Drivers door locked cannot open

[hugh_ness]

First time this ever happened to me. Can't say I am entirely impressed. Went to get in. Bingo. Won't unlock. No, its not the alarm. Its the lock. Wont budge. Locking lever inside car wont budge. Nothing moves. Ne1 tried to remove the panels of these things? Because the door is locked, I cant get to the front inside panel clip nearest mirror. I have removed two screws. 1 near handle and 1 near door lever. Still plastic cover wont budge. Any suggestions? Should I just take it to a pro?

[Juffa]

Something similar happened to my first '91 NA. A small spring in the locking mechanisim broke and the lock would no longer operate. I have read similar incidents on the big forum and how people managed to remove the door trim with the door still locked. Once you get the trim off (assuming you can) run your fingers along the inside bottom edge of the door and see if you can find the remains of a spring. I reused the spring by bending the end to match the bit that had broken off and re-installed it.

If it is not a broken spring you might need to lubricate the lock with graphite powder or a good spray lubricant.

Have fun.

Some links from miata.net
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.ph ... ock+spring
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.ph ... ock+spring



J

[hugh_ness]

Hey, you know what I am thinking it is now? A fuse. I haven't investigated yet because I am gonna run out of daylight in a short while and the Mrs wants me to do some sh*t around the house. But I am thinking the solenoid has either carked it or a fuse has blown? Does this possibly make sense?

[Juffa]

Hey, you know what I am thinking it is now? A fuse. I haven't investigated yet because I am gonna run out of daylight in a short while and the Mrs wants me to do some sh*t around the house. But I am thinking the solenoid has either carked it or a fuse has blown? Does this possibly make sense?

Have you tried bypassing the central locking and use the key?

J

[hugh_ness]

Hi. Thanks for the info. Is there a way to bypass the central locking system? Key goes in and won't activate the lock. Alarm system doesnt seem to be the problem...
So, then, if it was a fuse which messed up the electrics, then I am wondering whether a key would get me in regardless. So, if it was the fuse, I should still be able to just unlock the door with the key, is that what ur saying? In which case, because the key doesnt seem to make any difference, then it must be mechanical and not electrical? Any ideas?
Scratching my head over this one.....

[Juffa]

Will the key turn in the lock? If not, or it is very stiff it could be resistance caused by the central locking actuator. Have you tried the other door? If the other door unlocks with no resistance then I think the problem is with the driver door lock mechanisim and not the central locking.

2.2c including GST.

J

[hugh_ness]

Yeah, that makes sense. But the solenoid is located in the drivers' side door only, so if it's dead...
Nah, doesnt make sense? No easy way outta this mess, cept take it to a pro (or the scruffy looking car theif down the road) and get him to open the door for me...

[sabretooth]

A dead solenoid won't stop the lock from moving, it will just not do anything when energised.

My money's on that the spring is busted:


I found that I could open the door by winding the window down all of the way and pushing on part of the lock mechanism in the second picture. Took a while to find the right part to push on, though.

[hugh_ness]

Mmm. Took it to Mazda and they got the thing open. Havent had a chance to look at it yet but their money is on a dead actuator. Sounds like my money is about to fly out the (locked) door.

[Okibi]

awesome pics Geoff, i'm sure others appreciate you having the foresight to take them.

[sabretooth]

I suppose depending on the design of the actuator it can jam the lock if it's failed mechanically and not electrically. I don't know what the NB one looks like, though. It'll be interesting to see the final diagnosis either way.

[hugh_ness]

awesome pics Geoff, i'm sure others appreciate you having the foresight to take them.

Yes, I'll second that. Jolly good work, chaps

[manga_blue]

I'll take bets on the spring. I've done 2 on my car. Identical problem.

A 50c spring is also a lot cheaper to try replacing than a $50 actuator.

[trader]

I love this site! Yesterday in -5 degrees I went to the gym and found myself locked in the car. The cold had probably caused the spring to break. I came home and trawled the site and found this thread. Got the door open by taking off the passenger trim and finding where the pushrod lever from the locking mechanism went. I wound the window down and had no trouble getting the door open with a screwdriver. Used Juffas solution of bending the broken spring - worked a treat1

[hugh_ness]

Minus WHAT? FIVE? Man, you gotta get outta that place.