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Door locks, need advice

steventure

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
New to me 97 XJ. Manual door locks. The only doors that locks are the driver and the lift gate. Passenger door seems like its beginning to fail. Rear doors simply don't open, I believe they're rusted shut or something. Hit them with some wd40 so we shall see. But I'd like know what my options are as I am not familiar. Can you have new door locks made to work with your original keys? Even having a separate key wouldn't be a big deal actually. I'd like to be able to lock (and open) all my doors could care less how much it costs to get it done right. Thanks.
 
WD-40 is neither a cleaner nor a lubricant, however it will dry to a sticky mess that attracts dirt.

Clean the key cylinders and door lock mechanisms with throttle body cleaner and lubricate with a CLP gun oil. CLP stand for Cleaner and Lubricant Product. The oil has a cleaning additive in it and it will creep into all the parts. Cleaning and lube worked for my 1998.

New key cylinders can be set-up for your key, or a new key, but they are not genuine Jeep quality parts, and they look cheesy when installed. You could find a donor Cherokee with keys and pull all the lock cylinders and swap them into your XJ.
 
WD-40 is neither a cleaner nor a lubricant, however it will dry to a sticky mess that attracts dirt.

Clean the key cylinders and door lock mechanisms with throttle body cleaner and lubricate with a CLP gun oil. CLP stand for Cleaner and Lubricant Product. The oil has a cleaning additive in it and it will creep into all the parts. Cleaning and lube worked for my 1998.

New key cylinders can be set-up for your key, or a new key, but they are not genuine Jeep quality parts, and they look cheesy when installed. You could find a donor Cherokee with keys and pull all the lock cylinders and swap them into your XJ.

Thanks for the advice. Yea I'm sometimes guilty of the "spray it with some WD" approach haha. Good to know. I have some Ballistal I use for my firearms, didn't even think to use that. Doh!

Ok cool that gives me something to consider if I can't get them cleaned and working. :thumbup:
 
Always start with the easy and cheap stuff, a good hosing out with spray solvent, gun cleaner or TB cleaner, and a CLP gun oil lube.
 
You'll have to pull the door panels off and have a look. Be careful with the little plastic clips that hold the the various lock struts in place.
 
OK update time, need some advice.

Finally was able to get both rear doors open. The CLP oil and a little muscle worked like a charm. I have removed both actuators entirely and thankfully broke no plastic clips in the process. They're pretty gummed up with dirt/grime/rust whatever. I started taking one apart because the little C shaped spring loaded latch that holds your door closed rotated past its normal position and the spring popped loose on the inside locking it in the down position. The little latch had a plastic coating on it which is pretty chewed up now, my fault for trying to pry it with a screwdriver not realizing I was making it worse. Doh. How important is it that the plastic remain intact, can I remove it all and clean it up and will it still pivot and function properly? I still need to figure out how to put this puzzle back together after cleaning it up.

If that fails, does anyone know where to find replacements and what years are compatible? Having a hard time finding a new one online. Ebay is an option, kinda leaning away from junkyards around here because being in the Midwest I'm likely to run in to similar problems. Still worth a shot if I know what years to look for. It's a 97 with manual door locks. Thanks
 
97-01 is compatible. Typically a junkyard door latch mechanism is dirty but not excessively corroded. I doubt you will find new at a reasonable price, or find one at all.
 
Figured I'd update this for anyone who might stumble across this in the future. Doors are fixed and everything works perfectly. For reference this is a 97 XJ with manual door locks. The rear doors were seized/rusted shut. I took everything apart. The little spring mechanism behind the handle was the main culprit. It was frozen in the "in" position. I allowed it to soak in some vinegar all day, hitting it with a wire brush several times. Got it to move freely again and I lubed it up and reinstalled with the handle. The actuator was also a problem, it was full of gunk and dirt and not allowing the rods to move. I took the whole thing apart, cleaned/lubed and put back together. I highly suggest if you take apart the actuator you do one at a time so you have the other to reference. It's a bit of a puzzle getting back together. All in all everything works great now.
 
Nicely Done!!

Here's your badge. :)

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