96 XJ electric door locks.

I'd been warned that they'd eventually be trouble.

My `96 Cherokee's electric door locks are getting to be trouble, they're getting weak. The big trouble, though, is that my front passenger door cannot be unlocked. The key won't turn far enough to unlock it, the door rocker cannot be pushed by hand far enough to unlock, and the electric actuator thunks like it is unlocking, but it doesn't. In all cases it moves easily enough to the locked position, but wont go far enough to unlock.

Anyone have experience with repairing these? How do I get the inner door panel off if I cannot open the door?

A 4 1/2" angel grinder with a cut-off wheel comes to mind....

Reply to
Lee Ayrton
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Heh. let's not do the angle grinder, alhought C4 is a good alternative. :)

(pardon the spelling, just got back from the bar and my typing requires much correction) ::D

Couple of problems come to mind, first is bent links, that happens. Second is broken platic connector bits. Carefully take the pannnels off (you migh need new trees to put them back on) lowering the windows is required to get the top bits to slide off.

trees are cheap... if you break a few let me known and I'll get yo a link for more. or evnen end u a few/

there are several platic clips, be damn careful with them. The door strike gets crudded up and takes some connector cleaer/solvent and spray teflon to get working. I have never got the back two strikes to work on the ZJ.

Reply to
DougW

broken platic connector bits. Carefully take the

windows is required to get the top bits to slide off.

more. or evnen end u a few/

gets crudded up and takes some connector cleaer/solvent

work on the ZJ.

Thanks for the reply. Should I just work my way around the panel edge with a small pry bar? It would be easy to do if I could get the door open, but since I can't unlock it....

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

The door won't open from the inside handle?

You might try (very quickly) sliding the door lock to unlock, but I'm suspecting the plastic link broke. This will be a pain in the ass. Usually the door that breaks is the tailgate.

Watch the plastic edges, they are damn sharp!

This might help. It's the only thing I have that comes close to laying out the parts.

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You might be able to get a slimjim onto the lock. I don't have a good picture of what it looks like so that's a shot in the dark. With the window down you should have enough space to shine a light in there.

Reply to
DougW

Nope. I haven't checked but I don't think that the inside handles work at all on that model when the doors are locked. The handle can be pulled but it is the mechanical equivalant of "dead air".

Yar, fortunately I've (so far) avoided tailgate problems. On this model the inside door lock is a rocker and there is too much resistance to push it fully to the "unlock" position. It moves as usual from center to "lock". Something broken and jamming it?

/Very/ useful warning noted. Thank you.

Once I start poking around in there that will be useful indeed. Thank you very much.

Good idea. I do have a slimjim around, but haven't really had a chance to use it. I'll give it a try.

What is the electric lock actuator? Is is a solenoid that just pulls on a linkage or is it a small gearhead motor and a crank? From the diagram it looks like a motor down low on the trailing edge of the door.

Thanks again.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

Usually it's a buildup of crud that jams the mechanism. When you get time it would be a good idea to pop that cover off and clean the latch. I use a silicone spray lube, but what ever you do avoid WD-40 that stuff attracts and holds dirt like a magnet.

window down you should have enough space to shine a

solinoid, it moves the same linkage the inside does.

Reply to
DougW

Don't know if you got it off or not, but one solution to unlocking the door would be a "Slim jim" Slim Jims:

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you have a friend at a tow service, they could unlock it for you from inside the door. Even body shops have them on hand and while you're there you might get them to pop that panel loose and they may have the clips you need at a reasonable price.Door panel removal tools:
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Kate

The door won't open from the inside handle?

You might try (very quickly) sliding the door lock to unlock, but I'm suspecting the plastic link broke. This will be a pain in the ass. Usually the door that breaks is the tailgate.

Watch the plastic edges, they are damn sharp!

This might help. It's the only thing I have that comes close to laying out the parts.

formatting link
You might be able to get a slimjim onto the lock. I don't have a good picture of what it looks like so that's a shot in the dark. With the window down you should have enough space to shine a light in there.

Reply to
Kate

Reply to
man of machines

Fixed it, and I still have all my fingers. The problem was a bellcrank on the lower part of the latch that links the outside keylock to the latch assembly was solidly frozen at the pivot point from rust, which prevented any of the other lock controls from unlocking the latch.

Getting the door open was the big challenge for me, not having taken a door apart in at least 30 years. My slim jim wasn't useful, the trick was pulling up on a small rectangular tang about the shape of a carpenter's pencil that protrudes out of the trailing edge of the latch assembly very near the top. It only took me an hour of fiddling with it and the driver's door before I figured it out and what tool to use: The common wire coat hanger.

I went against your advice, Doug, and resorted to WD40 to loosen the rust and worked everything until the WD ran nearly clear, then applied too much white lithium to pretty much the whole thing, fearing rust more now than dirt. I sealed the hole I cut in the inner liner with duct tape and reassembled the door. By the way, a cheap, flat, wire-stripping plier makes a dandy tool for popping the trees out of their holes.

It didn't even draw blood. That's not bad for working inside a door.

Thanks to all who offered advice and information.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

Glad to hear you got it fixed. PB Blaster is a much better rust buster but WD-40 works. The only problem is it leaves a sticky film that attracts more dirt.

If you need to order more trees, check these folks out.

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These are the ones I used in the ZJ.
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TRIM PANEL RETAINER 18915

Reply to
DougW

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