So this weekend I decided to finally replace the door lock actuator on the drivers door. The new part finally came in and I'm sick of using the key.

Everything was going really well, considering I'd never taken the door panel off before. With the proper tools there's not much to it really. Three small screws, a bunch of plastic panel fasteners, and two quick-disconnect connectors up near the small speaker. Three screws to remove the inner door handle/lock assembly and the panel came off (it's good to have another set of hands for that one, or be good at balancing!). I peeled back the plastic seal to gain access to the inner compartments of the door, there's not much room at all to work in. There's another electric connector that plugs in to the actuator itself which was easy enough to remove. Looking inside you can see the window guide on, which happens to run vertically directly adjacent to the actuator itself. Right away I see a problem. The 1/8" metal rod, bent in a certain way to move around the window guide rail, runs up the inside part of the outer door handle proving the direct linkage to the actuator if you pull the outer handle. This metal rod is inserted in to some kind of press-fitted hole and I couldn't see anything really holding it in there. There is a small plastic ring, but it doesn't show signs of coming off. Like most clips and parts in this area, I'm guessing it's pressed in there.

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about. I held my phone in there to catch this shot. You can see the metal rod going up to a gray-colored latch where the hook on the rod is pressed in to it. You can even see the white plastic part with a small black dot on it. That's the part I think is really holding it in there.



Tried pulling this out every which way I could, nothing. Wouldn't budge at all. Keep in mind there's almost no room for my hand in this small space, but I'm able to get a couple fingers on it to pull real good. Nothing. Felt like the outer handle was flexing more than anything else so I backed off, defeated.

Anyone ever replace this themselves? It's in such a bad spot, no room to work, and I can't puzzle it out. I read on one of those answer sites that someone did, but they had to CUT that rod first, remove the outer handle, then replace the grey part also.I can't see how that's the way to go.

Here's a shot of the new actuator itself:

 

Did you check the service manual? I wasnt going to look if you already did.

Other models I've worked on you have to stick a flat head in the openings to release the plastic clip.

 

You have to remove that plastic clip (the part with the dot on it) in order to get the rod to come out.

To do that, you have to have a long clip removal tool and you use a hole further up than the hole you are using to put your hand in. I don't recall, but there may be a plastic cover covering this hole. If there is, just pop it out and put your tool through it at an upward angle to get to the clip to pry it out.

Hope this makes sense... it's been a while since I've done it, but this is how I did it.

 

There is a small round access panel near the edge of the door that should have a plastic black or clear sticker over it. You gotta stick a screw driver/pry tool through that hole and pry backwards against the lock rod and it will release. Also the black door lock cable that plugs into the back of the actuator needs to be removed as well. If you look at your new actuator, you will see it on the bottom where it clips in....Service manual makes it much easier if you have never done this

 

well put gentlemen.

 

Damn... I was hoping this thread was going to be a solution without having to replace.

 

Thanks guys.
I did pop the black plastic covers off the small access holes higher up, hoping that would gain me the leverage to pop that off. Came up short trying to pry/pop it off with simple flat head screwdriver. Seemed to be really locked on there though, didn't want to snap it off :-( Just looking at it I can't figure how it separates. Is it a special honda/acura tool?

I don't have the service manual, is it hard copy, or do they offer a digital/PDF version?

If anyone happens to have access to that detail in the service manual, if you could snap a copy of that process, I'd appreciate it. Maybe I can try again this weekend, assuming the temperature in these parts climbs up a bit

 

You lost me, are you saying you clicked the link the garage and it didnt work?

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rl-2005-2012-76/garage-helpful-2g-rl-info-789209/


Long clip removal tool =



that is a little better than a flat head.

 

ah yeah, sorry, I should have been more clear. I did look in the Garage also. I downloaded most of those PDF's just in case I may have missed this detail though. I didn't see anything specific to getting this part off, in detail anyway.

I guess I'm looking for the shop repair manual, something that may have more detailed diagrams.

I'll pick up one of those metal clip tools. I have the hard plastic versions right now, for panel removal. I want to get more of the white plastic door panel clips too. I think if I take off the panel one more time, some of those are not going back in :-)

 

Also it might make it easier if you shoot some silicone spray or the like around that bushing where the the lock goes through from both sides. A long flat screwdriver may be necessary and make sure to pry on the side of the handle where the the rod has the 90' bend minimizing pressure on the door handle, don't worry about the bushing, it's always a cheap part in case you break it

 

Do you recall if you had to move the window guide rail out of the way at all, or did you just squeeze the actuator around it? Since it's slightly L shaped I'm guessing it will make it around, although it will be entirely by feel since you can't seen that space. I've got the shop manual now and it says to slide it out of the way.





Anyone know where I can get those bushings? Can't find a part number anywhere. It might be OK, but I can almost guarantee I'll snap that taking it out I'll pick up one those metal fastener tools also.

 

Ping OEM acura Tim

Fastener/Clip removal tools are invaluable.

 

Nope... never moved the guide rail any more than maybe a push here or there. Definitely didn't unscrew anything.

 

It would make it easier to snake it out with the lower window run channel out of the way if you think you need the extra room. Just unbolt it (1 10mm) and pull the metal part down from where it connects to the top just like in the pic

 

With the weather actually up in the 50's yesterday, I made another effort to swap out this drivers side actuator. Still no luck! That stubborn bushing is in there tight. I picked up a standard fastener removal tool like Heavy mentioned - which did make the door panel removal a breeze - but no matter how much I torqued and twisted or otherwise leveraged with it - that linkage part wouldn't budge. I sprayed some lubricant on it and let it sit for several minutes too. I was really leaning on it heavy, to the point I thought the outer handle might let go. The metal linkage was clearly bending and torquing, I could see it. I figured it would just suddenly let go, popping out once enough pressure was exerted. Then I wedged a screw driver in there and twisted, holding the pressure again. Still no dice. I went at it for a good hour and only gave up when I worried I might get more pissed off and rip the handle clean off.

I'll have to break down and take it to the dealer. If they break something else in the process, they can replace it.

I can't help but think if the access hole (1") to the linkage were even a half inch larger this replacement would be fair easier. It's just hard to get leverage there and the fastener tool barely fits through.

 

Could you drill the access hole larger or drill a different one in a better location?

 

What are you putting the force on??? From your description, it sounds like you are exerting force on the METAL bar... that is NOT where you want to be forcing. You need to put the fastener tool on the white plastic piece and pry that away. It pops out toward the 90 degree angle of the metal bar and then the bar just pulls right out with hardly any force at all.

Does that make sense? Yanking on the bar all the day without the plastic piece popped out will get you no where.

 

As I was cursing it out, I actually thought about it and was tempted. There's really only one area, slightly above the existing hole, where I would add one in or just elongate the existing hole a bit. There are some cable bunches that run behind that area, tacked to the inside, leading up to the inside door handle. Plus the window guide just behind to the left. If I had the right cutter I may have tried but I don't have any metal cutting tools right now.

 

Looks fairly straight forward, of course I could be going about it wrong. At first I had the fastener tool around that white plastic bushing, which is fixed up tight against the metal part it's inserted in to. There's no wiggle room there at all. With the sharp angle of fastener tool's tip through the access hole in the door panel I couldn't get it to slide under the lip of the bushing. Basically thesame as I would popping the door panel clips off. Very little leverage to work it. I even bent the fastener tool a little trying to get it to sit better, maybe catch on to the underside of the bushing. No luck. It would grab on a little, and when I would pry up, even just a little, it would slip off.

Edit: Here is the fastener tool I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Door-Panel-Cli.../dp/B0025EQMBK

 

Sounds like you need one with a thinner, flatter tip. But definitely, you need to get it in between the bushing and the metal part that it's inserted into.

Maybe trying pushing in on the metal bar toward the bushing while prying outward. Perhaps all your yanking on the metal bar from previous attempts have put some kind of pressure on the bushing somehow so that it's stuck and hard to pry out. It shouldn't be that difficult to do.

 

I just compared the tool I picked up to the one referenced in the Acura manual, a Snap-on Fastener Removal Tool 177A. Definitely thinner, V-shaped tapered end. Almost sharp on the end to grab on to thin clips. The tool I picked up is 1/16" thick at the end, and wider too. Way too thick to grab on to thin parts. I'm going to just grind mine down on the end, taper it off like the Snap-on tool. Hopefully that's enough to grab on.

 

Hey, I just finished installing the new acuator. Thanks for everyone's help. SWAKE457 don't try to pry the linkage away from the bushing by just pulling on it. I used a large flat-blade screwdriver. Positioned it between the nylon bushing and the linkage. I twisted the screwdriver so it was pushing the bushing one way and the linkage the other way. It popped right out!

I did loosen the window track. Wasn't a big deal and went right back into place. It made removing the assembly alot easier.

When reinstalling, the linkage fell off the new actuator as I was squeezing it past the window track. Was a little concerned, but didn't turn out to be an issue. Just installed the actuator, tightened the four screws a little, then installed the linkage. Once that was done, I tightened the screws.

There WAS one thing that gave me a little problem. There's another cable/linkage that connects the actuator to the key hole. It seems that there is a "sleeve" that needs to be pushed away from the actuator to unlock the linkage/cable.

Took about 45 minutes - good luck!