`95 Legacy rear door won't lock

Hello all,

My moms `95 Legacy Wagon L had a new rear door replaced several years ago after some kid at a gas station backed a pickup into her. After all was said and done, the body shop that worked on it, had to get an entirely new rear door and install it.

Now a few years later I'm noticing several small issues stand out. First is the fact that the door will not electronically lock. When she locks all of the doors using the master control on the drivers door, the rear hatch will not lock. In order to lock it, it requires a manual insertion of the key and turning. The second issue I've noticed is that the latch handle for opening the rear hatch is sticking. Something a little WD-40 would fix I assume.

My guess with the locking issue is that a wire is cut, crimped, or just not connected properly. Where would I begin to look about fixing this for her? It's a bit of a nusiance, yet she doesn't want to pay big $$$$ to have it fixed at a shop.

Brad

Reply to
Bradley Walker
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Could be the bar that runs from the motor to the lock is broke or disconnected. That would require taking off the molding to get inside to look. When someone else activates the master door switch (the one on the driver door that activates all power lock motors) and while you are standing by the rear door, do you hear the motor activate back there? If you don't hear the motor activate, could be a broken wire like you mention, a disconnected connector, or the motor burnt out. If you hear the motor activate, the mechanical linkage from it to the door lock assembly is broke.

As for the sticky latch, the Subaru's exhaust wafts upward from the rear and underneath the rear door insignia bar and latch area. This increase the humidity that is present when the car first starts and accelerates the rust underneath. I've sprayed my every fall and spring although it is rusty (so rusty, in fact, that flakes fall off the galvanized bracket plate). Eventually I figure that I'll have to replace the handle when the plate corrodes so bad that the handle gets loose.

Reply to
Vanguard

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