Member Since: 27 Nov 2012
Location: near Heidelberg
Posts: 15
Thanks for the Information in english and german
26th Feb 2018 3:35 pm
miniman8
Member Since: 22 May 2017
Location: Wantage
Posts: 97
Door latch repair
Hi everyone, completed this morning a repair of my nearside rear door latch using this great guide.
My door would not open at all with the buttons on the key, the only way I could get it open was to pull out the lock tab inside the car & press the open on key, this would release the lock, it would lock ok but the tab only moved very slightly when unlocking, sure sign of gummed up motor.
As it was the rear I thought I could possibly get away with not releasing the glass from the regulator, shows you how wrong you can be, after about 30 minutes trying to manoeuvre it out decided it was not going to come out so uncliiped the glass from the regulator & heypresto out in 2 minutes.
The exterior door release handle cable is impossible (in my opinion unless you are some sort of contortionist ) to release so I followed the advice to remove the door handle, found a video on YouTube that explained how to get the actual handle out without breaking it. Once the exterior part of the handle is removed I took the latch with the inside part of the door handle still attached out, once I had this out I could see the cable & looking I decided that it was easier to remove the cable from the handle rather than the latch, at the handle end it is just a lead end with a stepped plastic sleeve which clips into the handle frame, you could leave this attached when stripping down to get at motors, it’s up to you, it’s a tad more fiddly to put this assembly back in the door but at least you can see what you are doing with the cables with it on bench.
I stripped latch to get at motors which is straight forward enough using the excellent guide, then opened up the motor & OMG I’ve never seen so much crud inside a motor (pictures below) it’s not really surprising that the lock wasn’t working, so out came the cotton buds & the white spirit & as much as I could get out got cleaned off, put the motor back together not forgetting the little plastic washer.
By this time it was 7.30 at night & pitch black so decided to wait till this morning to rebuild the door, first thing to put in was the latch with the inner part of the door handle, a bit fiddly with the regulator still in door so fed handle first followed by the latch, offered latch up to door & loosely fixed with one screw while I fitted the inner handle mounting, that done, it was just a matter of bolting everything back in place & connecting all the wiring & attaching the door card, this whole process of rebuild took me about 1 hour & I now have a fully function door latch again. Next jobs to do are the 2 front doors which are also knackered, guessing it is the same issue of the motors, I did the rear as a trial run for the front ones, hopefully I should be able to get them stripped down much quicker.
Once again thanks for a great guide with great photographs.
Just to emphasis I took the exterior handle off as suggested in one of the posts & although it is more work the issue with the cables is completely removed so I guess you can save time & skinned knuckles & arms by doing this.
Best of luck to everyone about to undertake this repair, by the time I have finished all 3 I reckon to have saved myself at least £300 in parts & I dread to think how much labour charge.
Tom
23rd Sep 2018 3:25 pm
miniman8
Member Since: 22 May 2017
Location: Wantage
Posts: 97
Motors
Hi Carsten,
Thanks for the link to the supplier of Johnson motors in Germany, have ordered 5 (that will give me at least 1 spare). I got them for 0.45€, postage is €10 so not cheap but to have the same motors that were originally fitted for me is great. They should be here in a few days after the payment is processed, will let you know when they arrive.
Tom
25th Sep 2018 6:39 pm
miniman8
Member Since: 22 May 2017
Location: Wantage
Posts: 97
Lock motors
Hi everyone, the law of sod has kicked in the motors I ordered from Germany arrived today, the shaft is the correct length but the motor is nowhere near big enough, that’s what happens when you look at a German website with very little understanding of the language, well it was only £11 total so not much to write off. They did have the correct motors but they are now no longer available.
I have been looking at other post in this thread but as they are all several years old the links to e-bay items are closed & the seller is not listing them again, I have tried to look for Mabuchi motors but there are dozens but none seem to be the right size or have the correct connectors, does anyone know where I can get these motors please. I will repair existing if I have no choice but if possible I would like to replace them with new.
Hope someone can help!
Tom
2nd Oct 2018 5:35 pm
DiscoJeffster
Member Since: 27 Feb 2016
Location: Perth
Posts: 204
I bought some of the eBay motors. The fix lasted maybe 6 month before it was faulty again. The motors seemed to lose torque and began not locking. In the end I bought a third party/non-genuine lock mechanism and fitted that.
2nd Oct 2018 10:37 pm
miniman8
Member Since: 22 May 2017
Location: Wantage
Posts: 97
Door handle removal to aid door latch removal
MW wrote:
Stripped down a D4 door twice now to fix the motors. The door motor bible was excellent as ever on this site.
However, the 2nd time I took off the door handle as my sanity may have wavered trying to fiddle the cable back in again. I found taking the door handle off a far better solution and also made sure the fiddly cable was back in place correctly.
To take the door handle off. Remove the plastic bit to the side of the main handle, be very careful as the tabs are brittle. Top and bottom tab first and then ease out from the nearest part to the handle. Pulling out square will snap off the tab furthest away from the handle.
Remove the screw. Then remove the screw on the inside, access is gained from inside the door via the grommet hole for the door lock cable.
Now the plastic bit is removed the door handle will pull out and ease to torwards where the last plastic
cap was. It will then come fully out and open right out. There is a cable on the far end on the keyless go
so be careful.
Once this has come away ease the small plastic plug shown on the picture below. This then allows the internal assembly to slide and come away.
Undo the three Torx bolts for the main latch bit with all the motors and it all comes away.
It will all then come out.
Reverse to fit.
Just be gentle as ever with the plastic bits being external they seem even more brittle than internal bits even though hidden from the UV.
Hope this helps someone with massive hands !!
(cant figure out to attach pics to post so please look in my gallery for a couple of pics I took)
This is an explanation of how to remove the external door handle to ease the removal of the latch, I used this method when I did mine recently & it certainly made the issue with cables & lack of space if the handle is left in place not be an issue, you can if you want leave the handle on the latch ( by the cable)while you repair the motor or remove the cable from the handle which makes it much easier as it the simpler connection.
Hope this helps.
Tom
9th Nov 2018 10:15 pm
sheddist
Member Since: 28 Jan 2019
Location: Telford
Posts: 12
This type of motor is used on many different vehicles, and suffers from the same problem. Grease migrates into the brushes and dissolves them, sometimes shorting out. Same motor used on a somewhat oily variable intake actuator has the same issue, but only after many years of use. If commutator is OK, it is just a case of fitting a new brushbox moulding from any Johnson motor of this size. Much easier than trying to remove the worm. When re-assembling, don't use any type of spray grease or lubricant as the brush rot will start all over again. Best to use a little light grease smeared on the worm.
28th Jan 2019 3:54 pm
ostosix
Member Since: 19 Mar 2017
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 324
Hi folks,
Would this fix work in my case?
Door will open with external handle after being unlocked on key fob or internal unlock button. After being opened once you need to re unlock on either button for door to open again even though door wasn't locked.
Many thanks
20th Mar 2023 1:40 pm
riverblanche
Member Since: 31 Aug 2010
Location: retford'ish
Posts: 2227
Hi,
bit of thread resurrection going on you must have been doing a bit of searching & reading up
suggests maybe play in the actuator mechanism rather than the little motor ?
LRS is just trying a couple of fleabay actuators
https://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/door-actuat...03987.html
might be worth trying one of those as easier than stripping yours apart to change the little motor,
you could always do that in your own time frame on the actuator you take out later for a spare.
Disco Mikey says remove the outer handle is the easy way, I have looked on utube and can still not work out how you do that, sure I will break something
but as soon as someone shows me it will be simple
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8227
It is easy-ish if you know how, once you have got the door card off and all the other bits the small cover on the outside handle is held in position with two plastic clips that snap off, these clips need releasing from the inside with a long thin flat blade screw driver or they will break the covers will then just fall off, the door handle is held in position with one Philips screw access through a small hole in the door from the inside, once removed with the nylon retaining washer the door handle will come off with a sharp forward tug, not outward.It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
20th Mar 2023 7:46 pm
ostosix
Member Since: 19 Mar 2017
Location: Lincoln
Posts: 324
Ha ha yes i’ve lived with the fault for sometime after replacing the inner door handle to no avail as it used to make an odd movement when central locking moved.
Now the other side has gone too and its a pain getting the kids in and out.
20th Mar 2023 9:02 pm
ballast
Member Since: 13 Apr 2007
Location: South Midlands
Posts: 185
Great vids showing exactly how to do this on Powerful UK
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you must have been doing a bit of searching & reading up 
