JDM5lugHatch

Ok........ So I have been annoyed with the placement of the door lock button since day one. I figured I would mod the button to see if I can get it flush. Before begining my venture I figured it would be best to order a new button just in case I screwed the first one up.

Well the door lock button came in today so as soon as I got home I jumped right into it. This is a very easy mod and you really shouldn't need any parts unless you mess one up. It was approx. $5 but like I said you should not need it unless you mess up which is truely hard to do.

I have taken some pictures (while limited) to give everyone an idea of whats going on here.

The first thing you will need to do is remove the door panel. This is very easy to do. Just remove the 4 phillips head screws from the panel and pull starting at a lower corner of the panel all the way around until it's loose and lift up. It is not necessary to disconnect anything just let the panel hang. Check to make sure none of the clips stayed in the door itself, if so just remove them with some pliers.


This is a pic of the new button from the dealership.




Once you have removed the panel unscrew the button from the rod/cable.


I used the new button to measure how much I wanted to cut off.




I mounted the button in a vise and just used a hacksaw blade to cut the button. I was too lazy to pull out my dremel for cutting the buttons. Plus nobody will see the bottom of the buttons anyways.



Next just screw the modified button back on and reinstall the door panel.



Here is a picture of the rear door before I modded the button unlocked.



Here is a pucture of that same button but locked.



Here is a picture of the button modded (unlocked)



A couple more pictures of the button modded (locked)



Hope everyone will enjoy this mod like I know I will. Finally my elbow won't feel like something is digging at it when I rest it up on the panel.

JPTL-S

Good job K, nice and simple mod I never did like that thing jabbing me in the arm

t-dogg

Great idea, that lock has been bothering me ever since I got this car!

JoganJani

Yup I keep my elbow on the window and the button annoys me. Good mod. Will do it sometime for sure. Thanks buddy.

TacoBellSauce

cant u just simply unscrew the button and dremel it then screw it back on, no need for removing the door panel

JDM5lugHatch

Nope because the bottom is larger so it won't slide up through the hole. Plus it's not hard to pull the panel on this car it's actually really simple. So why not just pull the panel and possibly avoid braking something.

scrb09

good mod! but I just dont seeing myself pull the panel out for this mod...plus the lock does not bother me...

but kudos for the effort.

JDM5lugHatch

I did all 4 doors in about an hour or less.

A_UFO

Just a friendly reminder that the reason the door locks are still exposed when you lock the doors is so you or your passengers can manually unlock the door in an emergency and open their door.

I am not flaming you JDM5lugHatch. Just wanted people to remember there is a reason the lock "sticks-up" when lock.

GIBSON6594

Yup, plus if your battery dies while your in your car, you will have no way to open your doors.

BTW, us TSX'ers have had this mod for a while now

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...oor+lock+flush

tzakiel

it looks better when it's submerged in the door like that, but I gotta say, good luck at the bottom of a lake or in a firey inferno when those electric locks just dont seem to be working. Not likely I guess.

vp911

Great idea, except if you are in an accident and your doors are locked, good luck getting out. The TL cuts power to everything in the event of an accident. In my accident I fumbled for about a minute trying to figure out why my door locks wouldn't work. I had to manually unlock the door.

SilverStoneTTL

I was all excited about this mod seeing as how it wouldn't be hard to do and what not until I got to the bottom of the thread and I realized people were right: how exactly will you open the door in the even of an emergency?

I guess this is sort of like the "shaved" door handle mod in that in the event something does go wrong there is probably a solution, but its something to consider none the less.

NFLblitze1

i think i would only do this for the Driver Side lock.....as i like to put my arm on the door while driving...

triggle

I think it is a good mod but there are some very real safety issues. For those who want to mod but are worried about the safety feature just cut a little less off so there is a 5-10mm left exposed so you will be able to open it manually. It looks to me like you could remove up to 1cm of material and still maintain manual operation. Also there is a good size ridge near the top of the button you could get your fingernail on if it were just slightly exposed.

JDM5lugHatch

I thought about the safety issues before and while doing this mod. That's why I tested to see if I could still unlock the door. I can get a fingernail in there and with very little effort pull up. Also I think if I end up at the bottom of a lake unlocking the door is going to be the least of my worries. Even if I unlock it I still won't be able to open the door due to the pressure the water against the doors. In an accident that is a possibility. However, what happens if I am t-boned on the drivers side? I still won't be able to open the door. So yes there are pro's and con's to this mod.

My old '98 GTI VR6 had flush locks. I just don't remember if when you pull the handle if it raised the button still not opening the door until you pulled it again. I think that's the way my moms Passat is though. I guess I will have to check it out later.

GIBSON6594- I didn't realize TSX locks were like this as well. I checked out the link you provided but it seems the TSX requires drilling the knob which isn't necessary for the TL. Plus it seems like it you can remove the knob easier. I didn't try to just unscrew the knob but by the looks of the nw one it is designed not to just pull through the hole.

Scribesoft

Great job and great write-up. That button always sticks into my arm.

I'm going to follow the same path, but I'm only doing the driver's door. I usually want everything very symmetrical, but in this case, I think I'll be the only one who knows one is lower than the others when the car is locked. It's my car and I want to be comfortable...

JDM5lugHatch

Yeah I tried just doing one at first. But, it annoyed me that they weren't even. Guess I could have just done the front doors only but I just went ahead and did all 4 of them. Looks much better that way IMHO. Comfort is all it's about.

pughater

sure thats cool dude, i'm going to order one soon too

JDM5lugHatch

You really shouldn't have to order anything. They are pretty hard to screw up.

mamboking

Here's my mod for the elbow problem and I still get to open the door lock easily.

Dr.Murdock

a little O/T but....did anyone notice that your elbow makes a permanent dent on the door...because mine does.

JDM5lugHatch

I haven't noticed it on mine but I know that there are some threads on the topc. Some members have been lucky enough to get their door panels replaced for free by the dealer.

FastJoe

Nice. Where did you order the part from?

mr.motoring

Ahh, but what if you just clipped your nails?

chill_dog

This is pretty cool, and it looks very clean (being flush). Nice job and great write up!

mr.motoring

I don't seem to have any problems with the door knob jabbing my elbow, but then again I'm not that tall either, so MY comfortable armrest IS the door "armrest"! Whaddya know?

Hey, good mod though. A quick, simple, free mod is a good mod in my book.

TLXLR8S

nice simle mod. ill have to do it for the driver. i hate that thing.

mickey3c

I am amazed that acura cannot place the door lock button horizontal like so many other vehicles and make people risk lives, sore arms, or weekend mods to correct a design flaw!!

TLXLR8S

or make the button flush with the door sill when the doors are locked, and unlock at the first pull of the door handle like most cars.

vp911

Isnt that only the american cars?

JDM5lugHatch

Nope VW is like that. The first pull raises the button the second pull opens the door.

FastJoe

My VW beetle goes down flat when locked.

SebringSilver

By horizontal, do you mean those little toggle switch locks that you usually find on the door panel right next to the door handle?

I much prefer the locks as they are now; it's far more elegant this way. This is in no way a "design flaw".

JDM5lugHatch

That's what it sounds like to me.

LJ2000

BMW has a flush locked position and utilizes the first door handle pull as the action to unlock the door. Since that mechanism is mechanical, rather than electrical, it reduces the risk of not being able to unlock the door when the car is under water (or whatever catastrophies people were talking about earlier). I also like that since I'm going to be pulling on the handle anyways, I don't need to go somewhere else to unlock the door before grabbing the door handle. Oh well, maybe that'll be a change in the 4G TL.

A-Spec Guy

Exactly what length did you cut off the end (if you still have the "slug" left). That is cool..same here...always get jabbed....gonna do asap.

A-Spec Guy

Think 80's Honda.....or maybe 78 or so. On top...larger flat type...but closed flush with top and had open spot to grab at it or something like that. Never had one.

SebringSilver

Oh yeah, like the old Accord I used to drive when I was in college. Wow, that brings back memories....not all of them good either.

*evil grin*

mickey3c

Many cars have been able to get rid of the button on the door panel so it looks clean. A protruding button that pokes someone in the arm is elegant...lol. Functional maybe not elegant. It's not like you look at the buttons while driving... But then some people need to tinker with everything. I do not need to spend more money and time on a button.. Live with it since it is elegant..lol