eric]

Dont let the innards of a door scare ya....By the time someone posts super detailed information, you could's had the thing fixed, and laughing at mistakes in the posts that were trying to help

You'll need a phillips head screw driver, and a flat head screw driver (For the plastic door handle cover)

[Subie59]

I just went out and took another look at it and it does not look too bad to get off. My problem is when I start to do something like this I usually end up screwing up more things. But I think my speaker is also broken so it's probably a good idea to go in there and check out the situation.... While I'm in there, how about changing the speaker... is that a big deal and what size speaker should I be looking for as a replacement? Thanks

[YourConfused]

a shallow 6.75" spkr should be a easy fit. I used 6.5" with a spacer to keep the big magnet from hitting the window when it was rolled down. detailed info can be found in how to's

[subarufamily]

i used a 6.75 speaker and drilled out the original speaker mount ( they are tack welded / metal rivited in) and used it with speaker baffles they now sound awesome if ???s pm me i have replaced the rear and front speakers also head unit with DDin unit

[svxcess]

6.5" is the stock size and is the easiest to get and more kinds to choose from.

Once you get the door panel off, look at how the stock speaker is mounted.

When you take off the door panel and unscrew the speaker, you will find that it is actually spot-welded onto what looks like an upside-down pie tin. Drill out those welds with a small drill bit to seperate the speaker and the mount and then re-drill holes however you need them into the factory mount. In many cases, the holes you drilled will line up with your new speakers.

I used a thin strip of 1/2" self-stick foam weatherstrip around the outside edge of the speaker where it mounts to the bracket and put my screws through it. This compresses as you tighten the speaker and prevents any unwanted rattling due to any metal-to-metal contact between the speaker frame and the mounting bracket.

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