Alright since tl's troubleshoot better than the dying CL forum i'll ask for your help

basically the lock on the driver door WILL NOT unlock AT ALL. you can't pull it, can't use alarm to unlock it, key won't turn all the way to unlock either.

The door won't open because it won't unlock.

When i try pulling the lock thing, it doesn't go all the way up, i half-way removed the door panel (still stuck where the panel meets the dash), and pulled the lock as hard as i could, wouldn't budge.

i ran my fingers through checking if it was jammed, but couldn't find anything, pulling hard would have unjammed it anyways.


funny thing was it worked right before i got in, i guess i tried opening after i turned off the car stopping the unlock midway.

CLIFFS:
1. turned off car, tried opening door halfway unlocking
2. unlock thing won't go all the way up
3. key won't turns halfway unable to push the unlock thing up, so still locked
4. alarm won't unlock it
5. passenger side works fine
6. probably actuator?

 

possibly the little plastic clip that holds the actuator arms together, inside the door panel,

those break on every car I have seen, power systems or not

get the door panel off, or finesse the lock open from the top window opening
May require a locksmith with a slimjim to pop it for you

 

the locks witch won't go up all the way, i believe the slimjim won't work on our cars.... the slim jim unlocks the car by pulling on the lever, then you open it with the door handle

 

lets hope the actuator didn't go, cause that happened to me once on my old 1990 honda accord, and well, it wasn't the easiest thing to get out.

 

its either that or the lock assembly is jammed and there is no room to work with if i can't even get the door open

 

I would say it kinda sounds like the the lock/latch assembly. You are going to have to find a way to unjam it to open the door to get the door panel off to see what is actually the problem and replace it.

 

But it's pretty damn hard to get the door panel off with the door still shut, right? Or can you even do it?

 

you can but it often damages it.

 

Damn I should have posted this earlier, but my drivers side rear door just got messed up the other day too. I was trying to open it from the outside and I think the thing slipped off where it pulls because it won't open from the outside anymore. I have to reach my arm in from the front door and open it from the inside. I took the panel off to see what I could do, but couldn't really reach/see where the problem was. Does anybody know where I can find a cutaway of inside the door so I can see how everything connects?

 

oops, that didn't happen to my car lol. it happened to a buddies. my car the lock/latch assembly seized up. the only way to get at it was to take off the door panel from the inside, then take a air hammer and hammer away at it till it finally breaks something and becomes un-jammed. it wasn't a lot of fun.

 

destruction.....

i doubt a lock smith can "fix" the problem and charge me a pretty penny,

 

alrighhttt got the door panel out... anyway to open the door while its locked?

 

is it possible to remove the actuator w/o removing the lock assembly?


i can't remove the lock assembly b/c i cant remove the 2-3 screws which are at the door jam

 

try to push and pull on any thin metal rods you see, one of them fallen down and hidden possibly? often connected to other parts by a small plastic connector.
Is the door handle mechanism good?- I have seen other cars where the tab on the inside of the handle breaks and its actuator rod falls down
A small but bright flashlight is handy for this search! a mechanics inspection mirror never hurt either~

I havent had the panel off the TL , but other cars have several access holes cut into the metal frame. Carefully remove the plastic sheet that is probably secured around the entire edge with a tar like- silicone type sealer- it will pull apart- a putty knife can help lift it off the metal surface === just be careful not to destroy more than some tape can repair.
Then have a look around

 

i did pull off that plastic sheet

i wiggled everything and nothing seems to be the problem.

its just something "stuck" where it won't let the actual lock switch (the one u pull up) go up... it barely moves like 1/3 compared to normal. as for the handles, they work fine, nothing blocking. its just that lock switch isn't normal and going up all the way.... i disconnected the actuator both connections and it doesn't do anything

how much is it to get a lock smith? even then i doubt he can fix it.

 

crawling in and out sucks big cajones

 

possible to remove the actuator w/o remove the lock assembly or opening the door?

 

damn dude, that sucks..... this happened with my wifes apssat, but it was the locking mechanism. all the little locks, and tabs snapped in half in the locking mechanism. I had to switch the passenger with the driver side and cant use the passengers side to lock unlock the doors...... probably not the same thing.... but im sure taking shit apart will eventually get you somewhere like it got me.

 

Can you get a vice grips on the part that puls up to unlock the door to see if you can get more leverage on it?