Door Lock Works Slowly Entire Lock Cylinder Turns Lock Doesn’t Latch Properly Key Is Broken Off in Lock Door locks are complex mechanisms with lots of tiny moving parts and, as such, can malfunction on occasion. Here we look at how to fix typical door lock problems. For problems with door knobs and locksets, please see Repairing Door Knobs & Hardware. If your door key doesn’t work right, the first and most obvious step is to be sure you’re using the right key. Once you get the door open, try the key again. If it works easily, the deadbolt isn’t engaging the strike plate properly. If it doesn’t work any easier, lubricate and clean the lock. Otherwise, coat the key with graphite and work it back and forth in the cylinder several times. If the key turns but doesn’t unlock the lock, disassemble the lock so that you can be sure the cam or tang is properly engaged with the bolt. Replace any broken parts and reassemble the lock. If the key won’t go into the lock, ask yourself if the weather is cold enough for the lock to be frozen.

If it is, hold the key with a heavy glove and heat, then work it gradually into the keyway. Repeat heating and inserting the key until the ice has melted. A new key that won’t go in or work properly may have rough spots that need to be filed off. To find them, hold the key over a candle to blacken it with soot and then turn it very slightly in the lock and remove it. File down any shiny areas where the soot was removed by the rough spots. Exterior locks can freeze, interior locks get dirty, and small internal parts eventually wear out or break. screen doors salem oregonBefore you buy a replacement lock, try some quick remedies:garage door spring trailer gate assist Put some graphite into the keyhole, either by squeezing it from a tube or dusting it onto a key, and then operate the lock a few times to work the graphite into the mechanism. doormats online australia

Lock de-icers contain alcohol and other lubricants that help to dissolve gummy, dirty deposits. The last resort is to disassemble the lock to see if something has jammed or is broken—you may be able to set it straight or replace the part without buying a whole new lock. A cylinder turns when the setscrew(s) meant to hold it in place become loose or broken. Mortise lockset: Remove the faceplate (if there is one) at the door’s edge and locate the one or two cylinder setscrews. They should be in line with the center of the cylinder. car window repair wilmington ncTighten the setscrew(s) by turning clockwise—be sure they engage the slot that runs along the edge of the cylinder (the key slot should be perfectly vertical). shower glass doors barrie Surface-mounted rim lock: Unscrew and remove the cover, called a “case.” shower doors dublin ca

Tighten the cylinder setscrews. When a door latch doesn’t click into position, it usually means the latch and the strike plate are out of alignment. Tighten the hinge screws and then try adjusting the strike plate by loosening its screws and shifting it slightly. When possible, it’s easier to file the slot in the strike plate a little bit so that it will receive the latch. Shifting the strike plate’s position usually involves mortising the jamb, filling part of the old mortise, and so forth. garage door parts canton ohioYou can also solve misalignment by replacing the strike plate with an adjustable strike plate. A latch can stick for many reasons, most of which are easily fixed. Check that the hinge screws are tight. If the door is out of alignment, the latch will bind. Also check the knob and lock assembly for loose screws or misalignment. Finally, look closely at the strike on the door jamb—if it’s blocked or out of adjustment, the latch won’t run freely in and out.

The chances are good that the bolt is having a hard time finding the throat in the strike plate. Be sure the strike plate is secure and in reasonable alignment with the bolt. You can file the edges of the strike plate a little, and even slightly round the edges of the deadbolt’s end. If this doesn’t work, you’ll probably have to remove the strike plate, fill the screw holes with glue and wood matchsticks, trim flush with the jamb, reposition the strike plate properly, and screw it back in place. Using pliers, try to grip and pull the key straight out. If you can’t get a grip even with needle-nose pliers, cut off a coping saw blade and, with the teeth pointed outward, insert the blade into the keyway and try to hook and drag the key out. As a last resort, remove the lock cylinder. Insert a stiff wire into the cam slot at the back of the cylinder and push the key out. Or take the cylinder to a locksmith. Featured Resource: Find Local Pre-Screened Locksmiths Call for free estimates from local pros now:

Various screws are removed and then the door panel is pried away. Electrical connectors are disconnected to separate the panel from the door.With a section on Wiring Relays by Patrick Whitenight door lock actuators such as these work by using a small electric motor with a geared spindle to drive a plunger arm forward or backward. The direction of the plunger is determined by the polarity of the DC power supplied. By coupling the plunger arm to the existing rod within the car door which moves the door lock mechanism, the actuator can lock or unlock the door. Two different models are shown here, a square "compact" style on the left and a pair of "gun" style actuators on the right. power door lock kit will provide a door lock motor, mounting hardware, a connecting rod, and a coupling block. Kits like this can be purchased for under $10 and you will need oneSome more expensive kits provide 2 or 4 sets of actuators and hardware along with wire and a switch suitable for mounting in the door or center console.

photo the connecting rod has already been bent into a lazy "Z" in preparation for mounting in the Miata. To assemble the kit fasten the lock motor to the mounting strap using two of the sheet metal screws. remaining two screws and speed clips will be used to mount the strap to the door. substituted stainless steel sheet metal screws for the ones provided to make sure theyThe connecting rod is attached by feeding it through the eye at the end ofOne end of the rod is pre-bent 90 degrees and has a small head which keeps from slipping out of the hole. The coupling block is a small brass block which ties the connecting rod to the existing door lock rod and is held in place through the use of two small set screws. To remove the interior door trim panel first take off the armrest (if you have one) by removing the three mounting screws. Remove the single screw holding the door handle cup in place and slide the cup off of the handle. If you have manual

windows remove the crank handle. This is held in place with a retaining clip which you can usually remove by wiggling the edge of a rag behind the handle. Now pop out the snaps all around the bottom and both sides of the panel and lift it straight up to free it from theThese instructions may vary slightly between model years. Behind the trim panel is a sheet of plastic material held on with aYou will probably have to remove this sheet completely while you workThe tar can make a big mess so be careful. TIP: Cover the tar with a two inch strip of plastic kitchen wrap all the way around while you have the plastic Inside the door of a Miata the locking rod is the upper of the two rods shown, connecting the standard sliding lock button on the door handle to the lockThe lower rod connects the inside door handle to the door latch. actuator must be mounted parallel to the motion of the lock rod, preferably at the same actuator would probably have fit in the upper opening directly behind the locking rod

(ideal), but the gun style was a little too long for this location so I mounted it in theDrill a hole in the door on each side of the opening, place the assembly inside the door, and mount the strap using the sheet metal screws and speed clips. decide to use nuts and bolts instead, but try to get stainless steel if possible. the motor is mounted lower than the locking rod the connecting rod must be bent into a "Z" shape in order to make the connection. The rod is fairly rigid, and will maintain this shape without deforming during use. Note that the motor is mounted inside the door and the connecting rod must pass through the small oval opening below the handle to mate with the lock rod, which is outside the door. Place the coupling block over the end of the connecting rod and tighten the set screw. Unlock the door, retract the lock motor plunger all the way, and attach the coupling block to the lock rod and tighten the set screw. wires from the motor to your alarm system as directed and you're all done!

Alternatively, you may install a momentary contact DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) switch somewhere in the cockpit and wire it so that the lock motor receives power with one polarity when the switch is closed in one direction and the opposite polarity when the switch is closed in the other direction. When the switch is at rest the motor should not have power. 650 Congress Park Drive 340 E. 1st Street Ft. Lee, NJ 07024 An online shopping service - look under Car Security in the Car Accessories area Ben Lawrence wrote an excellent article on the mechanics of installing power door locks in a Miata, so I will only discuss the electrical wiring partIf you have a car alarm with built-in relays (like Ben has) then you can wire your door lock actuators directly to the alarm without risk of damaging the alarm. However, many alarms do not have relays built in, and their door lock "trigger wires" can only handle a small amount of current.

If you have one of these alarms, you will need to wire the actuators to the trigger wires using relays. A relay is a device that uses a low current to activate a small electromagnet, closing a switch that turns on a much larger current. The type of relay you will need is a standard 30 amp automotive "accessory" relay (SPDT - single pole double throw) WITH FIVE PINS (four won't do). Bosch makes them, as well as otherYou will need two of these relays, and will probably have to go to a car alarm/stereo shop to find them locally (about $5 U.S. each). You can probably also buy them over the Internet at the same place you get your actuators. I couldn't find them at local auto parts stores. The pins on the relays are as follows: This is a fairly easy process, and a wiring diagram for the two relays is shown below. I don't know what color the wires to your actuators are, so I'll call them (A) and (B). Notice that the actuator wires (A & B) coming from terminal 30

are grounded when the relays are at rest (terminal 30 is internally connected to terminal 87A when relay is at rest). When the "lock" relay is activated, terminal 30 connects to terminal 87, providing a 12V positive through that actuator wire (A), while (B) remains grounded ("unlock" relay is at rest). This causes the actuators toConversely, when the "unlock" relay is activated, wire (B) becomes positive while wire (A) remains grounded ("lock" relay at rest), causing the It is easiest to use female spade connectors to slide onto the pins of the relays, and crimp them onto the wires (you die-hards can solder if you want). may want to strap the relays together (side-by-side) with tape or nylon zip ties. have to use trial-and-error to determine which actuator wire is (A) and which is (B) -- if the doors lock when they should unlock and vice-versa, just swap (A) & (B). exposed connectors with electrical tape to prevent short circuits, and find a nice