Locks Squealing

[IndyDurango]

Just got back from tent camping and sledding this weekend with the Boy Scouts (3 degrees Sat morning, 6 degrees this morning, wind chill factor?) We made it through everything okay, the exception is the D

On Sat evening when locking/unlocking the doors (and it continues now at home at 20 degrees) the drivers side door lock squeals like a stuck pig each time it's unlocked. The lock does work (for now) but sounds horrible.

Since it sounded like the problem was coming from near the lock, I poped off the door panel 1/3rd of the way off and blindly sprayed WD40 all around the inside of the door along the door lock edge (right where the rod for the door lock goes up and down.)

Still Squeaks.

With electric mirrors, windows, locks, etc I was hesitant to leave the panel off until I could figure it out.

Do you guys think it's something that can just be greased or something on the way to the trash pile that needs replaced?

Thanks in advace.

IndyDurango

[jimbo]

That squeal is a good sign that the lock is going bad. The motor is integral to the lock and sealed in the lock housing. Replacements cost around $55 online and the replacement takes about 30 minutes.

[Thunderknight]

Yeah, it'll fail eventually and then it won't open electronically (manually will still work.) My drivers went a while ago and I had that done under my extended service plan. The rear pass just failed and I (for now at least) just unplugged it. I never use that door anyway.

[IndyDurango]

[Doug F.]

Yup!

Overnight! Mine did it and is still doing it… I have to get in there and change it…

Any of you guys that fixed it already have pics or something to guide us through it? It's not covered in the Factory Service Manual (2000.)
Also a part number and site to get a replacement from…

Thanks!

[jimbo]

I found the instructions for the front driver's side in my 2000 FSM. I ordered the parts from www.dodgeparts.com. The whole job took about a 30 minutes.

[MWeed]

This is one of the standard complaints on the D. The solenoid is squealing as it's dying.

[IndyDurango]

[jimbo]

Parts. OEM Part. Price

Lock, Doors.
Rear Lock

Right. 55256714AB. $75

Left. 55256715AB. $72.50

Front Lock

Right. 55256712AB

Left. 55256713AB

[jimbo]

Click on the tab in the upper left that says OEM catalog. That'll open a set of boxes where you can fill out model information but, since you have the part numbers, just use the part number boxes. Enter the entire part number and that it's for a Dodge.

[IndyDurango]

[IndyDurango]

Ready to do the door lock fix now and went to print out the repair instructions and they're gone from the post.

Without the instructions, I went at it anyway. Here's how I did it, the troubles I had and the time it took:

Remove 2 phillips screws at bottom of door along the sill. On the inside door panel, remove phillips screw inside the handle area, remove phillips screw behind the grab bar on the door, remove phillips screw above the side mirror 'triangle' section. Lift door panel to begin removal. Disconnect the electrical connections for the tweater speaker and power mirrors at the 1:00 o'clock position. Disconnect electrical harness for the power windows and door lock (had to take a pair of pliers to depress the connector slightly to get it to pull off. Disconnect the control bar clasp connecting the inside door handle. Panel is now free and can be set aside. Peel back the plastic half way towards to dash. This plastic covers the inside of the door and is stuck all the way around the door with a black tar like sticky stuff. Duct tape the plastic back to keep it out of the way.

Remove the 3 screws (large star head) that hold the latch mechanism in place from the vertical door sill area.

Big Note: The door latch mechanism is akin to a Rubicks Cube.

Reach in the center of the mechanism along the inside of the door and unplug the electrical connection then tuck out of the way. Disconnect the little electrical connector that has the wiring running above the latch. This isn't connected to the latch, but is in the way. If it comes loose at the top during the proccess, it's a PITA (pain in the adam's-apple) to get back connected at the top. Instructions below.

Remove the 4 bars that connect each control rod from the mechanism. This is a huge PITA. One connects the internal door handle (green), one for the internal lock (yellow), one for the external door handle (green) and one for the external lock (purple.) Disengage these bars in that order. Remove and set aside the control bar from the internal handle to the 1st clasp removed. Use the new lock orientated as if it were in the D to see the areas where these bars attach. Lift the external handle to provide extra room at getting to the green clasp connecting the external handles control bar. They have catches/clasps that connect to the bar to hold the bar in place as the right angle section of the bar enters a little connecting hole. These are exactly the same as the control bar removed from the other end of the internal door handle when removing the door panel. The purple one sorta came loose on it's own when I removed the mechanism. The little bar that uses the purple connector will hold the latch up until you get it free. Support the mechanism once the control bars are all removed. Rotate the mechanism counterclock wise, on end, and it'll come loose for removal. Take the mechanism out of the larger lower hole in the door.

With no instructions, time for removal = 25 minutes.

Reverse process (like it's that easy.) Place mechanism back in the area and hold it up there while reattaching the control bars. This is the biggest PITA of the whole thing. Having someone hold a flashlight is very helpful here. Initially I had a small one on my mouth, ended up having my son hold a bigger one. Knees, arms, hands, etc all sore and tired before these bars were back attached.

See picture below: Reattach the control bar to the purple clasp 1st. Rotate mechanism to get the bar in the hole. Have the clasp positioned so that it'll rotate back on to the bar when the end is in the hole. If not, you'll have to remove the bar and start over (PITA factor.) Make sure the 2nd bar to reattach, the external handle to the far green connector is in front of the little bar to the purple clasp, not crossed over it (PITA factor.) If crossed, you'll have to remove the purple bar clasp and start over after uncrossing the bars (from personal experience.) Once the purple is connected (35 minutes it took me) go to the green clasp for the external handle. Again, moving the handle outside provides extra room to reconnect (small PITA, it took 5 minutes or so.) Once the far clasps are reconnected, replace the screws that hold the mechanism in the door. Reconnect the internal door lock clasp to the control bar. Reconnect the internal handle clasp to the control bar.

Stretch legs and knees.

Replace plastic on tar sticky, making sure the wiring is all reconnected behind the plastic at the lock mechanism area. If the wiring that runs above the mechanism comes loose, there's only one place and one way it can reattach inside the door, but is barely visable. Remove the black oval plug from the vertical door sill area to access the reconnection area. It simply presses on the connection. Place the door panel's supporting connection tabs in place along the bottom of the door. Replug in all connectors including the power windows large connector unless you want to take it all apart for a second time like I did. Reattach the internal door handle control bar and clasp unless you want to take it all apart for a third time like I did. Replace all 5 screws that hold the door in place.

Once completed, everything was fine except the door wouldn't open from the outside handle. Taking apart the entire door panel and electrical connectors again for a fourth time, I reinspected all control bar connections. They seemed fine. Referring to the old mechaism now as a guide on how this Rubiks Cube operates, I duduced that the screw at the bottom of the green external control bar wasn't tight enough and the two pieces of metal were slipping past one another when the handle was pulled to open the door. This is a 5/32 allen head screw. On the old mechansim I losened and tighted the screw until I could see how it was failing and how to correct it. Now, how to access it on the newly installed unit without having to remove it all over.!! To my suprise!! there's a hole in the vertical door sill area underneath the attachment screws. See picture below. This hole provides direct access to this screw. A simple allen wrench twist later, the screw was tight and the latch was engaging when the handle was pulled. The metal sections weren't slipping past one another. Elapsed time to figure this out and put everything back together yet again, 1 hour, 35 minutes.

It works fine and is so quiet locking I wasn't sure it was working except for the internal lock moving up and down.

Total time for repair via trial and error and no instructions, nearly 3 hours and 35 minutes. I'd say it'd probably take me 60-90 minutes to do it again depending on how easily I can get all four of the control bars reconnected.

I have a 2000 SLT+ D, this was the drivers side mechanism and used part number 1-55256713AB for about $83 in hand. It only took a couple of tools (star bit, allen wrench because screw driver with allen bit would fit in the suprise adjusting hole, phillips screw driver, pliers and duct tape.)

My son pointed out that the railing the window uses inside of the door was "right in the way and this would be way easier if it wasn't in there". Really?! No such luck.

Note to self, kick the DC engineer of this Rubiks Cube mechanism in the shins if ever met them.

Hope this helps someone.

IndyDurango

[IndyDurango]

.
The drivers front door locking mechanism was replaced on 3/8/06… 5 years, 7 months from the D's day 1.

[FSTDANGO3]

You had better call Greg and admit that his Chronic part failure has hit home with you as well…
Steve
DOC Pres

[dizzyD]

Other thoughts are lock motor to lock mechanism Alignment issue from initial mount. Dirt/water intrusion into door cavity.

And were's the Chronic!!