Member Since: 18 Apr 2022
Location: Oxford
Posts: 43
Passenger door actuator failed - checking best approaches
Hi gents - as per the title my passenger door lock actuator has completely given up, unhelpfully in the locked position. On the bright side the car sailed through its MOT a couple of weeks ago, so I have roughly 11 months or until the other half gets bored of climbing across the driver's seat to fix it, whichever comes first
I'm familiar with the process of taking door cards off and changing the actuators, but with the door locked shut this is a little more complicated. So far I have tried:
- The emergency lock (it turns, I lubricate and test it twice annually)
- Pressing lock/unlock on the dash whilst fiddling with the lock tab by the interior handle (it moves)
- Locking/unlocking with the remote whilst pulling the handle from outside
- The above, whilst giving the door an encouraging beating
- The full Basil Fawlty routine
None of which have helped matters...
I'm fairly certain I can hear the actuator trying to do something when I lock/unlock with my ear to the door, and I re-did the green splice under the passenger footwell a few years ago. All this suggests to me that the actuator has suffered some kind of mechanical failure and is very much stuck.
I'm coming to the conclusion that the only way forward is to get at the actuator from inside the car, and to this end I wondered if anyone else has any experience with this? I'm hoping that it might be possible to get the door card off with the seat in place (run it backward and forward to get access to the two bottom screws, then manipulate it off somehow), although I'm mentally preparing myself to spend a few hours upside down in the footwell with penetrating oil and a wrench just in case.
Assuming I can get the door card off, how feasible is it to remove the actuator whilst it's locked? Is it a case of feeling around and trying to release it from inside the door, or does one go nuclear and start using brute force? The biggest issue I foresee are the three bolts that hold the actuator from the outside of the door, inaccessible whilst the door is closed. Worst case scenario I foresee going at it with a long drill bit from the window regulator opening, since it's mostly plastic I can't imagine it'll take long!
Any and all input gratefully received. I'm going to order a replacement actuator from AF as I don't trust the eBay ones so I have it on the shelf ready to go as soon as I have a day to devote to this.D3 2005 HSE
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8th Dec 2023 11:04 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8156
You have got the worst case scenario and may end up trashing the door card and/or removing the seat, one possibility I’ve used is to remove the door glass, even then you will damage the rubber trim on the outside of the door as the retaining screw is in the door jamb.
Make sure your battery is fully charged as the fault is caused by a tiny 12v motor in the actuator failing usually by being clogged up with carbon off the brushes.
Good luck you’re going to need it It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
8th Dec 2023 12:59 pm
480GT
Member Since: 18 Apr 2022
Location: Oxford
Posts: 43
M3DPO - many thanks for what I chose to interpret as words of encouragement
Nothing worse than leaving a thread unfinished, so here's my full report:
After getting Christmas out of the way I decided to get this problem solved one way or the other, going into it fully accepting that I might end up needing a new door card, or even a new door, and anything less than that being a bonus. Ended up ordering a genuine LR actuator (significant proportion of the value of the entire car I reckon ) having had a couple of pattern actuators fail in the rear doors previously. Having now taken apart and reassembled a number of aftermarket and genuine actuators I can now say with confidence that I'd rather have a refurbished genuine one (fettle the motors and regrease, see various threads on here and/or an LRTime video) over a £35 eBay jobbie any day of the week. On the bench they appear similar, but the tolerances and materials inside the genuine ones seem to be much more reliable.
I started pulling the door apart on the front drive on Boxing Day evening (Dutch courage applied), and can confirm that after removing the screws holding the plastic trim on the side of the seat where the switches are there's just enough clearance to remove the bottom screws holding the door card on. Top screws are of course no problem. Physical comfort when doing this from inside the car, however, does leave something to be desired
Click image to enlarge
The next day I had a go at actually getting the card out - a recurring theme for this job is that if you are willing to apply some serious physical force and get over the fear of plastic things breaking then great things are possible. In this case, it turns out that it is indeed possible to get the door card out with the seat in place and the door card shut, as long as you don't mind breaking a significant number of trim clips (this is what glue guns are for) and leaving some marks on the door card itself (it's a green Land Rover, marks, dents and scratches are patina!).
Click image to enlarge
After that it's back into the usual door disassembly procedure - support the window glass, stick arm through speaker hole to detach glass from regulator (getting to the further clip is a challenge with the door open in my experience; people in Solihull must have very small forearms, but doing it at the required angle with the door closed is another level of physical pain), then un-bolting the regulator. I tend to leave it in the door rather than wrestling it through the hole as I am merely a mechanical engineer and not a quantum physicist.
Click image to enlarge
Now the fun bit begins - I should mention at this stage that I had a multitool with a metal blade attached and a selection of angle grinders on standby, fully accepting that this might be the stage at which I was forced to absolutely butcher the door, but as you may recall I mentioned that brute force is key, and if you grab hold of the actuator inside the door (having unplugged it!) and apply enough anger the whole thing shatters, allowing you to remove all the plastic bits (most of it), leaving just the metal catch inside the door:
Click image to enlarge
Above we see the new actuator on the left, and what comes out of the door on the right. This is all very well and good, but the door is still very much locked shut and having got this far there is of course no possibility of doing anything other than continuing. Here's a view of what's left inside the door at this point:
Click image to enlarge
I've always been skeptical about the amount of plastic used in lock actuators, so in a way it's a relief to know that all the important bits are in fact metal, and even with the entire mechanism destroyed and removed from the car the door remains locked.
After a lot of trial and error, coffee, swearing, and referring to the mechanism on the replacement actuator I made the all-important breakthrough and was rewarded with this, which was, as you can imagine, more than a sight for sore eyes:
Click image to enlarge
The solution, as it turns out, is to lift the metal tab highlighted below, imagining of course that it's still bolted to the inside of the door:
Click image to enlarge
That seems to pop the mechanism open regardless of how incredibly deadlocked and broken it is. Had that not worked I would have gone in with a small drill and a selection of HSS bits inside the door, but luck was on my side.
Having done all that re-assembly is the reverse of removal as always. Very pleased that it all worked out, and hopefully this will help (or at least inspire) others in future who end up in the same situation. Currently I've re-installed the original doorcard, although I have a replacement on the way. It's really only cosmetic damage on the original but the replacement ended up costing very little, and I'd like the excuse to take the doors apart again so I can replace the speakers, which are getting a bit tired. Another project for another day!D3 2005 HSE
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31st Dec 2023 2:37 pm
Kilovolt
Member Since: 29 Jun 2015
Location: South Derbyshire
Posts: 1047
Well done you, I think such a detailed account should perhaps go into the Wiki.
Well written up sir.
Happy New Year "Track day running - Don't put your foot back on the accelerator until your absolutely sure you don't have to take it off again"
Current Ride: D4 XS Commercial Baltic Blue SDV6 fully loaded with heated everything
Track Days: BMW E36 M3 Evolution MY 1996 (3.2 Litre 377 BHP sat in 1,250 Kgs of car, with a pro safety cage and some serious braking power)
31st Dec 2023 3:42 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8156
They sure are a challenge when the door will not open, you can now see why I’ve said so many times “once the locks start playing up get them repaired or replaced before you have this problem”.
Very good write up.
Just to add once the door is open it is very easy to remove the glass completely from the outside.
happy new year. It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
31st Dec 2023 8:17 pm
Mikeyb
Member Since: 08 Nov 2016
Location: Maldon, Essex
Posts: 515
Great write up, thanks. I have bee awaiting the accumulation of enough courage to tackle my passenger door non existant central locking. Luckily the manual lock/unlock function from inside still works for me!
A question though - you say that you have had genuine and pattern actuators apart - is it feasible just to repair / overhaul the original, rather than sell a daughter to fund new?Not such a Disco Newbie now!
IID BT
1st Jan 2024 12:20 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8156
As I've said above it's only a matter of time before it won't and then you'll have the same situation of damaging the door card for access!It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
1st Jan 2024 12:37 pm
480GT
Member Since: 18 Apr 2022
Location: Oxford
Posts: 43
Agreed, much easier to replace them before they stop working completely, believe me
That one was actually the 3rd I've replaced on this car (4th if you include the tailgate) - both the others started working intermittently and so out they came, this one unfortunately went from fully functional to completely failed and locked overnight. If money were no option I would have replaced all four doors at the same time since these cars are getting on a bit now and if one goes then one might surmise that the others aren't far behind since they all operate at the same time, but however you look at it there's a not insignificant time/cost investment in it. On the bright side, assuming the door opens then removing the card and the actuator is really quite straightforward on these cars.
Christian and Vera sum the process up quite nicely in their video on the subject:
To that I'd add cleaning the gunk off the commutator and brushes in the motor, I'd be happy to liberally apply contact cleaner and then hook the motor up to power and leave it running for 30 seconds, YMMV. Assuming no actual damage then it should be very possible to refurb an original rather than buy a replacement. Almost worth doing as a precautionary measure!D3 2005 HSE
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1st Jan 2024 10:52 pm
HairyFool
Member Since: 04 Jan 2023
Location: Essex
Posts: 603
The only bit I would worry about is this
480GT wrote:
Having done all that re-assembly is the reverse of removal as always.
I can't imagine having to get the door card back in with the door closed was much fun A visitor from the dark side, my other vehicle is an MG5 EV
1st Jan 2024 11:07 pm
480GT
Member Since: 18 Apr 2022
Location: Oxford
Posts: 43
Literal interpretation of instructions at the user's peril! D3 2005 HSE
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2nd Jan 2024 12:11 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8156
Double post It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
Last edited by M3DPO on 3rd Jan 2024 11:01 am. Edited 1 time in total
3rd Jan 2024 10:47 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8156
Spare long shafted actuator motors can be purchased very cheaply
Click image to enlarge
It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
3rd Jan 2024 11:00 am
joness7
Member Since: 09 Feb 2006
Location: West London
Posts: 233
I have 2 of these actuators sat in a drawer if someone wants them. £5 to cover P&P.
When I had D3's/D4's I was always expecting mine to go wrong, but they never did. Discovery's long gone though!!2018 1.5Ti Skoda Octavia - dull as f&ck
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