Door lock opens when door handle pushed (doesn't stay locked) Advice on fix

[XH29N0G]

The lock on my driver's side door does not stay locked.  The button does not seem to want to go all the way down and when I press on the door handle the button rises, unlocking the door.

I am assuming this will be pretty straightforward to fix, but thought I would ask whether there was any advice on how to proceed before I start pulling things apart.  (what to be careful about, etc...).  I have an FSM.  It is a 70.

Thanks in advance for any help.

(turns out it was pretty easy fix - allen screw circled in image below)

[JB400]

You can't lock the door before the door is closed.  You have to use a key.  It's a built in safety feature to keep you from locking the keys in the car.

[XH29N0G]

Same thing happens if I unroll the window, close the door, and then try to lock it.  (pls don't ask me why I would lock it with the window down  ) The same thing also happens when I try with the key and the door is closed.  I just need to pus on the outside doorhandle button and up pops the lock.

It is like it is getting partly to the locked position, but not locking completely.   Probably am/have done something thick headed, but it seems to me it shouldn't do this.

[Back N Black]

Sounds like linkage adjustment.

[Dino]

Open up the door and remove the linkage, clean it up, reassemble and fine tune, apply grease, close up door, have a functioning lock.   

[myk]

Lol, that's what I always do!  Here's to locking your doors even when the windows are all the way down!   

[UFO]

Is the lock knob screwed down too far?

[XH29N0G]

Thank you all.  (it was screwed down too far, but not any more.  It still doesn't lock.)

I will open up the door to look inside.  Is that pretty straightforward? 

[b5blue]

I know what your saying, I recently replaced my handles with new Trim Parts ones and the passengers side did this. The lever that opens the door by pressing on the rod held just a tiny bit of pressure on it. That just barely engages the door catch assembly, it would close and catch to hold the door shut but the lock would do as you describe. I ended up replacing the new door handle lever with the original from my car to fix it. Your going to need to pull the door panel, liner and remove the handle to see if it needs cleaning and adjusting some how.  

[Dino]

Thank you all.  (it was screwed down too far, but not any more.  It still doesn't lock.)

I will open up the door to look inside.  Is that pretty straightforward? 

Very.  Remove the screws that hold armrest and base and the screw that holds the window crank.  Get a fork type tool or plastic wedge to carefully disengage the door panel clips from the frame.  The worst you can do is rip the cardboard backing but if it happens, or already has, nothing a bit of glue can't fix.  Do not grab the panel with your hands and start tugging or you will end up with a puzzle.

[XH29N0G]

Thank you all.  (it was screwed down too far, but not any more.  It still doesn't lock.)

I will open up the door to look inside.  Is that pretty straightforward? 

Very.  Remove the screws that hold armrest and base and the screw that holds the window crank.  Get a fork type tool or plastic wedge to carefully disengage the door panel clips from the frame.  The worst you can do is rip the cardboard backing but if it happens, or already has, nothing a bit of glue can't fix.  Do not grab the panel with your hands and start tugging or you will end up with a puzzle.

This is exactly what I need to know.  I have several funky door panels in other cars already and I do not want this to happen here.

[XH29N0G]

Hi Everyone,

I have some more information.  It looks like the locking part of the latch assembly is hitting the part that it is supposed to slide over. 

The two pictures below should explain. 

The top image is unlocked, the bottom image is partly locked. 

I think the tab (black/green arrow - top) is supposed to be higher and slide in and prevent the lower lever from sliding up (red arrow- bottom) when the door is locked.  Right now it is pushed back out of the way when the door is opened (inside and outside door handles).

It does not look to me like there is an easy adjustment.  Has anyone run into this issue before?

[green69rt]

First grab the rod that's shown in your picture, move the lock button up and down and you'll feel it move, you can see it in one of the cutouts in the door sheet metal.  You can see the lever it's attached to, remember how it moves.

Now, the rod that actuates the lock - disconnect it.  Turn the white plastic holder up - hard to explain but in your picture if you push up and the end close to you it will rotate up and disengage and come off the rod.  then the rod (which is bent 90 degress  on the end will slip out of the hole.  Careful with the plastic holder some of them are brittle with age. 

Now, the lever that the rod was attached to, try to move it back and forth in the same motion that the rod would move it.  If the door locks correctly then the something is wrong with the rods, if not the lock itself is screwed up and probably needs replaced, I don't think their are any adjustments on it.

I think there are other plastic holders on the lever system.  Some may be missing and have thrown the rod linkage out of wack.

[green69rt]

Maybe in the linkage between the key lock and the latch.  Here are pictures on my 69 (should be the same).  First pic is unlocked, second is locked.

[XH29N0G]

Thank you.  I tried that, and the mechanism still stops before fully locking.  It looks to me like there is only a small amount of metal on the mechanism that is stopping the top part from sliding in and across to block the lever that opens the door.  I guess the next step will be to take the full mechanism out to inspect. 

The car was completely disassembled by a shop that recently restored the outside.  My hope is that there will be an obvious thing to fix when I have the mechanisms out.

[green69rt]

Hang on there's one more thing I just noticed.  Check out this picture.  There is one adjustment that you can make.  It's on the link to the key lock.  See it the rod is in the same hole as mine.  I bet you'll have to do something about that window channel to see it.

[green69rt]

I know what your saying, I recently replaced my handles with new Trim Parts ones and the passengers side did this. The lever that opens the door by pressing on the rod held just a tiny bit of pressure on it. That just barely engages the door catch assembly, it would close and catch to hold the door shut but the lock would do as you describe. I ended up replacing the new door handle lever with the original from my car to fix it. Your going to need to pull the door panel, liner and remove the handle to see if it needs cleaning and adjusting some how.  

Keep looking at your situation again and again.  B5blue has a good idea.  and it's the last thing to do before pulling the whole thing.  just disconnect the door push button and see what happens.   Bet you're tired of working around in that thing by now, huh!!

edit:  just thought of a simple test for the thumb button.  just push the rod that goes to the thumb button ( the thick rod ) and see if it the lock fully engages.

[XH29N0G]

I will try this.  It looks to me like the problem might be solved if the lower lever rotated further down (red arrow) and allowed the lever that locks it in place (yellow) to slide across the top. 

[green69rt]

Yes, that's exactly the lever that is moved by the door thumb button.  If the spring on the button is weak and doesn't return the button to the full out position then it could cause the problem you have.  Or if you have replaced the handle then it might be made wrong.

[XH29N0G]

Hi all,

When I loosened the latch, I noticed the levers dropped into a position that would work, but when I retightened them, the raised back up to a position that would not lock.  Then I noticed the allen key screw next to the door latch.  loosening this screw lowers the lever and allows the door to lock.  Problem solved.  Now all I have to do is to put everything back together.  While it was not necessary for me to disassemble the door, I learned a lot in the process.  I appreciate all the feedback from everyone who took the time to help me trouble shoot this.  The encouragement provided incentive for me to push forward and fix it.

[green69rt]

Hi all,

When I loosened the latch, I noticed the levers dropped into a position that would work, but when I retightened them, the raised back up to a position that would not lock.  Then I noticed the allen key screw next to the door latch.  loosening this screw lowers the lever and allows the door to lock.  Problem solved.  Now all I have to do is to put everything back together.  While it was not necessary for me to disassemble the door, I learned a lot in the process.  I appreciate all the feedback from everyone who took the time to help me trouble shoot this.  The encouragement provided incentive for me to push forward and fix it.

So there is an adjustment!!!   Good thing to share.