Ford Fiesta mk4 1997 - Car door lock driver's side | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

Tue 18 Dec 2012 21:59

Ford Fiesta mk4 1997 - Car door lock driver's side - andym

Hi, still driving this car but recently and all of a sudden my front door will not unlock. I can always open it from the inside.

what i don't understand is that sometimes it unlocks and locks and sometimes not. i have read the forum here about a broken spring and i'ive tried WD40 and even bought a graphite lube spray from maplins which i squirted into the keyhole. it doesn't seem to be the cylinder and i tried starting to use my other key which has been put in the draw at home for years. i wonder what i could do. i have taken the inside door cover off but the latch is all a sealed unit...seems a bit difficult

its not a central locking type but mechanical

its a pain as it will fail an MOT in a months time as the door locks shut and also wont open with the outside handle even though i wasn't able to lock it with the key

if i could take it out (ive got a haynes)and check it does it need some grease ?

thanks

andy

Edited by andym on 18/12/2012 at 22:08

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Wed 19 Dec 2012 17:37

Ford Fiesta mk4 1997 - Car door lock driver's side - daveyjp

Fords of that age are notorious for the barrels wearing. I had a 1994 and a 1996 Fiesta and both needed at least one new lock barrel which can be built to match the key.

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Mon 24 Dec 2012 14:42

Ford Fiesta mk4 1997 - Car door lock driver's side - Cyd

So, once the door is unlocked by using the inside handle, you say you can then open the door using the inside handle? (iirc it's a double pull on the inside handle to do this, no??)

If you then shut the door but do not lock it, can you re-open using the outside handle?

I wouldn't advise trying to take the door latch apart. Most are riveted together anyway and so cannot be reassembled by diy.

Can you operate the door latch properly by disconnecting the linkages from the handle and pushing/pulling on them manually?

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Wed 9 Jan 2013 18:46

Ford Fiesta mk4 1997 - Car door lock driver's side - andym

all done......opened up the latch, luckily it only had a plastic cover and i didnt have to go into the mechanism too much. It was a broken spring which kept a component arm in the upright position under tension in order to open the door from the outside handle (and turn the key!!! ) if it had been one of the other bigger springs.i would have needed a new latch!

Nothing wrong with the key cylinder..

cheers!

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